What happened to the pizza delivery man with the bomb collar?
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. Minutes later, with police surrounding him nearby, that man, Brian Wells, pleaded for help. The bomb collar he wore was going to explode, Wells said.
What happened to the pizza bomber co-conspirator?
He was an unindicted co-conspirator in the pizza bomber case because he was dead when a federal grand jury handed up the indictments in July 2007. Rothstein, believed to be an architect of the pizza bomber plot, died of cancer on July 30, 2004. He was 60. He was Rothstein's roommate.
What is the pizza bomber case?
The delivery man was caught up in a strange-but-true crime story which has been dubbed ‘America’s Most Diabolical Bank Heist’ NETFLIX’S new documentary Evil Genius shines the light on a fascinating crime known as Pizza Bomber Case. Here is all you need to know about its victim and its amoral mastermind. When was Brian Wells' death?
What happened to Brian Wells pizza bomber?
He died of lymphoma less than a year after his phone call to police. After being convicted for the murder of James Roden, Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong approached the authorities. For better treatment in prison, Diehl-Armstrong would finally tell everything she knew about Brian Wells, the pizza bomber.
How did Marjorie Diehl Armstrong die?
Breast cancerMarjorie Diehl-Armstrong / Cause of deathBreast cancer is cancer that develops from breast tissue. Signs of breast cancer may include a lump in the breast, a change in breast shape, dimpling of the skin, fluid coming from the nipple, a newly inverted nipple, or a red or scaly patch of skin. Wikipedia
Who was the mastermind behind the pizza bomber?
Outside of mental illness she had two components that would make her dangerous, she was extremely intelligent and manipulative. “Marjorie gets credit as the mastermind, but Bill Rothstein was the one who put this all together,” said Clark.
Where did Marjorie Diehl Armstrong die?
Fort Worth, TXMarjorie Diehl-Armstrong / Place of death
Is Margie Armstrong still alive?
April 4, 2017Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong / Date of death
Who killed Wells Erie PA?
Around that same time, she also gave two egg timers to William Rothstein, a handyman and former boyfriend who likely built the collar bomb that killed Wells by blowing a gaping hole in his chest.
When did Brian Wells die?
August 28, 2003Brian Wells / Date of death
Is Marjorie Diehl dead?
April 4, 2017Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong / Date of death
Is 30 minutes or less based on a true story?
The answer to this is, No, 30 Minutes Or Less is not based on a true story. However, the story does strike a resemblance to a bank robbery. A report in US Weekly reveals that on August 28, 2003, a pizza deliveryman named Brian Wells robbed a PNC Bank in Erie, Pennsylvania.
Is Netflix evil genius a true story?
This baffling true crime story starts with the grisly death of a pizza man who robs a bank with a bomb around his neck -- and gets weirder from there.
Why did Bill Rothstein call the police?
Rothstein claimed she subsequently paid him $2,000 to help hide the body and clean the shooting scene at her home. He claimed to have called the police out of fear, describing Diehl-Armstrong as dangerous and manipulative. The following day, she was arrested.
Is Netflix evil genius real?
Evil Genius: The True Story of America's Most Diabolical Bank Heist is a 2018 true crime documentary series about the death of Brian Wells, a high-profile 2003 incident often referred to as the "collar bomb" or "pizza bomber" case. It was released on Netflix as a four-part series on May 11, 2018.
Is 30 minutes or less based on a true story?
The answer to this is, No, 30 Minutes Or Less is not based on a true story. However, the story does strike a resemblance to a bank robbery. A report in US Weekly reveals that on August 28, 2003, a pizza deliveryman named Brian Wells robbed a PNC Bank in Erie, Pennsylvania.
How was the 'pizza bomber' killed by a collar bomb?
Wells was killed when the time bomb detonated as he sat in a parking lot after being stopped by police.
Who was the pizza delivery guy who was killed?
