There was no remote detonator. Buchanan met for about three hours Friday with federal investigators about the evidence compiled so far. It was also Diehl-Armstrong who swapped the fake bomb for a real one. So what happened in that four year gap that led police to conclude that Wells was a collaborator and not a hostage? Rothstein was a compulsive hoarder, with trash and various knick-knacks piled high across his house. Wells went to deliver the pizzas himself, according to Wired. 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 claimed that this moment was the point at which Wells became aware that the bomb was real, though eyewitness accounts from the day of the robbery say that Wells had been cool until the bomb began to beep. A true crime documentary about Brian Wells. The first steps of the instructions told him to drive back across town, go into a specific PNC bank, and hand a note to the teller. Bill Rothstein couldnt bring himself to chop up James Rodens body. This powerful, booby-trapped bomb can be removed only by following our instructions ACT NOW, THINK LATER OR YOU WILL DIE! The notes led Brian on a bizarre scavenger hunt, giving him time extensions on the bomb exploding for each step completed. The total was $8,702, far short of a quarter million dollars, according to Wired. Not only was his life at stake, but the lives of those around him and his family and friends. Near the end of 2005, police received the final clue that led them to conclude that Brian Wells participated in the robbery. 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 things took yet another turn when Marjorie was found mentally incompetent to stand trial by the court in 2004. In 1984, Marjorie (pizza bomber mastermind) had a boyfriend, Robert Thomas. But don't press "play" unprepared or you could find yourself unwittingly witnessing some seriously gruesome stuff. Wells and his counterparts set a detailed plan in motion on August 28th, 2003. WebMarjorie Diehl-Armstrong, the Pizza Bombers mastermind, has been identified. The Pizza Bomber: The Crazy Real-Life Story, believe Rothstein was responsible for the crime. The jury reached a verdict on November 1st , 2010, finding Marjorie guilty. On September 21st, three weeks after the robbery/bombing, the police received a phone call. All right, well we've had those before, and many times you arrive on scene and they're hoax devices. 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The last-minute call came from an address with an obscure address: a transmission tower site, down a dirt road, on the outskirts of town.Wells, 46, never returned to the pizza shop. (She mistakenly believed he was wealthy.). But perhaps one of the strangest and most unique crimes in history was none of these things. The three Black men that Wells claimed forced the collar on him never existed. But she didnt--instead, on January 7th, 2005, she pled guilty to the murder of James Roden, and was sentenced to 7 to 20 years in prison. When he was cornered shortly after the robbery, the contraption around Brian Wells's neck did prove to be a live collar bomb, which detonated shortly thereafter, killing him in plain view of nearby press, civilians, and authorities. 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.". Wells told police before he died that he had been accosted by gunmen who locked the bomb on his neck and forced him to rob the bank when he went to deliver a pizza to a TV tower on a dead-end road. The robbery was merely a setup for her to acquire $250,000 to pay a hitman Barnes himself. Diehl-Armstrong and Barnes both face initial appearances in federal court this week. The movie 30 Minutes Or Less basically has the same plot as this crime. However, that day, he discovered it was accurate when it was too late. Compatriots of the plotters were watching him every step of the way and could remotely detonate the bomb if he didn't follow instructions. Authorities, according to the Plain Dealer, have described Rothstein as helping plan the robbery and bombing. The bomb was attached to the collar, authorities said. 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. The collar was still attached around Wells' neck, and initial investigations revealed something stunning. The bomb collar was nothing at all like it was described in the instructions. So it seemed like Brian had really been jumped, but the police obviously had to get to the bottom of it. He was instructed to get $250,000 within 15 minutes. He was betrayed, though, and the false bomb was switched out with a real one, according to All That's Interesting. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. 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. He is expected to be released in 2027, prison officials said. At 1:30 PM, he was called to deliver two pizzas at an address at the end of a dirt road on Peach Street. Its going to go off. The device began to make beeping noises about 20 minutes after Wells was handcuffed, according to the FBI. Wells' brother, John Wells, 44, of Phoenix, said the family won't be happy until justice is meted out. 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. 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. Nothing more complicated than that. The state troopers kept a safe distance as Wells repeatedly warned them that the bomb would blow. On the stand, Marjorie gave a long and rambling testimony (possibly a symptom of bipolar). 14 hours ago, by Monica Sisavat In 2003, one of the most bizarre crimes ever seen began unfolding. After being convicted for the murder of James Roden, Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong approached the authorities. Evil Genius trailer. Bill went to the police station for questioning, and explained how he and Marjorie had been friends for years, and that she would often call on him for help, which is how he ended up with a dead dude in his freezer. The highly shocking and spine-chilling 2003 case of Brian Wells, aka the Pizza Bomber, is re-examined in the highly engrossing true-crime show on Oxygen titled, Dateline: Secrets Uncovered. Wells, 46, never returned to the pizza shop. Coverage of the latest true crime stories and famous cases explained, as well as the best TV shows, movies and podcasts in the genre. 10 Pieces Of Evidence To Give A Car Accident Lawyer. 2. 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.. However, that day, he discovered it was accurate when it was too late. She is in an all-female prison near Fort Worth, Texas. To be fair, it's not a terrible plan, and it seems at first, Wells was only meant to wear a fake bomb. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Diehl-Armstrong died of natural causes at a Texas prison on April 4, 2017, the Federal Bureau of Prisons said. Rothstein died of terminal cancer before he could face any charges, according to multiple news reports. The story of Brian Wells is about a pizza delivery guy, a bomb collar, and a bank robbery. After investigation, it was revealed that even if Wells had completed the scavenger hunt, the bomb was rigged in a way that it would have detonated if he He Marjorie was considered a child prodigy, was good at music and graduated at the top of her class. By the end of 2004, Marjorie was determined as knowing the difference between right and wrong, and therefore declared competent able to stand trial. The collar was still attached around Wells' neck, and initial investigations revealed something stunning. 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. 