There are entire TV channels and streaming services dedicated to crime stories. This was because of a technical issue, not a moral one, but the news station held the footage back and later turned it over to authorities. He IE 11 is not supported. Hoopsick, who was never officially deemed a conspirator, could not be reached for comment by TIME. Meanwhile, here are some truly mind-blowing facts about the case to whet your whistle. Or, at least, that was the story, but in an interview for Netflix's 2018 mini-series about the case, Evil Genius, Hoopsick claimed that this wasn't actually true. Can A Car Accident Lawyer Help Me Maximize Compensation? Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! To be fair, it's not a terrible plan, and it seems at first, Wells was only meant to wear a fake bomb. She is in an all-female prison near Fort Worth, Texas. However, instead of bombs, information is the explosive motivator. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Pieces of the collarbomb fragmented and shot everywhere. Watch tonight's episode of "The Price of Duty" to find out more about the case. The astounding true story is chronicled in episode 23 of the series' season 8. State troopers found Wells inside a parked vehicle and handcuffed him. She wanted to kill her own father, who she accused of wasting a fortune that she was meant to inherit, according to Wired. While waiting for the bomb squad to arrive, the collar bomb went off, and after a few struggling breaths, Wells died on the pavement he was seated on. He was dead, and the whole ordeal was captured on camera by local news film crews who were documenting the riveting arrest. 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. Diehl-Armstrong had a history with police, as mentioned earlier. 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. After Diehl-Armstrong was separately convicted for fatally shooting Roden, a fellow inmate with whom she was incarcerated told authorities that Diehl-Armstrong had confessed to killing Roden because he threatened to expose the collar bomb plot to authorities, according to the FBI. When authorities arrived, Brian was found standing in a parking lot outside his car. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! 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. Born in 1949, Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong had lived in Erie, Pennsylvania all her life. "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.' By bragging, Bill willingly admitted to police he fit the exact profile of their bomb maker they were looking for. The bomb went off and Brian died with his chest crushed. Wells was handcuffed and left on the pavement. Its going to go off. The device began to make beeping noises about 20 minutes after Wells was handcuffed, according to the FBI. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. At the time, police didn't make anything of it, but as they uncovered more clues in the case, they found this hoarding to be a recurring theme in their investigation. He handed the teller a note demanding $250,000. The state troopers kept a safe distance as Wells repeatedly warned them that the bomb would blow. WebBrian Wells collar bomb explosion. The entire thing was caught on local news cameras, but contrary to popular belief, Wells' death was not broadcast live. He was another genius who was in Mensa. . The Yankees catching prospect underwent an MRI exam on Tuesday that revealed a fracture of his 25 minutes later, the collar bomb began to beep, a sound that escalated until the moment it exploded, killing Wells. They believe that he was an unfortunate hostage and merely forced to go along with the plot. It also threatened bank employees and customers, then contained detailed, step-by-step instructions for gathering the money and giving it to the so-called Bomb Hostage. 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The note was addressed to "Receptionist" and "Bank Manager" and referred to the man in front of her as "Bomb Hostage." 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. "I'm not lying. All Rights Reserved. Wells, 46, never returned to the pizza shop. 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. Her co-conspirators were her then-boyfriend James Roden, who she murdered in the course of the crime, her ex-fiance Bill Rothstein, and another friend, Ken Barnes. According to the indictment, Diehl-Armstrong and Barnes contrived a plan to make it look as though Wells was merely a hostage, which would give Wells an alibi should he be captured. About 12 minutes later, Wells left the bank with nearly $9,000 and headed to the McDonalds next door, where he retrieved another note from under a rock. While investigating, the FBI got another tip involving Kenneth Barnes, who confirmed their suspicion that Marjorie was the mastermind. The police went straight to Mama Mias Pizzeria, where Brian worked, and his co-workers expressed sincere doubt that Brian would have been able to make a bomb himself. 1. When police showed up, he explained that he was held hostage and dressed in a collar bomb against his will, and if he didnt complete the scavenger hunt, they would kill him. 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. By now, investigators are convinced Marjorie had something to do with the robbery/bombing. This is one of the most movie-esque murder plots ever committed and its the subject of Oxygens weekly "Martinis & Murder" podcast. 