Pizza delivery guy Brian Wells was killed after walking into a PNC Bank branch in Erie, Pennsylvania, on August 28, 2003, with a pipe bomb locked around his neck. He gave the teller a note demanding money and that the explosive device would go off if they didn’t hand over the cash.
What noise did the police hear when the Wells blew up?
Police on the scene remember hearing a bleeping noise and ran for their lives as Wells blew up.
How did Wells die?
Wells was killed when the time bomb detonated as he sat in a parking lot after being stopped by police. The case drew national attention and was the subject of an intense investigation. Fifteen years after the bizarre crime, the case remains shrouded in mystery.
What did Kenneth Barnes plead guilty to?
Accomplice Kenneth Barnes pleaded guilty to conspiring to rob a bank and to aiding and abetting in 2008.
Who was the pizza bomber who was convicted of murder?
For better treatment in prison, Diehl-Armstrong would finally tell everything she knew about Brian Wells , the pizza bomber. Rothstein's letter had been incorrect– James Roden's death was directly connected to the case.
Who was involved in the bomb collar?
Near the end of 2005, police received the final clue that led them to conclude that Brian Wells participated in the robbery. A witness pointed authorities to a man named Kenneth Barnes (another compulsive hoarder), a close friend of Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong, claiming that Barnes had been involved in the bomb collar case. 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.
What was the collar on Brian Wells' neck?
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. The collar was still attached around Wells' neck, and initial investigations revealed something stunning. The bomb collar was nothing at all like it was described in the instructions. There was no remote detonator. A cellphone was inside the case but wasn't wired to anything. The keyholes on the collar did nothing. It was merely two pipe bombs and kitchen timers, according to Wired. Nothing more complicated than that.
Why did Rothstein alert police to the body in his freezer?
Fisher's theory goes even further, though, claiming that Rothstein's crime wasn't about money but about making a puzzle that would confound authorities, according to Wired. Fisher says this is why Rothstein alerted police to the body in his freezer and why his "suicide" note very explicitly mentioned Brian Wells. Rothstein was trying to control the narrative and slowly reveal his plot.
How did Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong die?
Kenneth Barnes had already pleaded guilty as part of his deal in 2008, according to All That's Interesting. Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong died of breast cancer in 2017 while still in prison. While Barnes did get a reduced sentence for cooperating, it didn't do him any good. He, too, died in prison in 2019.
What mental illness did Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong have?
As she got older, though, her mental condition began to worsen. Much like Rothstein, she also became a compulsive hoarder. She developed issues with bipolar disorder, which caused sharp mood swings, paranoia, and narcissism. She was also not unknown to Erie, PA law enforcement. They had run-ins with her on more than one occasion.
What was the name of the gun that was used in the 2003 PNC bank shooting?
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. 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. This collar was attached to a box under his shirt, creating a large lump under the t-shirt.
Why did Rob Thomas die?
Or Rob Thomas, for Matchbox 20 fans. Rob Thomas happened to die when Marjorie was 38--because she shot him SIX TIMES while he slept. She was ultimately found not guilty on the grounds that he was allegedly violent and abusive towards her. So smooth.
What was the walking stick that Brian Wells was carrying?
The walking stick Brian Wells was carrying was actually a homemade gu. 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).
How much cheese was found in Rob Thomas' house?
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 Marjorie’s trash-strewn house. 7. Bill Rothstein couldn’t bring himself to chop up James Roden’s body.
How long did it take to clear out Marjorie's house?
After Roden’s murder, police cleared out Marjorie’s house (pictured above), looking for clues. It took eight police a whopping four days to get rid of the mess she’d collected, and they filled up at least six dumpsters with trash.
What is the plot of Black Mirror?
If you’re a fan of the Netflix show Black Mirror, the latest season has an episode where the plot revolves around an unseen person controlling others to do their bidding. However, instead of bombs, information is the explosive motivator.
When did the pizza bomber go down?
