12 hours ago, by Alexis Jones Brian had given the police little detail aside from his name and place of work, and the accusation that someone had set him up. . But the case has been solved and indictments are expected, likely by next month, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because U.S. Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan was to make an official announcement at a Friday afternoon news conference. Ken was also a crack dealer, and when he was questioned by police on August 11th, 2005, he admitted to being part of the robbery/bomb plot. 25 minutes later, the collar bomb began to beep, a sound that escalated until the moment it exploded, killing Wells. 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. 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 questioned, Marjorie tried to pin Rothstein as the mastermind since he had already died. His eyes just got real wide, and then they went to the back of his head. No one knows for sure who wrote them. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". When the investigators told her who they were, she went berserk according to State Police Supervisor Lamont King, screaming at them to get out of the house. 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. Here at Robert J. DeBry & Associates we analyze cases such as these and help those who need to build cases for wrongful death, injury and more. 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. 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. After an argument, she allegedly shot him twice with a 12-gauge shotgun. Four years after a pizza delivery man in Erie, Pennsylvania, robbed a bank with a time-bomb secured to his neck and then died when it detonated during a standoff with police, charges have been filed against two people for their alleged roles in the case. He found it, according to All That's Interesting. Everything Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong was telling them seemed to implicate her more than Bill Rothstein, according to Wired. The death was ruled accidental, though, so she was never charged. Authorities said Wells then admitted to being the PNC bank robber. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Mere seconds later, it exploded, leaving a 5-inch gash in Wells chest. She was also not unknown to Erie, PA law enforcement. The next time he was seen was later that same afternoon, when he walked into Eries PNC Bank and passed the teller a note demanding $250,000. Does anyone have the actual video of the bomb going off or any aftermath pictures? 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. . So smooth. Shortly after, Bill was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Brian Wells, originally named Brian Douglas Wells, was reportedly a pizza delivery man residing in Erie, Pennsylvania. Wells had told police he had been forced to rob the bank. They didn't think Rothstein was the mastermind, they thought she was. His family disputes this and the bizarre, arcane details of the case have inspired international news coverage in the nearly 15 years since the bank robbery. Relatives said she had fallen out of touch with her family, and several phone numbers provided by two of her latest attorneys were either disconnected or belonged to other people. Retired FBI agents Jim Fisher and Jerry Clark, who was prominently featured in Evil Genius, also believe Rothstein was responsible for the crime. 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 hair-raising case also involved two other individuals named William Ansel "Bill" Rothstein and Kenneth Barnes. They arrested Rothstein and brought him in for questioning. The treasure hunt, as authorities later called it, involved Wells going to specific locations to find items and four special keys that the instructions said would unlock the collar around his neck. It was his ex-girlfriend, Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong, who had shot him. 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 While most crime stories have a lot of commonalities (the husband did it, and DNA can prove it! Much like Rothstein, she also became a compulsive hoarder. He also helped Marjorie get rid of the gun, sawing it into pieces and melting it down with a torch. 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 . Everyone can be their own personal Sherlock Holmes, and you don't even have to go outside. Truth is stranger than fiction in the case ofMarjorie Diehl-Armstrong and Brian Wells. Until something clearly went wrong, that is. He was reportedly the putative creator of the collar bomb. WebBrian Wells collar bomb explosion. She would not say if Rothstein, who died of cancer in July 2004, was one of those witnesses. The entire thing was caught on local news cameras, but contrary to popular belief, Wells' death was not broadcast live. She provided kitchen timers that were utilized in the metal cooler explosive. Sanitiza tu hogar o negocio con los mejores resultados. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. He was dead, and the whole ordeal was captured on camera by local news film crews who were documenting the riveting arrest. You can find out everything about the weird, complex crime in Oxygens weekly. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. 14 hours ago, by Monica Sisavat Stunt Performer Ryan Dunn Dies From Car Accident, Attorney Marketing and Website by Fusion 360. Get the daily inside scoop right in your inbox. 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. Wells began to panic and squirm on the ground, pleading with police to help him. Rothstein broke first and gave up Marjoriefor having him store a corpse in his freezer. The plotters had gotten away with it and Wells had simply been in the wrong place at the wrong time when he got that pizza order. Meanwhile, here are some truly mind-blowing facts about the case to whet your whistle. Horrifyingly, this last bit was captured on camera. Marjorie was considered a child prodigy, was good at music and graduated at the top of her class. Wells was handcuffed and left on the pavement. In January, Hoopsick was sentenced over a drug charge but paid a $100 fine and did not have to serve time, according to Michael Dejohn, her public defender at the time. The men jumped him, forced the bomb collar on him, and gave him several pages of instructions and the shotgun-cane. Magazines, Digital Federal authorities have figured out how a pizza deliveryman wound up in the middle of a bizarre bank robbery scheme that ended with a bomb around his neck exploding, and the identities of the plotters, a law enforcement official told The Associated Press. The bomb exploded before bomb technicians arrived. For cases such as these Personal Injury lawyers are used to build cases and file for compensation. The jury reached a verdict on November 1st , 2010, finding Marjorie guilty. Wells and Barnes never knew each other until Barnes began looking for a patsy for Diehl-Armstrong's bomb plot. 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. The entire plan was executed under her supervision. The true crime documentary revisits this so-called diabolical plot, which resulted in the death of an on-duty pizza delivery driver, who robbed a PNC Bank in Erie, Pa. with a bomb clamped around his neck. There are also rumors that perhaps the mastermind was never arrested, assuming that neither Diehl-Armstrong nor Rothstein was capable of coming up with such a complex plot. WebWells 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 Marjories high school sweetheart was a guy named Bill Rothstein. 