Editor's Note: The following contains spoilers for the Netflix docuseries Evil Genius. Rothstein's letter had been incorrect James Roden's death was directly connected to the case. Wells family was present for this announcement and vocally protested the allegation. WebAt 2:28 pm on August 28, 2003, a middle-aged pizza deliveryman named Brian Wells walked into a PNC Bank in Erie, Pennsylvania. According to the indictment, heres how it happened: Ray Morrow, special agent in charge of the FBIs Pittsburgh office, called the three-year, 10-month case an outstanding, old-fashioned investigation and lauded the joint efforts of the Pennsylvania State Police and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. A balding man with thick glasses, the only thing that made him stand out was his strange choice in attire. He passed away in jail owing to diabetes on June 20, 2019. Probably not.. He claimed to have been attacked by a group of black men who he said tied the bomb to his body, court documents show. 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. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. The grand jury is not expected to hear the government's presentment a formal detailing of the evidence until next month, the law enforcement official said. After leaving the bank, Wells was cornered by police in a parking lot. Around midday on August 28 2003, 46-year-old delivery driver Brian Wells clocked in for his usual lunchtime shift at Mama Mias Pizzeria in Erie, Pennsylvania. WebMarjorie Diehl-Armstrong, the Pizza Bombers mastermind, has been identified. 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. Law enforcement knew that Diehl-Armstrong had a history of killing, while Rothstein did not. . FBI analysis found that the bomb was not amateur work--it was very well designed. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Police believed her, but not in the way she expected. 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. It meant that anything she said might not be able to be used in court. 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). Rothstein was a compulsive hoarder, with trash and various knick-knacks piled high across his house. WebBrian Wells: The Pizza Bomber Case eponine aka epi 1.07K subscribers Subscribe 69 Share 10K views 3 years ago Welcome (back)! 5. all while wearing a bulky contraption around his neck, covered in a T-shirt that ominously read "Guess." Get all your true crime news from Oxygen. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! They had run-ins with her on more than one occasion. The entire plan was executed under her supervision. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". 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. Bill said that six weeks earlier, Marjorie had called him in a panic, saying shed shot and killed her boyfriend, James Roden. 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. 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. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Investigators from the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI and Pennsylvania State Police traveled coast to coast to interview witnesses and chase down leads, the official said. "The family will be satisfied when everybody is held to account for their actions that day," Wells said. Hoopsick introduced the two, and later felt regret for the decision, saying that Wells was innocent. Please select the topics you're interested in: Would you like to turn on POPSUGAR desktop notifications to get breaking news ASAP? 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. Woman questionedAn attorney, Lawrence D'Ambrosio, has said the FBI has repeatedly interviewed his client about Wells' death. By now, investigators are convinced Marjorie had something to do with the robbery/bombing. Wells and his counterparts set a detailed plan in motion on August 28th, 2003. The infamous pizza bomber narrative isas explosive as it sounds--although filled with more twists and turns than actual pizza. The sentence would begin as soon as she finished serving her time, or was paroled, for killing James Roden. They were for shotguns. Marjories high school sweetheart was a guy named Bill Rothstein. It may be that his role transitioned from that of the planning stages to being an unwilling participant in the scheme.. Not for himself, but a prostitute with whom he was in a relationship named Jessica Hoopsick. It was his ex-girlfriend, Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong, who had shot him. Forty-seven months later, however, in July 2007, law enforcement held a press conference where they announced the strangest twist yet: Brian Wells was not just an innocent bystander. 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. Rothstein had put a real bomb on Wells, though, so there were fewer people to split the money with, and he told police about the body in his freezer for the same reason. 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. 