The infamous pizza bomber narrative is as explosive as it sounds--although filled with more twists and turns than actual pizza. The crime went down in 2003, when a pizza delivery man was jumped, fitted with a collar that he was told was a bomb, and sent on a bizarre scavenger hunt that involved robbing a bank.
Who was Marjorie's boyfriend?
James Roden was Marjorie’s boyfriend at the time of the pizza bomb plot, and he had allegedly threatened to rat Marjorie out to the police--which was apparently when she shot him dead. Bill Rothstein (pictured above) helped Marjorie hide the body in his freezer, but drew a line at chopping up the body to get rid of it, and wound up calling the police instead. It’s a weird line to draw when you’re already ass-deep in a murder, and one that would ultimately put Marjorie in prison.
What happened to the Wells bomb?
At 3:18pm the bomb exploded. Pieces of the collarbomb fragmented and shot everywhere. Wells fell backwards and was motionless. The impact caused a contusion to his chest and stoppage of his heart. Kara Rhodes, Erie Times News reporter, was at the scene; "The bomb went off and there was just silence, it was eerily silent." An audio problem actually prevented the precise moment of the explosion from being shown on live TV. Police at the scene found eight pages of notes directing Wells on a scavenger hunt of sorts in search of keys to unlock the bomb from around his neck. The note read, "Act Now, Think Later Or You Will Die". The perception of Wells began to change and a lengthy multi-agency investigation commenced.
What was the name of the woman who robbed a bank in Pennsylvania?
In what has fast become one of the most bizarre and infamous bank robberies in U.S. history, the mysteries of the Erie Pizza Bomber Case continue to unfold. Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong, along with her severe bi-polar and personality disorders, recently stood trial in Erie, Pennsylvania on federal grand jury charges of bank robbery, conspiracy, and weapons charges. At the trial, information in this very tight-lipped case finally became available. Opinions around town and inside the courtroom evolved.
What did Wells say to the police?
From a seated position in front of a police car, Wells called out "It's going to go off, I'm not lying." Then, "Why isn't anyone trying to get this thing off of me? Did you call my boss?"
When did Brian Wells die?
Wells' death on August 28, 2003 is still at the center of the case; however, the bizarre nature of the crime and its would-be masterminds who have emerged from behind TV towers, inside a freezer chest, crack house porches and local Erie legend have indeed pushed Brian Wells out from under the spotlight.
Was Wells a victim of the bank robbery?
The public perceived Wells to be a victim for many years until July 11, 2007 when the FBI handed out two indictments and shared for the first time that they believed Wells had been involved in the planning. Once the FBI inferred Wells as a participant, his days were gone as a tragic figure. Couple his participation with an utter lack of physical evidence connecting anyone to the bomb or cane gun and there goes any notion of the FBI investigating his death as a murder. They were forced to be content with investigating those who planned and conspired to rob the bank that day. However, what remains at the center of this case is the question... Was a plan this bizarre actually intended to be a bank robbery?
Is the Erie Pizza Bomb case a sad story?
The Erie Pizza Bomb Case is a complex statement from a sad, lonely, poor and evil man. The swan song of a deranged, eccentric, and highly intelligent mastermind who never succeeded at anything in life. A man with characteristics and personality traits that perfectly match the FBI's profile of the "Collarbomber" in this case. He is dead, but testified against Diehl-Armstrong from the grave through these long videotapes taken at the crime scenes back in September 2003.
What did Diehl-Armstrong tell police about the Wells case?
She would tell police that she had been the one to supply the kitchen timers for the bomb, and that there had been several conspirators, including her dead boyfriend Roden, Rothstein, his roommate Floyd Stockton, and indeed Wells himself. According to her, the whole thing had been Rothstein’s idea, and while they could not interview Rothstein anymore because he had died in 2004, they had just gained a promising new lead.
What happened on August 28, 2003?
To show he meant business he then revealed that tied around his next was a bomb that looked sort of like a box-shaped collar with a timer that hung down on his chest. The teller remained calm, and since she could not access that kind of money she instead put $8,700 into the bag and sent the man on his way. The robber accepted the money, left the bank, and drove off in his car , but things were just starting.
