The Pizza Bomber: The Crazy Real-Life Story, believe Rothstein was responsible for the crime. 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. 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. The collar and box were a bomb, and they'd go off in 15 minutes if he didn't get the money, according to All That's Interesting. Behind the murder was a woman named Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong who suffered from multiple mental illnesses and personality disorders. She was an only child to two parents who ran a successful awning business. The death was ruled accidental, though, so she was never charged. "We want everybody to take responsibility for what they did before and after this happened.". 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. 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. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. The men jumped him, forced the bomb collar on him, and gave him several pages of instructions and the shotgun-cane. They lived together for nine years without event. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our, Digital 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. 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. Her next boyfriend was James Roden, an unemployed alcoholic. Around that same time, she also gave two egg timers to William Rothstein, a handyman and former boyfriend who likely built the collar bomb that killed Wells by blowing a gaping hole in his chest. Whoever put the bomb collar on Brian Wells never intended for him to live through the day. 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. So what happened in that four year gap that led police to conclude that Wells was a collaborator and not a hostage? 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. Barnes was sentenced to 45 years in federal prison, and Diehl-Armstrong was sentenced to life in prison, where she died in 2017. Barnes has said much the same. They turned their attention to the bomb instead. 2. 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. The hair-raising case also involved two other individuals named William Ansel "Bill" Rothstein and Kenneth Barnes. Roden's killing led police to question Diehl-Armstrong in the Wells case because Roden's body was found in the freezer of a man named William Rothstein, who has since died. Somewhere along the planning phase, they deceived Wells that he would be wearing a fake bomb. "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.' Officers had to restrain her, and they found James in the freezer as described. He was dead, and the whole ordeal was captured on camera by local news film crews who were documenting the riveting arrest. In 1984, Marjorie (pizza bomber mastermind) had a boyfriend, Robert Thomas. . When questioned, Marjorie tried to pin Rothstein as the mastermind since he had already died. Be the first one to comment on this story. 3. He knew this because he was going to be the one killing her dad--but for the fee of $250,000. 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. Barnes was a misfit friend of Marjories. Direccin: Calzada de Guadalupe No. Buchanan said the investigation has been complicated by the deaths of at least two witnesses. The scavenger hunt was intended to sell the hostage story and throw the police off. The story of Brian Wells is about a pizza delivery guy, a bomb collar, and a bank robbery. A man named Bill Rothstein contacted police and told them, quite plainly, that there was a dead man in his freezer, according to All That's Interesting. The bank teller went through emotional distress and would need a personal injury lawyer for her case. 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. No one was charged as authorities struggled to determine who was behind the plot and whether Wells was an innocent victim or willing participant. "I'm not lying. Wells, 46, was killed Thursday afternoon when a bomb attached to the collar exploded after a bank robbery. However, he was only able to get $8,702. The investigation into Wells' robbery and death will be covered in tonight's episode of "The Price of Duty," with former FBI detective Jerry Clark recounting how the diabolical bank heist changed his life forever.. 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. This is one of the most movie-esque murder plots ever committed and its the subject of Oxygens weekly "Martinis & Murder" podcast. The charges bring some clarity to a case that challenged investigators, who ultimately pieced together how Wells went from pizza delivery guy to bank robber in the course of an afternoon. Investigators interviewed her in July 2005, and Marjorie hinted that James death and the robbery/bombing were connected, saying, If I tell you how Roden and Wells are related, that immediately puts me into the Wells case, and Im not gonna do that. But Marjorie did give up one detail, a name: Ken Barnes. 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. WebBrian Wells. 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. At the time, Wells appeared to be a hostage of the same crime he had just committed. 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. A Wired article about Brian Wells. 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. On the stand, Marjorie gave a long and rambling testimony (possibly a symptom of bipolar). 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. Rothstein's house was near the TV tower. The FBI thought one possible scenario was that the maker was a shop teacher with a background in electronics, and had a workshop at their house. Wells, 46, never returned to the pizza shop. This is an FBI handout photo of the collar device used to secure a bomb to Brian Wells' neck. 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. The keyholes on the collar did nothing. The police called in the bomb squad. 