What the police don't realize is that Eric has been training an army ever since his arrest in 2004, when he served a few months in jail, then upon his release, resolved to get revenge.  In the 2 million acres of woods behind his parents' house, he trained an army of chipmunks to do his bidding, including patrol duty and delivering messages.  (My friend Sharon heard this part and said I should make squirrels the officers, because they are very crafty.  Sharon, consider it done!)

  The life span of the Eastern Chipmunk is only about 2 or 3 years.  Therefore, Eric has trained three generations of chipmunks, and the duties to which he's entrusted them are slowly being imprinted on their DNA.  Today, Eric's chipmunks run faster and see further than their counterparts who've received no such education.  Of course, if the Hundredth Monkey hypothesis holds true, soon all chipmunks will display these qualities.  Time will tell.

  Meanwhile, the manhunt continues.  Helicopters cruise over the forest canopy of this sleepy Pennsylvania township day and night.  Residents are becoming restive.