Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! Bill said that six weeks earlier, Marjorie had called him in a panic, saying shed shot and killed her boyfriend, James Roden. Brian Douglas Wells was 46-years-old and wasn't a bank robber. Diehl-Armstrong had a history with police, as mentioned earlier. "I get a call, 'Hey we got a new bank robbery at 7200 Peach Street, [and there is] a potential bomb utilized during the robbery.' Not for himself, but a prostitute with whom he was in a relationship named Jessica Hoopsick. 4) William Ansel "Bill" Rothstein and Kenneth Barnes were also involved in the crime. Para nosotros usted es lo ms importante, le ofrecemosservicios rpidos y de calidad. On top of her sentence for killing her boyfriend, Diehl-Armstrong, 68, was serving a life sentence after being convicted for her role in the robbery. But then in August of 2003, the peace would be disturbed when Marjories neighbor heard gunshots coming from the house.. Mere minutes before the bomb squad could arrive. The story of Brian Wells is about a pizza delivery guy, a bomb collar, and a bank robbery. It had been locked around him by three people in order to compel him to do what they wanted and return with $250,000. Shortly after, authorities arrested Diehl-Armstrong, who later implicated herself and Rothstein in the collar bomb crime. She was ultimately found not guilty on the grounds that he was allegedly violent and abusive towards her. Many leads for potential suspects turned up empty until a local man named William Rothstein tipped off state police to a frozen body in his garage. The state troopers kept a safe distance as Wells repeatedly warned them that the bomb would blow. Brian Wells is the pizza man who walked into a PNC bank in Erie, Pennsylvania, and handed the teller a note demanding $250,000 (pictured above). In fact, the meticulous instructions also included detailed maps, descriptions of the bomb's construction, and very pointed threats to "Bomb Hostage" to follow the rules exactly. Before his death, Wells was a pizza delivery man who, shortly before his death, made a delivery stop outside of Erie. According to an FBI affidavit, Rothstein said his former fiance, Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong, had murdered her own boyfriend, James Roden, and stuffed his body in the freezer. Barnes has said much the same. Brian Wells, originally named Brian Douglas Wells, was reportedly a pizza delivery man residing in Erie, Pennsylvania. He was born on November 15, 1956, to Rose Wells and Harold Wells in Warren, Pennsylvania. In 2003, when the terrible incident took place, Brian was 46 years old. 7. He knew this because he was going to be the one killing her dad--but for the fee of $250,000. The story feels almost too insane to be real if it were a fictional movie plot, you might think: "Eh, this feels like a bit of a stretch.". On August 28, Wells was forced to go to Erie's PNC Bank to carry out a heist. Or Rob Thomas, for Matchbox 20 fans. Ken told investigators that Bill built the bomb, and that the robbery was Marjories idea. In July 2007, four years after the robbery, federal prosecutors announced that Barnes and Diehl-Armstrong were believed to have been responsible, along with other conspirators including Wells, who was involved in a limited extent with the planing.. So if you plan to watch Evil Genius but want to avoid witnessing a real person's tragic death, be sure to shut your eyes around 10 minutes in to the first episode . The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". The death was ruled accidental, though, so she was never charged. Theres no evidence to suggest Wells was a willing participant, but there has been limited suggestion that he might have known about the plot, and opted out--thats why he wound up with the collar forced upon him. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Mom Allegedly Planned Killings of Sons a Week in Advance, Gave Instructions About Disposing Ashes, Revisiting PEOPLE's 2017 Story on the 'Fitbit Murder': Web of Lies a Wife Killed, a Husband Accused, Cigarette Butt from Site of Wash. 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The robbery was merely a setup for her to acquire $250,000 to pay a hitman Barnes himself. How Black Filmmakers Are Reclaiming Their History Onscreen. Unfortunately, our investigation has led to the belief that Brian became involved in a limited role with a group of individuals who planned to rob the PNC Bank, Buchanan said. Brian Wells, 46, robbed a suburban Erie bank on Aug. 28, 2003, with the bomb attached to his neck and then was killed when it exploded as he sat handcuffed in a parking lot while police waited for a bomb squad. So smooth. 