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. You can find out everything about the weird, complex crime in Oxygens weekly Martinis & Murder podcast, which is hosted by John Thrasher and Daryn Carp. The collar was still attached around Wells' neck, and initial investigations revealed something stunning. He was a pizza delivery driver and he had a clean criminal record. 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. But in 2003, a pizza delivery man really did waltz into an Erie, PA, bank carrying a cane shotgun, suck on a free lollipop, and hold up the tellers for money . The jury reached a verdict on November 1st , 2010, finding Marjorie guilty. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The case involved nearly 1,000 interviews and as many leads, Buchanan said. But that attire wasn't his choice at all. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Bill Rothstein couldnt bring himself to chop up James Rodens body. 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. Much like Rothstein, she also became a compulsive hoarder. Mere minutes before the bomb squad could arrive. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. for having him store a corpse in his freezer. 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. If it sounds familiar, thats because it is. 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 The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". Across testimony given by Bill Rothstein, Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong, Kenneth Barnes, and Jessica Hoopsick, none agree with each other 100 percent. Minutes before a bomb squad arrived, the device Wells was wearing exploded his death captured by local news cameras. WebThe story of Brian Wells is about a pizza delivery guy, a bomb collar, and a bank robbery. 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. They didn't think Rothstein was the mastermind, they thought she was. 1513 N. Hill Field Road, Suite 01-080, Layton, UT 84041, 180 North University Avenue, Suite 270 - #9220, Provo, UT 84601. 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. According to Diehl-Armstrong, the entire plot was Rothstein's invention, and he had forced Wells and herself to participate. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. 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.". Brian Wells' family denied these claims at the time and continue to do so to this day. Prosecutors believe the 2003 murder of her boyfriend was intended to keep him from disclosing the emerging bank robbery plot. Ken pled guilty to his role in the conspiracy and was sentenced to 45 years in prison, and on the stand, he testified against Marjorie.Ken also said that he and Marjorie had followed Brian to the bank, watching from a vehicle parked across the street. 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. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. 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.. Shortly after, authorities confronted him at the parking lot of a nearby Eyeglass World retail store. 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. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. 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. 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. 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. Please logout and login again. MORE: 15 of the Most Fascinating True Crime Stories Ever Told. He told Evil Genius Borzillieri that Wells was aware of the plan but tried backing out after learning the collar bomb was live. The total was $8,702, far short of a quarter million dollars, according to Wired. He was betrayed, though, and the false bomb was switched out with a real one, according to All That's Interesting. By signing up, I agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive emails from POPSUGAR. It was merely two pipe bombs and kitchen timers, according to Wired. He had a short cane in his right hand and She wanted to kill her own father, who she accused of wasting a fortune that she was meant to inherit, according to Wired. The defense noted that Wells only took $8,701 from the bank. 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. At about 2 p.m., the co-conspirators attached the bomb device to Wellss neck. 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. Indeed, Marjorie would only leave the house one night per week--on garbage pickup night, shed scour the neighborhood looking for things on the side of the road to add to her collection of hoarded ephemera. Detecto una fuga de gas en su hogar o negocio. Wells had told police he had been forced to rob the bank. The scavenger hunt was intended to sell the hostage story and throw the police off. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Wells went to deliver the pizzas himself, according to Wired. Wells is shown sucking on a lollipop inside the bank, wearing a collar bomb and carrying a cane-shaped firearm. He was also walking with a cane, which police later found out was an expertly crafted, hand-made handgun. Chris Harris has been a senior true crime reporter for PEOPLE since late 2015. By clicking ACCEPT ALL, you consent to the use of cookies. 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. 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. 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. 14 hours ago, by Monica Sisavat At 1:30 PM, he was called to deliver two pizzas at an address at the end of a dirt road on Peach Street. Rothstein would have a better chance with a personal injury lawyer for his case. 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. 