They might be kidnappings, disappearances, or, yes, murders. Wells is shown sucking on a lollipop inside the bank, wearing a collar bomb and carrying a cane-shaped firearm. Buchanan met for about three hours Friday with federal investigators about the evidence compiled so far. your brain will thank you for it. The prosecution sold Marjorie as the catalyst for the entire robbery/bombing, despite Bill building the bomb, and her clear mental instability. 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. Before his death, Wells was a pizza delivery man who, shortly before his death, made a delivery stop outside of Erie. By bragging, Bill willingly admitted to police he fit the exact profile of their bomb maker they were looking for. Coverage of the latest true crime stories and famous cases explained, as well as the best TV shows, movies and podcasts in the genre. Rothstein's letter had been incorrect James Roden's death was directly connected to the case. The astounding true story is chronicled in episode 23 of the series' season 8. Your login session has expired. But for whatever reason, this one felt different almost immediately," Clark told producers. One of the sellers confirmed selling a gun to Marjorie and Bill. 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. After an argument, she allegedly shot him twice with a 12-gauge shotgun. 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. Please logout and login again. According to testimony given during the trial, Wells was deeply in debt to Barnes for crack. Somewhere along the planning phase, they deceived Wells that he would be wearing a fake bomb. His eyes just got real wide, and then they went to the back of his head. 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. 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. Rothstein's house was near the TV tower. He had worked for 10 years at Mamma Mia's Pizza-Ria in Erie and was a Pennsylvania native, not a criminal mastermind. Bank employees are trained to be aware of threats, to be on alert for anything that might be amiss. Woman questionedAn attorney, Lawrence D'Ambrosio, has said the FBI has repeatedly interviewed his client about Wells' death. Wells fell backwards and was motionless. At the time, Wells appeared to be a hostage of the same crime he had just committed. He walked out about 12 minutes later with $8,702. The case involved nearly 1,000 interviews and as many leads, Buchanan said. So what happened in that four year gap that led police to conclude that Wells was a collaborator and not a hostage? It was a bank robbery? The vault was on a time delay, and it would take longer than the 15 minutes allotted in his note. Direccin: Calzada de Guadalupe No. 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. FBI analysis found that the bomb was not amateur work--it was very well designed. The bomb collar was nothing at all like it was described in the instructions. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. The scavenger hunt notes contained language like we and us, implying there were multiple conspirators involved. Mere minutes before the bomb squad could arrive. Diehl-Armstrong also said she wasnt responsible. 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 smooth. Kara Rhodes, Erie Times News reporter, was at the scene; "The bomb went off and there was just silence, it was eerily silent." She would not say if Rothstein, who died of cancer in July 2004, was one of those witnesses. 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. The collar was still attached around Wells' neck, and initial investigations revealed something stunning. Someone might have taken it, but investigators believe that it was probably never there at all. Compatriots of the plotters were watching him every step of the way and could remotely detonate the bomb if he didn't follow instructions. Behind the murder was a woman named Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong who suffered from multiple mental illnesses and personality disorders. 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. The death was ruled accidental, though, so she was never charged. 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. He died of lymphoma less than a year after his phone call to police. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Behind the murder was a woman named Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong who suffered from multiple mental illnesses and personality disorders. Not for himself, but a prostitute with whom he was in a relationship named Jessica Hoopsick. 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. An odd but smart guy, and a retired television repairman. 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. The Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong died of breast cancer in 2017 while still in prison. "I'm not lying. Brian Wells went from being a planner to being the only murder victim of a Bank Heist. Is it a coincidence that Roden's body had been stored in Bill's freezer (pictured above)? 'We know all the details'"The government knows what happened the day of the incident. So it seemed like Brian had really been jumped, but the police obviously had to get to the bottom of it. This collar was attached to a box under his shirt, creating a large lump under the t-shirt. No one was charged as authorities struggled to determine who was behind the plot and whether Wells was an innocent victim or willing participant. 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.. This is an FBI handout photo of the collar device used to secure a bomb to Brian Wells' neck. No one knows for sure who wrote them. 25 minutes later, the collar bomb began to beep, a sound that escalated until the moment it exploded, killing Wells. Police also took Wells' instructions and put together a route to follow. The bomb was attached to the collar, authorities said. 12 hours ago, by Njera Perkins 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. 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. 3. The men jumped him, forced the bomb collar on him, and gave him several pages of instructions and the shotgun-cane. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. On the stand, Marjorie gave a long and rambling testimony (possibly a symptom of bipolar). 