He walked out about 12 minutes later with $8,702. Someone might have taken it, but investigators believe that it was probably never there at all. 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. It may be that his role transitioned from that of the planning stages to being an unwilling participant in the scheme.. Wells' family has said they believe he was just a victim, and have criticized the pace of the investigation. 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). But don't press "play" unprepared or you could find yourself unwittingly witnessing some seriously gruesome stuff. The state troopers kept a safe distance as Wells repeatedly warned them that the bomb would blow. The astounding true story is chronicled in episode 23 of the series' season 8. 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. 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. Many leads for potential suspects turned up empty until a local man named William Rothstein tipped off state police to a frozen body in his garage. 5. 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. The scavenger hunt notes contained language like we and us, implying there were multiple conspirators involved. 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. They lived together for nine years without event. She wanted to kill her own father, who she accused of wasting a fortune that she was meant to inherit, according to Wired. 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. That night Marjorie refused to talk with investigators, but Bill was very chatty. Rothstein passed away on July 30, 2004, from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. 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. But for whatever reason, this one felt different almost immediately," Clark told producers. 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.. An award-winning journalist who has worked forRolling Stone and MTV News, Chris enjoys prog rock, cycling, Marvel movies, IPAs, and roller coasters. Whatever story youre conjuring up in your mind to go with pizza bomber," the reality is likely crazier. Hoopsick introduced the two, and later felt regret for the decision, saying that Wells was innocent. 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. So what happened in that four year gap that led police to conclude that Wells was a collaborator and not a hostage? FBI analysis found that the bomb was not amateur work--it was very well designed. The keyholes on the collar did nothing. 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. Police arrested Diehl-Armstrong for the murder of James Roden, for which she was sentenced to 20 years in prison, according to All That's Interesting. He explained the situation to police, told them about the three Black men who had placed the collar on him, and how he had to follow his instructions or the bomb would detonate, according to Wired. Those armchair detectives aren't alone, either. This is an FBI handout photo of the collar device used to secure a bomb to Brian Wells' neck. He was a pizza delivery driver and he had a clean criminal record. 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. 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. According to an FBI affidavit, Rothstein said his former fiance, Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong, had murdered her own boyfriend, James Roden, and stuffed his body in the freezer. The bomb was attached to the collar, authorities said. 4) William Ansel "Bill" Rothstein and Kenneth Barnes were also involved in the crime. He was betrayed, though, and the false bomb was switched out with a real one, according to All That's Interesting. Diehl-Armstrong and Barnes both face initial appearances in federal court this week. She was an only child to two parents who ran a successful awning business. 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 collar bomb. Some people out there disagree, though. According to the story that Wells later told police, he was working an ordinary shift at Mamma Mia's when the phone rang. 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. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. "I'm not lying. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. They were for shotguns. 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. She earned another 30 years for using a bomb in the crime. 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. Before his death, Wells was a pizza delivery man who, shortly before his death, made a delivery stop outside of Erie. His eyes just got real wide, and then they went to the back of his head. The defense noted that Wells only took $8,701 from the bank. This was the first task of a scavenger hunt that he claimed would save his life. Meanwhile, here are some truly mind-blowing facts about the case to whet your whistle. This is one of the most movie-esque murder plots ever committed and its the subject of Oxygens weekly. 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. 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. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. "The family will be satisfied when everybody is held to account for their actions that day," Wells said. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. Wells had told police he had been forced to rob the bank. This led to even more twists being revealed. It does not store any personal data. 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. 9. But in subsequent years, authorities uncovered an intricate criminal plot and concluded Wells was no pure victim. Rothstein was trying to control the narrative and slowly reveal his plot. 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. 7. 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. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! 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. Marjories high school sweetheart was a guy named Bill Rothstein. The story of Brian Wells is about a pizza delivery guy, a bomb collar, and a bank robbery. Marjorie said he had fallen, and the coroner corroborated, saying the death was accidental. The walking stick Brian Wells was carrying was actually a homemade gu. Ken also said that he and Marjorie had followed Brian to the bank, watching from a vehicle parked across the street. The collar was still attached around Wells' neck, and initial investigations revealed something stunning. 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. They might be kidnappings, disappearances, or, yes, murders. She would not say if Rothstein, who died of cancer in July 2004, was one of those witnesses. Wells reportedly needed money for his own debts. 4. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. 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. all while wearing a bulky contraption around his neck, covered in a T-shirt that ominously read "Guess." 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. 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. 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 and his t-shirt with Guess spray painted across it. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. The people that Wells had met with by the broadcast tower were Diehl-Armstrong, Rothstein, and Barnes. Compatriots of the plotters were watching him every step of the way and could remotely detonate the bomb if he didn't follow instructions. While the Troopers kept their distance from Wells, waiting for the bomb squad to arrive and confirm the bomb story, the device around Wells neck suddenly stopped beeping. 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. They asked Ken to help with the timing mechanism on the bomb. They found that the bomb was indeed initiated before Brian walked into the bank, and it had an inbuilt timer, as well as a booby trap that would trigger it if anyone attempted to remove it. Afterward, police recovered several pages of handwritten instructions from Wells car. To be fair, it's not a terrible plan, and it seems at first, Wells was only meant to wear a fake bomb. He was reportedly the putative creator of the collar bomb. In 1990, she married her next serious boyfriend, Richard Armstrong, who she called her one true love. Bill said that six weeks earlier, Marjorie had called him in a panic, saying shed shot and killed her boyfriend, James Roden. 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. Her second husband died of a cerebral hemorrhage, but there was evidence that he actually had a head injury. Fisher says this is why Rothstein alerted police to the body in his freezer and why his "suicide" note very explicitly mentioned Brian Wells. In her youth, she was very well-liked and considered to be highly intelligent. In Wells car, investigators found pages of detailed instructions on how to find the key and combination codes that would disarm and remove the bomb. Why is no one coming to get this thing off of me? he asked authorities. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our, Digital A bizarre robbery plot involving mental illness, a love triangle and a ticking bomb placed around the neckof an unwilling robberleads to multiple murders. As United States Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan said in 2007: Sadly, the plans of the other individuals were sinister, much more sinister., The Bizarre Real-Life Story of the Pizza Guy Who Robbed a Bank with a Bomb Around His Neck, Dentist Confessed to Murdering Wife on African Vacation, Prosecutor Says at Trial: 'I Killed My F---ing Wife', Pizza Delivery Driver Fatally Shot as He Stopped to Help 76-Year-Old Gunshot Victim: Police, Pa. According to testimony given during the trial, Wells was deeply in debt to Barnes for crack. They said he had, in fact, helped plot part of the same scheme that led to his death. All right, well we've had those before, and many times you arrive on scene and they're hoax devices. The riveting episode airs exclusively on the popular true crime network Oxygen on Wednesday, December 21, 2022, at 7 pm Eastern Time (ET). As far as the public knew, things went quiet on Brian Wells' case. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. Roden had been Marjorie's then-current boyfriend, and she had killed him in an argument about money, according to Wired. She was unable to access more than $8,702, which he took. . At 3:18pm the bomb exploded. There was no further investigation. Authorities said Wells then admitted to being the PNC bank robber. 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. This was the first task of a scavenger hunt that he claimed would save his life. 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. Police had surrounded Wells, 46, a short time after he robbed a PNC Bank branch outside Erie in northwestern Pennsylvania. Whoever put the bomb collar on Brian Wells never intended for him to live through the day. Police found two notes from Brians car explaining how to remove the bomb along with the phrase, 'act Its a weird line to draw when youre already ass-deep in a murder, and one that would ultimately put Marjorie in prison. 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. On August 28, Wells was forced to go to Erie's PNC Bank to carry out a heist. After his death, police collected letters in his car that corroborated his claim that he was forced to rob the PNC Bank. She was ultimately found not guilty on the grounds that he was allegedly violent and abusive towards her. 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