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. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! 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 Buchanan met for about three hours Friday with federal investigators about the evidence compiled so far. Ken told investigators that Bill built the bomb, and that the robbery was Marjories idea. 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. In 2003, when the terrible incident took place, Brian was 46 years old. When authorities arrived, Brian was found standing in a parking lot outside his car. They were for shotguns. Marshals, 'Happy-Go-Lucky' Girl, 13, Allegedly Killed by Man Who's Accused of Sexually Assaulting 2 Women, 'Victims Are Getting Lost in All This':Mallory Beach Family Attorney on Murdaugh Murder Mysteries, Alex Murdaugh's Lawyer Admits Botched Suicide Plot, Says Client Was Depressed After Murders of Wife, Son, 2nd Former Iowa Schools Employee Found Dead Amid Allegations of Sexual Misconduct with Students, Woman Accused of Killing Her Friend, Then Framing Victim's Husband, Who Spent Years in Prison. 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 . Someone might have taken it, but investigators believe that it was probably never there at all. He passed away in jail owing to diabetes on June 20, 2019. 8. The robbery was merely a setup for her to acquire $250,000 to pay a hitman Barnes himself. Theres no evidence to suggest Wells was a willing participant, but there has been limited suggestion that he might have known about the plot, and opted out--thats why he wound up with the collar forced upon him. The collar was still attached around Wells' neck, and initial investigations revealed something stunning. Wells and his counterparts set a detailed plan in motion on August 28th, 2003. 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. That night Marjorie refused to talk with investigators, but Bill was very chatty. Those armchair detectives aren't alone, either. 1 day ago. Coverage of the latest true crime stories and famous cases explained, as well as the best TV shows, movies and podcasts in the genre. Buchanan said the investigation has been complicated by the deaths of at least two witnesses. At 1:30 PM, he was called to deliver two pizzas at an address at the end of a dirt road on Peach Street. 4) William Ansel "Bill" Rothstein and Kenneth Barnes were also involved in the crime. 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. For better treatment in prison, Diehl-Armstrong would finally tell everything she knew about Brian Wells, the pizza bomber. After Marjorie broke off the engagement, she really began struggling with her mental disorders, including bipolar and depression. However, in one twist among many, it was not realistically possible for Wells to complete the instructions in enough time to save himself from the bomb. This was the first task of a scavenger hunt that he claimed would save his life. He died of an internal brain hemorrhage. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. Bill said that six weeks earlier, Marjorie had called him in a panic, saying shed shot and killed her boyfriend, James Roden. To be fair, it's not a terrible plan, and it seems at first, Wells was only meant to wear a fake bomb. He walked up to a bank teller and handed her a note, informing her that he needed $250,000 in a bag. Today's video is about the infamous According to the story that Wells later told police, he was working an ordinary shift at Mamma Mia's when the phone rang. Not for himself, but a prostitute with whom he was in a relationship named Jessica Hoopsick. 1. He is expected to be released in 2027, prison officials said. While investigating, the FBI got another tip involving Kenneth Barnes, who confirmed their suspicion that Marjorie was the mastermind. PEOPLE has been given exclusive access to the detailed notes recovered by investigators who searched Wells car. Mom Allegedly Planned Killings of Sons a Week in Advance, Gave Instructions About Disposing Ashes, Revisiting PEOPLE's 2017 Story on the 'Fitbit Murder': Web of Lies a Wife Killed, a Husband Accused, Cigarette Butt from Site of Wash. Woman's 1995 Murder Helps Police Identify Suspect Decades Later, 'Black Panther' Director Ryan Coogler Speaks Out After Being Mistaken for Bank Robber in Atlanta, Pennsylvania Trio Sentenced for Murdering Domino's Delivery Person They Set Up for Robbery, 19-Year-Old Idaho Man Claimed He Watched His Roommate Commit Suicide Now He's Charged with Murder, Houston Police Officers Hit and Kill Pedestrian During High-Speed Chase, Man Wanted for One of Cleveland's Biggest Heists Lived in Mass. 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. 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. On August 28, 2003 at about 1:30 p.m., the co-conspirators used a pay phone to order two pizzas for delivery to a remote TV tower site, which happened to be next door to one of the conspirators houses. ), each is a little different in its own unique way. The PNC bank teller, shocked by the note Wells had handed her, told him that she wouldn't be able to produce $250,000 for him. Rothstein passed away on July 30, 2004, from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. He walked out about 12 minutes later with $8,702. Meanwhile, here are some truly mind-blowing facts about the case to whet your whistle. If not for losing his life, he could have gotten a personal injury lawyer and built a case against them. In her youth, she was very well-liked and considered to be highly intelligent. 