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. He was instructed to get $250,000 within 15 minutes. Philly.com says prosecutors had a witness, a prostitute who alleged that Brian often paid $15 to 20 to have sex with her at Bills house, but its only an allegation. Brian Douglas Wells died at 3:18 PM on August 28, 2003. Watch the 23rd episode of Dateline: Secrets Uncovered season 8, which arrives exclusively on Oxygen on Wednesday, December 21, 2022, at 7.00 pm Eastern Time. 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. Police found two notes from Brians car explaining how to remove the bomb along with the phrase, 'act He had a short cane in his right hand and The story of Brian Wells is about a pizza delivery guy, a bomb collar, and a bank robbery. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! Barnes was a misfit friend of Marjories. Rothstein, meanwhile, was charged for his involvement with the crime, but never saw his day in court. Those armchair detectives aren't alone, either. She had killed her first husband by shooting him six times while he sat on the couch, but successfully managed to convince a jury that it was in self-defense. Someone might have taken it, but investigators believe that it was probably never there at all. Only link Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Marjories first boyfriend was named Rob Thomas. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Officers had to restrain her, and they found James in the freezer as described. 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 twisted sort of necklace exploding, sending shards of shrapnel into his chest and killing him. They believe that he was an unfortunate hostage and merely forced to go along with the plot. 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. At the time, Wells appeared to be a hostage of the same crime he had just committed. This is one of the most movie-esque murder plots ever committed and its the subject of Oxygens weekly "Martinis & Murder" podcast. However, after only 2 years, in 1992, Marjorie was rushing Richard to hospital with a serious head injury. Wells reportedly needed money for his own debts. 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. 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. Not only was his life at stake, but the lives of those around him and his family and friends. 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. Either way, Barnes said that Wells and Roden knew the full details of the plot and had been killed to ensure their silence. 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. 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. Rothstein would have a better chance with a personal injury lawyer for his case. This was the first task of a scavenger hunt that he claimed would save his life. Prosecutors believe the 2003 murder of her boyfriend was intended to keep him from disclosing the emerging bank robbery plot. Roden had been Marjorie's then-current boyfriend, and she had killed him in an argument about money, according to Wired. He desperately bargained with the police, telling them he had a bob around his neck that was put there by some people who jumped him when he was making a pizza delivery. 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. As was later proved in court, Diehl-Armstrong hatched the robbery scheme to force Wells into the PNC Bank in Erie with a ticking bomb around his neck because she apparently needed money so she that could have her father killed. She was ultimately found not guilty on the grounds that he was allegedly violent and abusive towards her. Instead, it was Bill Rothstein pulling all the strings. Namely, why Wells, a pizza guy with no criminal record, agreed to participate despite knowing that Diehl-Armstrong was dangerous. Pieces of the collarbomb fragmented and shot everywhere. 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). 8. He told Evil Genius Borzillieri that Wells was aware of the plan but tried backing out after learning the collar bomb was live. The FBI did not respond to requests for comment, and the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania declined to discuss the documentarys findings. The device was attached to his neck like a large handcuff, and was beeping. All right, well we've had those before, and many times you arrive on scene and they're hoax devices. Witnesses at the scene alleged that he walked out of the bank calmly and seemingly unperturbed. The case involved nearly 1,000 interviews and as many leads, Buchanan said. Posted on July 30, 2011 by Vincit Omnia Veritas. WebBrian Wells. The bomb collar he wore was going to explode, Wells said. 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. WebAt 2:28 pm on August 28, 2003, a middle-aged pizza deliveryman named Brian Wells walked into a PNC Bank in Erie, Pennsylvania. The three Black men that Wells claimed forced the collar on him never existed. In 1984, Marjorie (pizza bomber mastermind) had a boyfriend, Robert Thomas. 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. 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. The caller ordered two sausage and pepperoni pizzas and asked that they be delivered to a road on the edge of town. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Watch on What happened? So what happened in that four year gap that led police to conclude that Wells was a collaborator and not a hostage? 12 hours ago, by Njera Perkins Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong had once been a very different person. From the 1960s to the early 1970s, Rothstein was in a romantic relationship with Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong. He knew this because he was going to be the one killing her dad--but for the fee of $250,000. At about 2 p.m., the co-conspirators attached the bomb device to Wellss neck. The indictment alleges that Diehl-Armstrong solicited Barnes in July 2003 to help rob a bank. It was merely two pipe bombs and kitchen timers, according to Wired. The story of Brian Wells is about a pizza delivery guy, a bomb collar, and a bank robbery. There are plenty of amateur sleuths who suspect that Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong was telling the truth and she wasn't the mastermind. Why is no one coming to get this thing off of me? he asked authorities. Diehl-Armstrong and Barnes both face initial appearances in federal court this week. All right, well we've had those before, and many times you arrive on scene and they're hoax devices. But don't press "play" unprepared or you could find yourself unwittingly witnessing some seriously gruesome stuff. It just got weirder and weirder as the years went on, and there are still some unanswered questions, too. A still showing Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong from "Evil Genius: The True Story of America's Most Diabolical Bank Heist" on Netflix. 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. As Clark predicted, this was no ordinary bank robbery.. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! On August 28, 2003, a man wearing a white Guess brand t-shirt and carrying a cane (later proven to be a homemade shotgun shaped like a cane) walked into a PNC bank in Erie, Pennsylvania, according to Wired. He was betrayed, though, and the false bomb was switched out with a real one, according to All That's Interesting. 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