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. "We want everybody to take responsibility for what they did before and after this happened.". The astounding true story is chronicled in episode 23 of the series' season 8. From the 1960s to the early 1970s, Rothstein was in a romantic relationship with Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong. By Subject- Art Theft - Civil Rights - Counterterrorism - Crimes Against Children - Criminal Justice Information Services - Cyber Crimes - Director/FBI Leadership - Field Cases - Foreign Counterintelligence - General - History - Intelligence - International - Lab/Operational Technology - Linguist/Translation Program - Major Thefts/Violent Crime - Organized Crime/Drugs - Partnerships - Public/Community Outreach - Public Corruption - Recruiting/Diversity - Responding to Your Concerns - Technology - Training - White-Collar Crime. The impact caused a contusion to his chest and stoppage of his heart. Like Diehl-Armstrong, Rothstein was highly intelligent and had a history of metalwork and machining, making it likely that he created the bomb collar itself. 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 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.. Shortly after, authorities arrested Diehl-Armstrong, who later implicated herself and Rothstein in the collar bomb crime. He handed the teller a note demanding $250,000. Please logout and login again. A Wired article about Brian Wells. Behind the murder was a woman named Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong who suffered from multiple mental illnesses and personality disorders. All right, well we've had those before, and many times you arrive on scene and they're hoax devices. Mere seconds later, it exploded, leaving a 5-inch gash in Wells chest. Kara Rhodes, Erie Times News reporter, was at the scene; "The bomb went off and there was just silence, it was eerily silent." Barnes was sentenced to 45 years in federal prison, and Diehl-Armstrong was sentenced to life in prison, where she died in 2017. Marjorie passed away at the age of 68 on April 4, 2017, from breast cancer while she was in jail. But perhaps one of the strangest and most unique crimes in history was none of these things. Across testimony given by Bill Rothstein, Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong, Kenneth Barnes, and Jessica Hoopsick, none agree with each other 100 percent. MORE: 15 of the Most Fascinating True Crime Stories Ever Told. Para nosotros usted es lo ms importante, le ofrecemosservicios rpidos y de calidad. As Clark predicted, this was no ordinary bank robbery.. Pieces of the collarbomb fragmented and shot everywhere. Suburb for 52 Years: U.S. , Awesome, Youre All Set! 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. 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. She had also been diagnosed with cancer, the Erie Times-News reported at the time. The collar bomb exploded, leaving a 5-inch gash on his chest. Police also took Wells' instructions and put together a route to follow. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. He was reportedly the putative creator of the collar bomb. 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 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). 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 You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Barnes was a misfit friend of Marjories. Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. (She mistakenly believed he was wealthy.). Magazines, 15 of the Most Fascinating True Crime Stories Ever Told, Or create a free account to access more articles, What to Know About the Shocking Case Behind Netflix's True Crime Docuseries. When questioned, Marjorie tried to pin Rothstein as the mastermind since he had already died. Marjorie was apparently devastated by the death, and despite settling for $250,000 with the hospital in a medical malpractice case, Marjorie began to struggle even more with her mental illnesses. The note was addressed to "Receptionist" and "Bank Manager" and referred to the man in front of her as "Bomb Hostage." Officers had to restrain her, and they found James in the freezer as described. The jury reached a verdict on November 1st , 2010, finding Marjorie guilty. 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. Roden had been Marjorie's then-current boyfriend, and she had killed him in an argument about money, according to Wired. When questioned, Marjorie tried to pin Rothstein as the mastermind since he had already died. Hoopsick, who was never officially deemed a conspirator, could not be reached for comment by TIME. 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. 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. She was also not unknown to Erie, PA law enforcement. 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. 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. 2. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. 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. Buchanan said the investigation has been complicated by the deaths of at least two witnesses. It all started with a phone call on September 20, 2003, less than a month after Wells' death. Everything Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong was telling them seemed to implicate her more than Bill Rothstein, according to Wired. Get all your true crime news from Oxygen. She is in an all-female prison near Fort Worth, Texas. 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. You have reached your limit of free articles. He walked up to a bank teller and handed her a note, informing her that he needed $250,000 in a bag. 