Relief among residents of upstate New York

MALONE, N.Y. – Finally, the people of the upper Adirondacks region of New York state can exhale.

More than three weeks after two escaped killers from the nearby maximum-security prison in Dannemora broke loose, and an ensuing manhunt that captivated the nation and left area residents with immense anxiety, people in these parts can once again sleep easier.

Escaped fugitive David Sweat was shot and captured in Constable on Sunday afternoon by New York State Trooper Jay Cook, bringing to a close a mentally and physically exhausting chase that turned many of the towns around here into virtual police states.

No more schools and restaurants closing early. No more armed roadblocks with New York state troopers and Department of Corrections officials brandishing rifles as they searched car trunks. No more posses of U.S. Marshals donning bulletproof vests as they went door to door and looked in windows. And no more living in fear for so many people.

Sweat's capture brought to a close an historic manhunt that turned around daily lives, forcing people to lock their doors and watch their backs, not knowing exactly where he and fellow escapee Richard Matt were lurking. Matt was shot and killed Friday by a federal law-enforcement agent from Vermont, U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said.

"The nightmare is finally over. Let's give a big round of applause to the men and women of law enforcement," New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said at a Sunday evening news conference at the Titus Mountain Ski Resort in Malone. "It has been a long, long time. This was an extraordinary situation in many ways. This is the first escape (from Dannemora) in 100 years. If you were writing a movie plot, you would say this was overdone."

Perhaps overdone, but nonetheless, a saga that ended as well as many could have possibly hoped for, as no civilians or officers were hurt while the convicted killers roamed this heavily wooded area after escaping in the late evening June 5 or early morning June 6.

"I think it was a tremendous effort, just as the governor and the commissioner were stating," Franklin County District Attorney Glenn MacNeill said. "We had people coming from all over the country. Just a fantastic effort on their part, and obviously it led to a good result. I can't say enough about the people who were out in these woods after these guys. I'm a deer hunter and know what these woods are like. You can get turned around very easily."

Dog the Bounty Hunter

Just how difficult were the outdoor conditions in this part of the Adirondacks that authorities were forced to comb through? Among the most difficult in the world, according to TV personality Duane Chapman, known as Dog the Bounty Hunter, who has made a career chasing down fugitives around the world. He was in the crowd of spectators at Sunday night's news conference in Malone but was not officially part of the manhunt.

"I have been around the world terrain wise, and this is the most roughest terrain I have ever seen in my entire life," Chapman said. "Literally we tested today, and we got 25 feet away from our camera in the bush, and you couldn't see us. Even with the eye of a camera. So at 25-30 feet, you're done. We've chased them all over, but not like this. This was incredible."

The woods in this area of northern New York, just south of the Canadian border, are filled with overgrown trees, shrubs and vegetation, and sometimes are coupled with areas of rocks, hills and swamplands. In some areas, visibility can be less than 10 feet due to the density of the forest.

As praise rolled in for law-enforcement officials Sunday, perhaps the most gratifying accolades came from people who live here. Folks from several nearby towns showed up at Sunday's news conference to extend appreciation and support.

"It feels great, just to know we don't have to worry, and you can leave your house," said Matthew Hosler of Malone. "It was just stressful, you couldn't leave your house, or if you did leave, you couldn't get back to your house. Police did a good job."

In many of the areas where the manhunt focused the tightest, some people were not allowed to return to their homes. Others were required to have police escorts.

"It's a relief, because the search was getting kind of close to our house," said Danise Gratton of Westville, which is in the town of Constable, where Sweat was apprehended. "It's unbelievable. I was getting worried, because it was getting so close to my house."

This story was first posted on June 28, 2015.

Follow Philip Tortora on Twitter at @philiptortora or on Facebook at Facebook.com/PhilipTortoraJournalist. Reach him at (802) 660-1847