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. by Sarah Wasilak The collar bomb case captivated the country 15 years ago after details emerged that the robber, a 46-year-old local named Brian Wells, appeared to have been a hostage himself, forced to hold up the bank as part of a scavenger hunt he was instructed to complete to save his own life. The entire thing was caught on local news cameras, but contrary to popular belief, Wells' death was not broadcast live. He, too, died in prison in 2019. It beeped for about 10 seconds before it detonated, killing Wells and stunning an audience that had gathered to watch the bizarre situation unfold. While some might expect the Netflix series to tread lightly around the violent death of Brian Wells, Evil Genius is a particularly jarring reminder that there are no guidelines restricting gruesome images from being shown onscreen. The astounding true story is chronicled in episode 23 of the series' season 8. She is in an all-female prison near Fort Worth, Texas. They were engaged in their 20s, but it didnt last. However, that day, he discovered it was accurate when it was too late. Brian Douglas Wells died at 3:18 PM on August 28, 2003. How Black Filmmakers Are Reclaiming Their History Onscreen. Afterward, police recovered several pages of handwritten instructions from Wells car. While investigating, the FBI got another tip involving Kenneth Barnes, who confirmed their suspicion that Marjorie was the mastermind. The police went straight to Bills house--and found Marjorie there, sitting in the bed. Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong was convicted for her role in the plot in 2010. 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. She was acquitted of the crime because it was believed he was violent and abusive towards her. 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 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. It all started with a phone call on September 20, 2003, less than a month after Wells' death. WebBrian Wells: The Pizza Bomber Case eponine aka epi 1.07K subscribers Subscribe 69 Share 10K views 3 years ago Welcome (back)! The inmate also said Diehl-Armstrong told her that Rothstein helped build the bomb and the motive was financial, according to the FBI affidavit. He was another genius who was in Mensa. The world was stunned when Brian Wells strode into a bank armed with a shotgun cane and with a bomb strapped around his neck Credit: SUN. The indictment alleges that Diehl-Armstrong solicited Barnes in July 2003 to help rob a bank. Rothstein would have a better chance with a personal injury lawyer for his case. 5. Rothstein broke first and gave up Marjoriefor having him store a corpse in his freezer. 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. There was no remote detonator. If the bomb detonated, meanwhile, Wells couldnt be a witness against them, Buchanan said. In 2007, Diehl-Armstrong and Barnes were indicted for their roles in the deadly bank robbery. Wells was on the way to his second destination when he was stopped by Erie police. The device was attached to his neck like a large handcuff, and was beeping. Fisher says this is why Rothstein alerted police to the body in his freezer and why his "suicide" note very explicitly mentioned Brian Wells. They were for shotguns. Wells and his counterparts set a detailed plan in motion on August 28th, 2003. Not only was his life at stake, but the lives of those around him and his family and friends. It may be that his role transitioned from that of the planning stages to being an unwilling participant in the scheme.. 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. Wells delivered his last pizza and made his next stop at a PNC bank in Erie, where he was to steal $250,000 while wearing a homemade. 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." Brian Wells, originally named Brian Douglas Wells, was reportedly a pizza delivery man residing in Erie, Pennsylvania. Wells' family said he 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. 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. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". PEOPLE has been given exclusive access to the detailed notes recovered by investigators who searched Wells car. 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. According to the story that Wells later told police, he was working an ordinary shift at Mamma Mia's when the phone rang. Shortly after, authorities arrested Diehl-Armstrong, who later implicated herself and Rothstein in the collar bomb crime. But in subsequent years, authorities uncovered an intricate criminal plot and concluded Wells was no pure victim. A bizarre robbery plot involving mental illness, a love triangle and a ticking bomb placed around the neckof an unwilling robberleads to multiple murders. Bank employees phoned police. The Price of Duty 102: Face to Face with the Pizza Bomber. 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 it seemed like Brian had really been jumped, but the police obviously had to get to the bottom of it. Wells reportedly needed money for his own debts. Maybe there was another person manipulating Diehl-Armstrong, Rothstein, and Wells who has never been identified. She provided kitchen timers that were utilized in the metal cooler explosive. The vault was on a time delay, and it would take longer than the 15 minutes allotted in his note. This was the first task of a scavenger hunt that he claimed would save his life. A still showing Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong from "Evil Genius: The True Story of America's Most Diabolical Bank Heist" on Netflix. 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. 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. She was deemed disabled due to her psychological condition, and got disability payments from Social Security, on top of the hospital pay out and help from her father, who bought her a house. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Someone might have taken it, but investigators believe that it was probably never there at all. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! 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