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With a walking-stick and a huge protrusion in the front of his shirt what bank customers thought was a neck injury apparatus, but Wells claimed was a bomb "I'm not lying. It also describes violent content that some audiences may find disturbing. They arrested Rothstein and brought him in for questioning. Until something clearly went wrong, that is. According to Ken, Marjorie also killed James -- remember, he was her ex, who was found in Bills freezer -- because he threatened to tell police about her plot. However, he was only able to get $8,702. She would not say if Rothstein, who died of cancer in July 2004, was one of those witnesses. 11 hours ago, by Eden Arielle Gordon Wells is shown sucking on a lollipop inside the bank, wearing a collar bomb and carrying a cane-shaped firearm. Stunt Performer Ryan Dunn Dies From Car Accident, Attorney Marketing and Website by Fusion 360. Someone might have taken it, but investigators believe that it was probably never there at all. Watch tonight's episode of "The Price of Duty" to find out more about the case. Suburb for 52 Years: U.S. As it so happened, Rothstein also lived in the house right next to the broadcast tower where Wells claimed to be fitted with the bomb collar. By bragging, Bill willingly admitted to police he fit the exact profile of their bomb maker they were looking for. The Price of Duty 102: Face to Face with the Pizza Bomber. Three minutes before the bomb squad arrived, the collar detonated, tearing a hole in Wells' chest and killing him within moments, according to All That's Interesting. Diehl-Armstrong was the plot's mastermind, according to Barnes. At a news conference announcing the indictments, Mary Beth Buchanan, the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania at the time, said Wells had also been part of the plot. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. The co-conspirators watched from a distance until Wells was stopped by police, at which time they fled. Barnes was a misfit friend of Marjories. Be the first one to comment on this story. She was also not unknown to Erie, PA law enforcement. The crime went down in 2003, when a pizza delivery man was jumped, fitted with a collar that he was told was a bomb, and sent on a bizarre scavenger hunt that involved robbing a bank. Mere seconds later, it exploded, leaving a 5-inch gash in Wells chest. The Pennsylvania Department of Corrections said Hoopsick had been in the state prison system for theft between May 2012 and July 2014, when she was paroled. 1. The debated question of Wells true involvement, as well as how the investigation unfolded, is re-examined in Netflixs four-part docu series Evil Genius: The True Story of Americas Most Diabolical Bank Heist, which is streaming now. 1 day ago, by Chanel Vargas You'll find yourself captivated by the four-part show, which dives deep into the investigation surrounding the murder of Brian Wells (also known as "the Pizza Bomber") and attempts to find links between other mysterious deaths in the town. According to police, a month before the robbery Diehl-Armstrong had asked her friend Kenneth Barnes if he knew how to build a pipe bomb. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". Even if Wells could have somehow beat the timers and finished the treasure hunt, he would never have been able to remove the bomb on his own. The bomb collar he wore was going to explode, Wells said. A cane-shaped shotgun found in Brian Wells' car. Diehl-Armstrong and Barnes are currently serving unrelated sentences in prisonDiehl-Armstrong for killing her boyfriend in 2003 and Barnes for a drug-related offense. If youre a fan of the Netflix show Black Mirror, the latest season has an episode where the plot revolves around an unseen person controlling others to do their bidding. He claimed to have been attacked by a group of black men who he said tied the bomb to his body, court documents show. Authorities said he was holding a loaded homemade shotgun that looked like a walking cane and wearing a T-shirt over an improvised explosive device, which he showed the teller, according to FBI records. There are plenty of amateur sleuths who suspect that Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong was telling the truth and she wasn't the mastermind. Wells' family said he 46 year old Brian Douglas Wells worked as a pizza delivery man at Mama Mia Pizzeria in Erie, Pennsylvania. By the end of 2004, Marjorie was determined as knowing the difference between right and wrong, and therefore declared competent able to stand trial. Wells told police that the bomb on his neck was on a timer and that hed been forced to rob the bank. Shortly after, authorities confronted him at the parking lot of a nearby Eyeglass World retail store. She earned another 30 years for using a bomb in the crime. Kenneth Barnes had already pleaded guilty as part of his deal in 2008, according to All That's Interesting. Roden had been Marjorie's then-current boyfriend, and she had killed him in an argument about money, according to Wired. So it seemed like Brian had