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. And that was the end of him, Lamont King, a former Pennsylvania State Police supervisor, says in the documentary. Acellphone was inside the case but wasn't wired to anything. Her second husband died of a cerebral hemorrhage, but there was evidence that he actually had a head injury. 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 . Great, Click the Allow Button Above A still showing Brian Wells from Netflix's "Evil Genius: The True Story of America's Most Diabolical Bank Heist". This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Instead, it was Bill Rothstein pulling all the strings. The police called in the bomb squad. Get all your true crime news from Oxygen. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! 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. Horrifyingly, this last bit was captured on camera. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. Hoopsick, who was never officially deemed a conspirator, could not be reached for comment by TIME. 9. Whoever put the bomb collar on Brian Wells never intended for him to live through the day. 11 hours ago, by Eden Arielle Gordon She was ultimately found not guilty on the grounds that he was allegedly violent and abusive towards her. But don't press "play" unprepared or you could find yourself unwittingly witnessing some seriously gruesome stuff. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more. There was no remote detonator. She provided kitchen timers that were utilized in the metal cooler explosive. 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. 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 There are entire TV channels and streaming services dedicated to crime stories. 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. It may be that his role transitioned from that of the planning stages to being an unwilling participant in the scheme, Buchanan said. He was born on November 15, 1956, to Rose Wells and Harold Wells in Warren, Pennsylvania. It beeped for about 10 seconds before it detonated, killing Wells and stunning an audience that had gathered to watch the bizarre situation unfold. In July 2007, a month shy of the four-year anniversary of Wells' death by collar bomb, the US attorney's office in Erie called a news conference about "a major development" in the case. Standing before a bank of TV cameras, US attorney Mary Beth Buchanan announced that the investigation was over. As she got older, though, her mental condition began to worsen. 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. Shortly after, authorities confronted him at the parking lot of a nearby Eyeglass World retail store. 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. Diehl-Armstrong and Barnes were both eventually convicted of conspiracy and armed bank robbery charges. Retired FBI agents Jim Fisher and Jerry Clark, who was prominently featured in Evil Genius, also believe Rothstein was responsible for the crime. 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. 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. Mere seconds later, it exploded, leaving a 5-inch gash in Wells chest. Rothstein agreed to hide the body in his house and eventually dispose of it, but later changed his mind and called police. Barnes was a misfit friend of Marjories. Posted on July 30, 2011 by Vincit Omnia Veritas. The caller ordered two sausage and pepperoni pizzas and asked that they be delivered to a road on the edge of town. He knew this because he was going to be the one killing her dad--but for the fee of $250,000. 1155, Col. San Juan de Guadalupe C.P. At about 2:20 p.m., Wells entered a bank and presented the teller a demand note. Armed with Kenneth Barnes' testimony, police put Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong on trial once again, this time for the bomb plot. Brian Douglas Wells (November 15, 1956 August 28, 2003) was an American man who died after being forced to be involved in a complex plot involving a bank robbery, a scavenger hunt, and a homemade explosive device. Wells was killed when an explosive collar detonated while he was surrounded by police in his hometown of Erie, Pennsylvania. 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. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. While investigating, the FBI got another tip involving Kenneth Barnes, who confirmed their suspicion that Marjorie was the mastermind. She was convicted with conspiracy to commit bank robbery with the utilization of a destructive device, and she was sentenced to life in prison on February 28th 2011. At 3:18pm the bomb exploded. Subscribe at iTunes or Google Play. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. 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. Minutes before a bomb squad arrived, the device Wells was wearing exploded his death captured by local news cameras. Evil Genius trailer. But in subsequent years, authorities uncovered an intricate criminal plot and concluded Wells was no pure victim. He also helped Marjorie get rid of the gun, sawing it into pieces and melting it down with a torch. 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. 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. "The family will be satisfied when everybody is held to account for their actions that day," Wells said. Watch the 23rd episode of Dateline: Secrets Uncovered season 8, which arrives exclusively on Oxygen on Wednesday, December 21, 2022, at 7.00 pm Eastern Time. 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. In 1990, she married her next serious boyfriend, Richard Armstrong, who she called her one true love. She was acquitted of the crime because it was believed he was violent and abusive towards her. 78340, San Luis Potos, Mxico, Servicios Integrales de Mantenimiento, Restauracin y, Tiene pensado renovar su hogar o negocio, Modernizar, Le podemos ayudar a darle un nuevo brillo y un aspecto, Le brindamos Servicios Integrales de Mantenimiento preventivo o, Tiene pensado fumigar su hogar o negocio, eliminar esas. He was another genius who was in Mensa. The riveting episode airs exclusively on the popular true crime network Oxygen on Wednesday, December 21, 2022, at 7 pm Eastern Time (ET). 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. 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. 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