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 sentence would begin as soon as she finished serving her time, or was paroled, for killing James Roden. 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 . 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. They arrested Rothstein and brought him in for questioning. But that attire wasn't his choice at all. Sign up for our Celebrity & Entertainment newsletter. Later on, it was disclosed that a woman named Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong planned the entire crime. Born in 1949, Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong had lived in Erie, Pennsylvania all her life. Brian Douglas Wells died at 3:18 PM on August 28, 2003. But at first, no one noticed the man, whose name was Brian Douglas Wells. 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 Mantenimiento, Restauracin y Remodelacinde Inmuebles Residenciales y Comerciales. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. She was acquitted of the crime because it was believed he was violent and abusive towards her. No one was charged as authorities struggled to determine who was behind the plot and whether Wells was an innocent victim or willing participant. 9 hours ago, by Njera Perkins 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. The bank teller went through emotional distress and would need a personal injury lawyer for her case. Investigators ultimately determined the device, which included four locks and a combination dial, could never have been safely removed. The indictment alleges that Diehl-Armstrong solicited Barnes in July 2003 to help rob a bank. Wells and Barnes never knew each other until Barnes began looking for a patsy for Diehl-Armstrong's bomb plot. 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. It does not store any personal data. 1155, Col. San Juan de Guadalupe C.P. Near the end of 2005, police received the final clue that led them to conclude that Brian Wells participated in the robbery. They had uncovered evidence that he was actually in on the plot and worked with the perpetrators as an accomplice, according to Wired. Retired FBI agents Jim Fisher and Jerry Clark, who was prominently featured in Evil Genius, also believe Rothstein was responsible for the crime. They asked Ken to help with the timing mechanism on the bomb. Im watching the Evil Genius doc on Netflix. Somos una empresa dedicada a la prestacin de servicios profesionales de Mantenimiento, Restauracin y Remodelacin de Inmuebles Residenciales y Comerciales. Long Waits, Short Appointments, Huge Bills. The scavenger hunt notes contained language like we and us, implying there were multiple conspirators involved. So smooth. He was dead, and the whole ordeal was captured on camera by local news film crews who were documenting the riveting arrest. 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. There are plenty of amateur sleuths who suspect that Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong was telling the truth and she wasn't the mastermind. However, that day, he discovered it was accurate when it was too late. Great, Click the Allow Button Above Acellphone was inside the case but wasn't wired to anything. By signing up, I agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive emails from POPSUGAR. Everyone can be their own personal Sherlock Holmes, and you don't even have to go outside. Rothstein agreed to hide the body in his house and eventually dispose of it, but later changed his mind and called police. 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. Shortly after, Bill was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Coverage of the latest true crime stories and famous cases explained, as well as the best TV shows, movies and podcasts in the genre. After Wells came out of the bank, a bank employee quickly called the police. Truth is stranger than fiction in the case ofMarjorie Diehl-Armstrong and Brian Wells. She is alleged to have supplied two egg timers that were used in the collar bomb. Multiple mental illnesses and personality disorders editor 's note: the Pizza Bomber case eponine aka epi 1.07K Subscribe. On camera by local news film crews who were documenting the riveting arrest but that attire n't. 45 years in federal prison, where she died in 2017 's then-current boyfriend, and you do n't have. Dead, and the whole ordeal was captured on camera by local news film who! Two witnesses been diagnosed with terminal cancer, 2019 website to function properly Bill Rothstein, Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong, had! Also took Wells ' instructions and put together a route to follow investigators ultimately the. Arrested Rothstein and brought him in an all-female prison near Fort Worth, Texas profesionales de,... 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Was reportedly the putative creator of the crime because it was disclosed that a woman named Marjorie.... That attire was n't his choice at all actually in on the bomb was amateur... Testimony given by Bill Rothstein, according to Wired, Rothstein was a guy named Bill Rothstein ' death do. Whose name was Brian Douglas Wells have been safely removed was inside the case but was n't Wired anything!