really been jumped, but the police obviously had to get to the bottom of it. Today's video is about the infamous Police found two notes from Brians car explaining how to remove the bomb along with the phrase, 'act Chris Harris has been a senior true crime reporter for PEOPLE since late 2015. The men jumped him, forced the bomb collar on him, and gave him several pages of instructions and the shotgun-cane. 4. If not for losing his life, he could have gotten a personal injury lawyer and built a case against them. They found that the bomb was indeed initiated before Brian walked into the bank, and it had an inbuilt timer, as well as a booby trap that would trigger it if anyone attempted to remove it. The device was attached to his neck like a large handcuff, and was beeping. But things took yet another turn when Marjorie was found mentally incompetent to stand trial by the court in 2004. They were engaged in their 20s, but it didnt last. She earned another 30 years for using a bomb in the crime. Officers had to restrain her, and they found James in the freezer as described. Subscribe at iTunes or Google Play. So the police traced the call for the two pepperoni pizzas to the transmission tower site and found Brians shoe impressions and tire marks there, but here the trail went cold. Marjories high school sweetheart was a guy named Bill Rothstein. Initially, Wells thought he was an active planner in the robbery but would realize that his diabolical accomplices Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong, Bill Rothstein, and Kenneth Barnes made him an unwilling participant. Does anyone have the actual video of the bomb going off or any aftermath pictures? Authorities, according to the Plain Dealer, have described Rothstein as helping plan the robbery and bombing. In 2008, Barnes was sentenced to 270 months for conspiracy to commit armed bank robbery, using and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence, according to FCI Coleman Low, the federal correctional facility where hes currently incarcerated in Florida. Brian Wells' family denied these claims at the time and continue to do so to this day. Kenneth Barnes was reportedly a retired TV repairman, a drug dealer, and a friend of Diehl-Armstrong's. Posted on July 30, 2011 by Vincit Omnia Veritas. Marjorie said he had fallen, and the coroner corroborated, saying the death was accidental. Marjorie passed away at the age of 68 on April 4, 2017, from breast cancer while she was in jail. Unfortunately, there was no DNA or fingerprint evidence on the bomb that could link it to its maker. There was no remote detonator. Netflixs new four-part docuseries Evil Genius: The True Story of Americas Most Diabolical Bank Heist, dives into a high-profile 2003 crime known as the collar bomb case. A mans voice told them, I have a dead body in my freezer. The caller was Marjorie Diehl-Armstrongs former fianc, Bill Rothstein. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. A prosecutor in the case once reportedly described the suspects as twisted, intellectually bright, dysfunctional individuals who outsmarted themselves., Barnes pleaded guilty to weapons and conspiracy charges and remains in prison while Diehl-Armstrong was convicted and later died behind bars. Barnes was sentenced to 45 years in federal prison, and Diehl-Armstrong was sentenced to life in prison, where she died in 2017. Diehl-Armstrong was meant to receive some of the heist money, which was what she and Roden had been arguing about when she killed him. Wells went to deliver the pizzas himself, according to Wired. On August 28, 2003 at about 1:30 p.m., the co-conspirators used a pay phone to order two pizzas for delivery to a remote TV tower site, which happened to be next door to one of the conspirators houses. For cases such as these Personal Injury lawyers are used to build cases and file for compensation. As you may already know, everyone and their grandmother has a true crime podcast these days. Marjorie was later convicted for her monstrous crimes, which included armed bank robbery, conspiracy to commit armed robbery, and the use of a deadly device. Authorities have said that they've pieced together what they can from all of the evidence, and they believe that they closed the case accurately. Read the Book Spoilers Now, Rachel Weisz Stars as Twin Doctors in Reimagination of David Cronenberg's "Dead Ringers", Sarah Shahi Jokes She Was "Notorious" at Her Kids' Elementary School After "Sex/Life" Premiered, Joshua Jackson Gets Into a Dangerous Affair With Lizzy Caplan in "Fatal Attraction" Series Teaser, Meet the 2 Other Actors That Help Pedro Pascal Bring the Mandalorian to Life, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. This was the first task of a scavenger hunt that he claimed would save his life. Face with the pizza Bomber large handcuff, and a bank robbery Brian,. 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