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. All Rights Reserved. According to police, a month before the robbery Diehl-Armstrong had asked her friend Kenneth Barnes if he knew how to build a pipe bomb. 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. As she got older, though, her mental condition began to worsen. Her second husband died of a cerebral hemorrhage, but there was evidence that he actually had a head injury. The pizza delivery man, who was reportedly a hostage in the deadly crime, left the PNC bank in a petrified state as if someone was controlling his every movement. By signing up, I agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive emails from POPSUGAR. At about 2:20 p.m., Wells entered a bank and presented the teller a demand note. The note was addressed to "Receptionist" and "Bank Manager" and referred to the man in front of her as "Bomb Hostage." The defense noted that Wells only took $8,701 from the bank. They asked Ken to help with the timing mechanism on the bomb. 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. 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. 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 official synopsis for Oxygen's Dateline: Secrets Uncovered episode, titled, Death Trap, reads: The bone-chilling case dates back to August 2003. It took eight police a whopping four days to get rid of the mess shed collected, and they filled up at least six dumpsters with trash. Rob Thomas happened to die when Marjorie was 38--because she shot him SIX TIMES while he slept. The caller ordered two sausage and pepperoni pizzas and asked that they be delivered to a road on the edge of town. (She mistakenly believed he was wealthy.). Kara Rhodes, Erie Times News reporter, was at the scene; "The bomb went off and there was just silence, it was eerily silent." The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". 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. Barnes has said much the same. . Wells went to deliver the pizzas himself, according to Wired. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! 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. 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. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. The jury reached a verdict on November 1st , 2010, finding Marjorie guilty. 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. No one was charged as authorities struggled to determine who was behind the plot and whether Wells was an innocent victim or willing participant. Authorities said he was holding a loaded homemade shotgun that looked like a walking cane and wearing a T-shirt over an improvised explosive device, which he showed the teller, according to FBI records. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. The case involved nearly 1,000 interviews and as many leads, Buchanan said. 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. Coverage of the latest true crime stories and famous cases explained, as well as the best TV shows, movies and podcasts in the genre. Brian Wells' life tragically ended when he was forced to take part in a PNC Bank heist with a metal collar explosive around his neck. 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. 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.. Chris Harris has been a senior true crime reporter for PEOPLE since late 2015. However, that day, he discovered it was accurate when it was too late. Please consult us at Robert J. DeBry & Associates for a professional, experienced lawyer. your brain will thank you for it. With a walking-stick and a huge protrusion in the front of his shirt what bank customers thought was a neck injury apparatus, but Wells claimed was a bomb Get the daily inside scoop right in your inbox. Police also took Wells' instructions and put together a route to follow. Watch on What happened? 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. Your login session has expired. 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. Suburb for 52 Years: U.S. It beeped for about 10 seconds before it detonated, killing Wells and stunning an audience that had gathered to watch the bizarre situation unfold. I dont have a lot of time, he said, according to a video recording of the encounter. WebAt 2:28 pm on August 28, 2003, a middle-aged pizza deliveryman named Brian Wells walked into a PNC Bank in Erie, Pennsylvania. 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. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Sweepstakes, and initial investigations revealed something stunning though, her mental disorders including. Cerebral hemorrhage, but there was evidence that he needed $ 250,000 to pay a hitman Barnes.... 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