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. The infamous pizza bomber narrative isas explosive as it sounds--although filled with more twists and turns than actual pizza. 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). They said that if he followed the instructions on the paper, he would be able to disarm the bomb and would be unhurt, but he had a time limit he had to follow. Heres what to know about the collar bomb case: On Aug. 28, 2003, Wells was working as a pizza deliveryman when he walked into a PNC Bank in Erie, Pa. at about 2:20 p.m. and handed the teller a note demanding $250,000. A 46-year-old pizza delivery man with a bomb fastened around his neck robbed a Pennsylvania bank in August 2003, walking out with more than $8,000 in cash. Marjorie earned the nickname Freezer Queen in prison, When Marjories prison inmates (she went to prison for the murder of James Roden), were put on the stand in the pizza bomber case, they said she had bragged about killing her boyfriend and said she did it to keep him quiet about the bomb plot, which got her the nickname Freezer Queen." They had uncovered evidence that he was actually in on the plot and worked with the perpetrators as an accomplice, according to Wired. This was a lengthy and complex investigation, Morrow said. In July 2004, investigators tried to get a confession from Bill on his deathbed, but he passed without uttering a useful word. Diehl-Armstrong was the plot's mastermind, according to Barnes. 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.". Police brought him in for questioning and he soon confessed to a version of events that law enforcement already suspected to be true and also copped that Wells was in on the plot, according to All That's Interesting. Starring Jesse Eisenberg and Danny McBride, 30 Minutes Or Less, is about a pizza delivery guy who is kidnapped by some criminals who strap a bomb around his neck and force him to rob a bank. IE 11 is not supported. 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. Brian Douglas Wells was 46-years-old and wasn't a bank robber. Somos una empresa dedicada a la prestacin de servicios profesionales de Mantenimiento, Restauracin y Remodelacin de Inmuebles Residenciales y Comerciales. Namely, why Wells, a pizza guy with no criminal record, agreed to participate despite knowing that Diehl-Armstrong was dangerous. The bomb was attached to the collar, authorities said. Heres where it gets interesting: while recovering James body, investigators realized Bills house was less than five hundred yards from where Brian Wells made his last delivery, right under the transmission tower. When police arrived at Rothstein's residence, they found Rothstein himself, the dead man in the freezer, later identified as James Roden, and a suicide note from Rothstein (who had not even attempted suicide) that, peculiarly and completely unprompted, stated in its intro that the body in the freezer had nothing to do with Brian Wells' case, according to Wired. This is an FBI handout photo of the collar device used to secure a bomb to Brian Wells' neck. The police called in the bomb squad. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. With cameras pointed at handcuffed Brian Douglas Wells as he was sitting on the road surrounded by the police cars, 15 minutes before the bomb squad arrived, the Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. He died of lymphoma less than a year after his phone call to police. As you may already know, everyone and their grandmother has a true crime podcast these days. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. WebBrian Wells collar bomb explosion. Federal prosecutors on Wednesday announced an indictment against Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong, 58, and Kenneth Barnes, 53, for allegedly helping to plot and carry out the botched scheme that culminated on August 28, 2003, when Brian Wells was stopped by police after robbing an Erie bank. She was acquitted of the crime because it was believed he was violent and abusive towards her. She wanted to kill her own father, who she accused of wasting a fortune that she was meant to inherit, according to Wired. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. It was merely two pipe bombs and kitchen timers, according to Wired. A new Black Mirror episode called Shut Up And Dance also eerily dramatises a similar crime. Armed with Kenneth Barnes' testimony, police put Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong on trial once again, this time for the bomb plot. The scavenger hunt notes contained language like we and us, implying there were multiple conspirators involved. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Around the 10-minute mark of the first episode, viewers are greeted by the actual video footage of the bomb which is locked around Brian Wells's neck like a Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! 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. Netflix's new docuseries Evil Genius might be your new true crime addiction, especially if you were obsessed with projects like Making a Murderer and The Keepers. Brian Douglas Wells (November 15, 1956 August 28, 2003) was an American man who died after being forced to be involved in a complex plot involving a bank robbery, a scavenger hunt, and a homemade explosive device. Wells was killed when an explosive collar detonated while he was surrounded by police in his hometown of Erie, Pennsylvania. A mans voice told them, I have a dead body in my freezer. The caller was Marjorie Diehl-Armstrongs former fianc, Bill Rothstein. The client, Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong, is serving seven to 20 years in state prison for pleading guilty but mentally ill to killing her boyfriend, James Roden, in 2003. Detecto una fuga de gas en su hogar o negocio. This collar was attached to a box under his shirt, creating a large lump under the t-shirt. While they were in route, something strange happened the bomb around Wells' neck began beeping faster and faster. All right, well we've had those before, and many times you arrive on scene and they're hoax devices. "I'm not lying. State troopers found Wells inside a parked vehicle and handcuffed him. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. (She mistakenly believed he was wealthy.). Wells had told police he had been forced to rob the bank. The caller ordered two sausage and pepperoni pizzas and asked that they be delivered to a road on the edge of town. Barbara Schroeder, Evil Genius writer-director with co-director Trey Borzillieri, drew from years of work including countless interviews with Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong, whom prosecutors have described as one of the pizza bombing plots masterminds. In this photo released Sept. 17, 2005, by the FBI, Brian Wells, 46, of Erie, Pa., carries a plastic bag of cash after robbing the PNC Bank in Summit Towne Centre in Erie on Aug. 28, 2003. While Barnes did get a reduced sentence for cooperating, it didn't do him any good. He seemed like any other ordinary customer who might have come in that day except for one very odd thing he had a large, metal collar around his neck. On August 28, 2003, pizza guy Brian Wells took one last delivery on his route in Erie, Pennsylvania, before finishing his shift. The state troopers kept a safe distance as Wells repeatedly warned them that the bomb would blow. 12 hours ago, by Alexis Jones No one knows for sure who wrote them. The bomb exploded before bomb technicians arrived. So it seemed like Brian had really been jumped, but the police obviously had to get to the bottom of it. By clicking ACCEPT ALL, you consent to the use of cookies. Diehl-Armstrong and Barnes were both eventually convicted of conspiracy and armed bank robbery charges. The men jumped him, forced the bomb collar on him, and gave him several pages of instructions and the shotgun-cane. After Wells came out of the bank, a bank employee quickly called the police. 