Para nosotros usted es lo ms importante, le ofrecemosservicios rpidos y de calidad. On the stand, Marjorie gave a long and rambling testimony (possibly a symptom of bipolar). However, that day, he discovered it was accurate when it was too late. She was unable to access more than $8,702, which he took. Either way, Barnes said that Wells and Roden knew the full details of the plot and had been killed to ensure their silence. She had also been diagnosed with cancer, the Erie Times-News reported at the time. 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." The device was attached to his neck like a large handcuff, and was beeping. He, too, died in prison in 2019. 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. 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. Brian Wells, originally named Brian Douglas Wells, was reportedly a pizza delivery man residing in Erie, Pennsylvania. Ken told investigators that Bill built the bomb, and that the robbery was Marjories idea. He also helped Marjorie get rid of the gun, sawing it into pieces and melting it down with a torch. "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.' Somewhere along the planning phase, they deceived Wells that he would be wearing a fake bomb. 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. 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 "Martinis & Murder" podcast. 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. Shortly after, authorities confronted him at the parking lot of a nearby Eyeglass World retail store. The Price of Duty 102: Face to Face with the Pizza Bomber. In interviews, Rothstein cooperated and told police that he didn't kill James Roden. He had worked for 10 years at Mamma Mia's Pizza-Ria in Erie and was a Pennsylvania native, not a criminal mastermind. They might be kidnappings, disappearances, or, yes, murders. This was the first task of a scavenger hunt that he claimed would save his life. Wells began to panic and squirm on the ground, pleading with police to help him. Roden had been Marjorie's then-current boyfriend, and she had killed him in an argument about money, according to Wired. 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. Namely, why Wells, a pizza guy with no criminal record, agreed to participate despite knowing that Diehl-Armstrong was dangerous. 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.. They didn't think Rothstein was the mastermind, they thought she was. They had uncovered evidence that he was actually in on the plot and worked with the perpetrators as an accomplice, according to Wired. All right, well we've had those before, and many times you arrive on scene and they're hoax devices. 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. 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. He had a short cane in his right hand and The robbery was merely a setup for her to acquire $250,000 to pay a hitman Barnes himself. 8. While investigating, the FBI got another tip involving Kenneth Barnes, who confirmed their suspicion that Marjorie was the mastermind. When authorities arrived, Brian was found standing in a parking lot outside his car. Rothstein's letter had been incorrect James Roden's death was directly connected to the case. Nothing more complicated than that. 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. A still showing Brian Wells from Netflix's "Evil Genius: The True Story of America's Most Diabolical Bank Heist". PEOPLE has been given exclusive access to the detailed notes recovered by investigators who searched Wells car. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. 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 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. (She mistakenly believed he was wealthy.). Posted on July 30, 2011 by Vincit Omnia Veritas. Coverage of the latest true crime stories and famous cases explained, as well as the best TV shows, movies and podcasts in the genre. 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. There was some conjecture that Brian Wells knew about the bomb plot. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. 46 year old Brian Douglas Wells worked as a pizza delivery man at Mama Mia Pizzeria in Erie, Pennsylvania. 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. By signing up, I agree to the Terms and Privacy Policy and to receive emails from POPSUGAR. "The family will be satisfied when everybody is held to account for their actions that day," Wells said. Horrifyingly, this last bit was captured on camera. 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. 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. A Wired article about Brian Wells. They had run-ins with her on more than one occasion. Rothstein, meanwhile, was charged for his involvement with the crime, but never saw his day in court. The scavenger hunt was intended to sell the hostage story and throw the police off. 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. Later on, it was disclosed that a woman named Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong planned the entire crime. To be fair, it's not a terrible plan, and it seems at first, Wells was only meant to wear a fake bomb. But perhaps one of the strangest and most unique crimes in history was none of these things. Only link Marjorie passed away at the age of 68 on April 4, 2017, from breast cancer while she was in jail. Subscribe at iTunes or Google Play. Her next boyfriend was James Roden, an unemployed alcoholic. D'Ambrosio did not immediately return a message left at his office Friday. He died of lymphoma less than a year after his phone call to police. 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. But that attire wasn't his choice at all. In the course of investigating Rob Thomas death, police found 400 pounds of butter and more than 700 pounds of cheese, nearly all of it rotting, inside Marjories trash-strewn house. Near the end of 2005, police received the final clue that led them to conclude that Brian Wells participated in the robbery. 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. He was born on November 15, 1956, to Rose Wells and Harold Wells in Warren, Pennsylvania. She has said she believed Wells was involved in the heist and that Rothstein was the brains behind the entire plot, not her. 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 Officers had to restrain her, and they found James in the freezer as described. 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. The men jumped him, forced the bomb collar on him, and gave him several pages of instructions and the shotgun-cane. Wells and his counterparts set a detailed plan in motion on August 28th, 2003. 10 Pieces Of Evidence To Give A Car Accident Lawyer. 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, 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 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. We know all the details that led up to the death of Brian Wells and all the parties involved," the official said. Woman questionedAn attorney, Lawrence D'Ambrosio, has said the FBI has repeatedly interviewed his client about Wells' death. In July 2004, investigators tried to get a confession from Bill on his deathbed, but he passed without uttering a useful word. Barnes was a misfit friend of Marjories. The collar bomb exploded, leaving a 5-inch gash on his chest. Or Rob Thomas, for Matchbox 20 fans. But for whatever reason, this one felt different almost immediately," Clark told producers. 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. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Wells told police before he died that he had been accosted by gunmen who locked the bomb on his neck and forced him to rob the bank when he went to deliver a pizza to a TV tower on a dead-end road. Unfortunately, our investigation has led to the belief that Brian became involved in a limited role with a group of individuals who planned to rob the PNC Bank, Buchanan said. 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. 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. Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? He was betrayed, though, and the false bomb was switched out with a real one, according to All That's Interesting. 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. The defense noted that Wells only took $8,701 from the bank. . 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. Barnes was sentenced to 45 years in federal prison, and Diehl-Armstrong was sentenced to life in prison, where she died in 2017. 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. Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong had once been a very different person. There are entire TV channels and streaming services dedicated to crime stories. 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. Mantenimiento, Restauracin y Remodelacinde Inmuebles Residenciales y Comerciales. It was also Diehl-Armstrong who swapped the fake bomb for a real one. 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. The official synopsis for Oxygen's Dateline: Secrets Uncovered episode, titled, Death Trap, reads: The bone-chilling case dates back to August 2003. 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. 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. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! After Marjorie broke off the engagement, she really began struggling with her mental disorders, including bipolar and depression. So what happened in that four year gap that led police to conclude that Wells was a collaborator and not a hostage? Your login session has expired. Police even suspected he might not have been aware that the bomb was real until it started beeping. Today's video is about the infamous This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. 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. Wells' family has said they believe he was just a victim, and have criticized the pace of the investigation. He found the old dirt road and drove all the way to the end, where a TV broadcast tower stood, according to All That's Interesting. 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 testimony given during the trial, Wells was deeply in debt to Barnes for crack. In interviews, Rothstein cooperated and told police that he claimed would save his life later on, was. Ken told investigators that Bill built the bomb plot, yes, murders intended. They might be kidnappings, disappearances, or, yes, murders a year after his call. 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