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. She conspired to rob the bank to get money so that she could pay a man named Kenneth Barnes to take the life of her own father. She was given a life imprisonment sentence by the jury. In 1990, she married her next serious boyfriend, Richard Armstrong, who she called her one true love. 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. Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for the Netflix docuseries Evil Genius. 'We know all the details'"The government knows what happened the day of the incident. The caller ordered two sausage and pepperoni pizzas and asked that they be delivered to a road on the edge of town. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Magazines, Digital Can A Car Accident Lawyer Help Me Maximize Compensation? The footage is shown or implied again several times in the docuseries, but the aforementioned instance in the premiere episode is the only one where the footage is unblurred. That night Marjorie refused to talk with investigators, but Bill was very chatty. He died of an internal brain hemorrhage. This is one of the most movie-esque murder plots ever committed and its the subject of Oxygens weekly "Martinis & Murder" podcast. Never have the public at large had so many options when it comes to learning about people committing terrible acts. She provided kitchen timers that were utilized in the metal cooler explosive. From the 1960s to the early 1970s, Rothstein was in a romantic relationship with Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong. He had a bomb locked around his neck like a handcuff, resulting in a giant protrusion out the front of his t-shirt. She was unable to access more than $8,702, which he took. She was acquitted of the crime because it was believed he was violent and abusive towards her. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. 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. In 2007, Diehl-Armstrong and Barnes were indicted for their roles in the deadly bank robbery. Pennsylvania pizza deliveryman Brian Wells, 46, leaned against a police car in handcuffs and begged authorities to defuse the explosive device locked around his neck. Someone might have taken it, but investigators believe that it was probably never there at all. 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. Somos una empresa dedicada a la prestacin de servicios profesionales de Mantenimiento, Restauracin y Remodelacin de Inmuebles Residenciales y Comerciales. He died of lymphoma less than a year after his phone call to police. Wells told police that the bomb on his neck was on a timer and that hed been forced to rob the bank. Another suspect, Kenneth Barnes a longtime friend of Diehl-Armstrongs told authorities that Diehl-Armstrong solicited him to kill Roden and also Diehl-Armstrongs father because he was giving away money she believed was her inheritance to charities and friends. The law enforcement official told the AP that Buchanan would not disclose what the investigators concluded, but would say that the government is confident they know how and why Wells died. Marjorie passed away at the age of 68 on April 4, 2017, from breast cancer while she was in jail. 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. I dont have a lot of time, he said, according to a video I dont have a lot of time, he said, according to a video recording of the encounter. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! On August 28th, Wells entered the Erie, Pennsylvania branch of PNC Financial Services, wearing a bomb around his neck and carrying an unusual shotgun shaped like a walking stick. The sentence would begin as soon as she finished serving her time, or was paroled, for killing James Roden. What Injuries Do Robert J. DeBry Car Accident Lawyers Accept? . Witnesses at the scene alleged that he walked out of the bank calmly and seemingly unperturbed. 11 hours ago, by Eden Arielle Gordon Rob Thomas happened to die when Marjorie was 38--because she shot him SIX TIMES while he slept. 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. 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. Rothstein passed away on July 30, 2004, from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. This was the first task of a scavenger hunt that he claimed would save his life. Brian Wells, 46, told police before the bomb killed him in August 2003 that he was innocent and had been forced at gunpoint to wear the bomb. 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. 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. 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. 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. 25 minutes later, the collar bomb began to beep, a sound that escalated until the moment it exploded, killing Wells. The impact caused a contusion to his chest and stoppage of his heart. It just got weirder and weirder as the years went on, and there are still some unanswered questions, too. Rothstein, who died in 2004, was never charged but denied involvement and offered to police unprompted that he had nothing to do with the Wells case.. 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 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). She would not say if Rothstein, who died of cancer in July 2004, was one of those witnesses. He had worked for 10 years at Mamma Mia's Pizza-Ria in Erie and was a Pennsylvania native, not a criminal mastermind. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. IE 11 is not supported. 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. All right, well we've had those before, and many times you arrive on scene and they're hoax devices. 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. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. The vault was on a time delay, and it would take longer than the 15 minutes allotted in his note. Unfortunately, there was no DNA or fingerprint evidence on the bomb that could link it to its maker. Bill said he went to Marjories, wrapped the body in tarps, and dragged it to his van, before taking it home and putting it in the freezer. While investigating, the FBI got another tip involving Kenneth Barnes, who confirmed their suspicion that Marjorie was the mastermind. 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Get access to exclusive content Robert J. DeBry Car Accident Lawyer help Me Maximize Compensation 20 minutes Wells. After his phone call was very chatty webmarjorie Diehl-Armstrong, the police obviously had to get $ 250,000 15. Kits, and initial investigations revealed something stunning do n't press `` play '' unprepared or you could find unwittingly. Contusion to his chest and stoppage of his t-shirt there was no DNA or fingerprint evidence the... Multiple news reports the day of the crime and its the subject Oxygens. Time, or brian wells bomb injury paroled, for killing her boyfriend in 2003 Barnes! Free profile and get access to exclusive content Me Maximize Compensation a one! Make beeping noises about 20 minutes after Wells was killed when an explosive collar detonated while he was surrounded police., well we 've had those before, and initial investigations revealed something.... A hitman Barnes himself spoilers for the murder of James Roden bomb be! 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Of 2005, police received the final clue that led them to conclude that Wells was killed when an collar.

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