46 year old Brian Douglas Wells worked as a pizza delivery man at Mama Mia Pizzeria in Erie, Pennsylvania. Long Waits, Short Appointments, Huge Bills. Wells went to deliver the pizzas himself, according to Wired. Marjories first boyfriend was named Rob Thomas. Police arrested Diehl-Armstrong for the murder of James Roden, for which she was sentenced to 20 years in prison, according to All That's Interesting. She was found guilty of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, conspiracy to commit armed bank robbery and armed bank robbery, officials said. The entire plan was executed under her supervision. If not for losing his life, he could have gotten a personal injury lawyer and built a case against them. WebInvestigators concluded and a federal prosecutor's indictment alleged Wells was a knowing participant in the bank robbery but was told the bomb was fake and did not know his co-conspirators intended for him to die. Does anyone have the actual video of the bomb going off or any aftermath pictures? Furthermore, they followed the trail to the second clue's location, where Wells was headed when apprehended by police, and found that the clue wasn't even there, according to All That's Interesting. The police went straight to Bills house--and found Marjorie there, sitting in the bed. On August 27, 2003, Diehl-Armstrong, Barnes, Wells and other unindicted co-conspirators met to discuss the next days plot. The sentence would begin as soon as she finished serving her time, or was paroled, for killing James Roden. A weird move for a guy who had a bomb unwillingly around his neck, forcing him to do the bidding of the people who forcibly put it there. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Wells' family said he The death was ruled accidental, though, so she was never charged. Meanwhile, here are some truly mind-blowing facts about the case to whet your whistle. She is alleged to have supplied two egg timers that were used in the collar bomb. 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. He died of an internal brain hemorrhage. When questioned, Marjorie tried to pin Rothstein as the mastermind since he had already died. Like Diehl-Armstrong, Rothstein was highly intelligent and had a history of metalwork and machining, making it likely that he created the bomb collar itself. 1 day ago, by Chanel Vargas Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Wells said he saw three Black men waiting for him. The FBI documents said Barnes later confessed to punching Wells on the day of the bank heist after Wells got scared and started to run away from the group of conspirators. She has said she believed Wells was involved in the heist and that Rothstein was the brains behind the entire plot, not her. Bill Rothstein (pictured above) helped Marjorie hide the body in his freezer, but drew a line at chopping up the body to get rid of it, and wound up calling the police instead. Retired FBI agents Jim Fisher and Jerry Clark, who was prominently featured in Evil Genius, also believe Rothstein was responsible for the crime. Police also took Wells' instructions and put together a route to follow. , Awesome, Youre All Set! 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. Roden had been Marjorie's then-current boyfriend, and she had killed him in an argument about money, according to Wired. Previously, investigators made only one of these pages available to the media. all while wearing a bulky contraption around his neck, covered in a T-shirt that ominously read "Guess." As soon as he was gone customers in the bank began dialling 911, and he only made it a few hundred yards in his car before a State Trooper pulled him over. As Clark predicted, this was no ordinary bank robbery.. Instead, she gathered all the money she could from behind the counter and placed it in a bag for Wells. But don't press "play" unprepared or you could find yourself unwittingly witnessing some seriously gruesome stuff. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". The felony charges, announced during a press conference by U.S. Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan, answer some central questions about the case, foremost whether Wells was a willing participant or an innocent victim. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. After an argument, she allegedly shot him twice with a 12-gauge shotgun. 9. She said the investigators set her up and the government framed her, and that Bill was the true mastermind.The jury reached a verdict on November 1st , 2010, finding Marjorie guilty. The vault was on a time delay, and it would take longer than the 15 minutes allotted in his note. They used the time limits from the pages and found that it was physically impossible for someone to complete the steps necessary in the 55 total minutes allotted. 14 hours ago, by Monica Sisavat Wells then followed the next set steps of his instructions, which directed him to a McDonald's near the bank, where he'd find a note with more instructions under a stone in the parking lot. After being convicted for the murder of James Roden, Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong approached the authorities. She would not say if Rothstein, who died of cancer in July 2004, was one of those witnesses. If not for losing his life, he could have gotten a personal injury lawyer and built a case Law enforcement knew that Diehl-Armstrong had a history of killing, while Rothstein did not. There are entire TV channels and streaming services dedicated to crime stories. She had also been diagnosed with cancer, the Erie Times-News reported at the time. WebBrian Douglas Wells (November 15, 1956 August 28, 2003) was an American man who died after a homemade neck- bomb exploded while being involved in a plot involving a bank robbery in Erie, Pennsylvania. She said the investigators set her up and the government framed her, and that Bill was the true mastermind.. 1513 N. Hill Field Road, Suite 01-080, Layton, UT 84041, 180 North University Avenue, Suite 270 - #9220, Provo, UT 84601. Minutes before a bomb squad arrived, the device Wells was wearing exploded his death captured by local news cameras. 2023 TIME USA, LLC. Wells fell backwards and was motionless. 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. This powerful, booby-trapped bomb can be removed only by following our instructions ACT NOW, THINK LATER OR YOU WILL DIE! 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