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. Compatriots of the plotters were watching him every step of the way and could remotely detonate the bomb if he didn't follow instructions. Acellphone was inside the case but wasn't wired to anything. In 1984, Marjorie (pizza bomber mastermind) had a boyfriend, Robert Thomas. 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. Be the first one to comment on this story. I dont have a lot of time, he said, according to a video recording of the encounter. 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. 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. Buchanan plans to meet once more with investigators to discuss evidence, witness availability and other logistical details before indictments are sought. Coverage of the latest true crime stories and famous cases explained, as well as the best TV shows, movies and podcasts in the genre. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. 46 year old Brian Douglas Wells worked as a pizza delivery man at Mama Mia Pizzeria in Erie, Pennsylvania. . The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". 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). It may be that his role transitioned from that of the planning stages to being an unwilling participant in the scheme.. Across testimony given by Bill Rothstein, Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong, Kenneth Barnes, and Jessica Hoopsick, none agree with each other 100 percent. Your login session has expired. A true crime documentary about Brian Wells. After Brian Wells was dead, police picked up two key pieces of evidence: The instructions provided by his attackers and the remnants of the bomb itself. Wells warned police that he was wearing a bomb and running out of time, but as bomb technicians were summoned the device exploded, killing Wells and leaving behind an odd lot of clues and characters. One of the sellers confirmed selling a gun to Marjorie and Bill. . James Roden was Marjories boyfriend at the time of the pizza bomb plot, and he had allegedly threatened to rat Marjorie out to the police--which was apparently when she shot him dead. He told investigators he was the smartest guy in this room, and reeled of his impressive educational resume--including his degree in electrical engineering and that he was a substitute science teacher with the Erie school system, specializing in robotics. 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. Brian Douglas Wells died at 3:18 PM on August 28, 2003. Marjories first boyfriend was named Rob Thomas. Watch on What happened? 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. Shortly after, Bill was diagnosed with terminal cancer. 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.. Fisher's theory goes even further, though, claiming that Rothstein's crime wasn't about money but about making a puzzle that would confound authorities, according to Wired. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. 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. 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. The papers were addressed to the Bomb Hostage and contained directions first to rob the bank and then to proceed on an elaborate scavenger hunt for keys and codes to disable the explosive Wells wore. There was no remote detonator. 9. 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. Marjories hoarding took police days to clean u. But things took yet another turn when Marjorie was found mentally incompetent to stand trial by the court in 2004. Rothstein, meanwhile, was charged for his involvement with the crime, but never saw his day in court. According to Rothstein, he hadn't even spoken to Diehl-Armstrong for a long time before she called and asked if he would help her hide Roden's body. While investigating, the FBI got another tip involving Kenneth Barnes, who confirmed their suspicion that Marjorie was the mastermind. 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. The scavenger hunt notes contained language like we and us, implying there were multiple conspirators involved. 4. Kenneth Barnes had already pleaded guilty as part of his deal in 2008, according to All That's Interesting. Rothstein broke first and gave up Marjoriefor having him store a corpse in his freezer. 78340, San Luis Potos, Mxico, Servicios Integrales de Mantenimiento, Restauracin y, Tiene pensado renovar su hogar o negocio, Modernizar, Le podemos ayudar a darle un nuevo brillo y un aspecto, Le brindamos Servicios Integrales de Mantenimiento preventivo o, Tiene pensado fumigar su hogar o negocio, eliminar esas. As United States Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan said in 2007: Sadly, the plans of the other individuals were sinister, much more sinister., The Bizarre Real-Life Story of the Pizza Guy Who Robbed a Bank with a Bomb Around His Neck, Dentist Confessed to Murdering Wife on African Vacation, Prosecutor Says at Trial: 'I Killed My F---ing Wife', Pizza Delivery Driver Fatally Shot as He Stopped to Help 76-Year-Old Gunshot Victim: Police, Pa. 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. But in subsequent years, authorities uncovered an intricate criminal plot and concluded Wells was no pure victim. Stunt Performer Ryan Dunn Dies From Car Accident, Attorney Marketing and Website by Fusion 360. 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