Did Diehl Armstrong know Wells?
For her part, during her trial Diehl-Armstrong vehemently denied having anything to do with masterminding the plot, claiming that she did not know Wells and that she had merely provided the timers for the bomb. It didn’t help her, and in the end she would receive a life sentence for her role in it all. Barnes would receive a 45-year prison sentence, Stockton would go to jail for unrelated crimes, and the others involved were already dead. Case closed. Or was it? Although the alleged conspirators were brought to justice in some way or another, the murkiness surrounding the how and why of it all has never really been dispelled, and indeed there are many theories and conspiracies still surrounding it.
Who was the robber of Mama Mia's pizza?
As soon as the man was gone police were notified and launched a hunt for the perp and his vehicle. The robber was found to be 46-year-old Brian Wells , who was far from a career criminal and had for the last 10 years worked as a pizza delivery man at the local Mama Mia’s Pizzeria. It would not be long before police located Wells in a nearby parking lot and surrounded him, after which he was taken into custody and handcuffed as he screamed about the bomb collar he was wearing. Wells pleaded to police that the collar he was wearing was a very real bomb and warned them that it was going to go off at any moment. When asked how he had come to be in this predicament, Wells claimed that he had delivered pizzas to a group of men who had forced him at gunpoint to put the device on in an elaborate plot to have him rob the bank for them. This was all very intriguing, but before police could question him any further the device around his neck began to beep in a very alarming way. Police backed off, cleared the area, and the bomb then exploded, killing Wells and kicking off a bizarre mystery.
Who killed Roden in the murder of Roden?
They also found another accomplice named Kenneth Barnes, who was a friend of Diehl-Armstrong and a known drug dealer. Barnes, who was already in jail for drugs, coughed up a lot of information under questioning, firmly pointing a finger at her for orchestrating the plan in order to get money to pay to have her own father killed for his considerable inheritance money.
How did Robert Pinetti die?
Nearly the same age as Wells, a coroner’s report obtained by FOX News showed that Pinetti died from a lethal combination of drugs and alcohol in his system. The coroner’s report ruled Pinetti’s death accidental.
How did William Rothstein die?
And if William Rothstein had anything to do with Brian Well's death, it will be difficult, if not impossible, to determine an answer. He died last year from cancer . Before his death, he was interviewed though by the authorities on three different occasions and given an FBI lie detector test -- a test he is said to have passed.
What bag did Wells leave in the bank?
Wells left with an undetermined amount of cash in a black plastic garbage bag but not before someone in the bank pressed a silent alarm.
What did the FBI release after Brian Wells' death?
Six months after Brian Wells’ death, the FBI released nine pages of handwritten instructions that Wells said he was forced to follow in order to disarm the bomb. The instructions bore a strange resemblance to instructions for a local newspaper contest called the “Great Key Hunt.”
What day was the bank robbery?
One potential witness to the events of Aug. 28, 2003, told FOX News that he was driving south on I-79 not far from the bank robbery site on that day.
How many deaths did Diehl-Armstrong cause?
Of the four suspicious deaths connected to Diehl-Armstrong, she was convicted in only one. She was found guilty of murder in the third degree for the death of James Roden. She admitted to causing one of the other deaths but she claimed spousal abuse.
When was Brian Wells last words?
ERIE, Pa. – Brian Wells’ last words came at 3:18 p.m. on Aug. 28, 2003. “Did you call my boss?” he asked the police surrounding him.
Who was involved in the robbery and bombing of the pizza bomber?
Authorities, according to the Plain Dealer, have described Rothstein as helping plan the robbery and bombing. A prosecutor in the case once reportedly described the suspects as “twisted, intellectually bright, dysfunctional individuals who outsmarted themselves.”. pizza-bomber-7.
What happened to the pizza guy after he robbing a bank?
After Robbing a Bank Wearing a Bomb, a Pizza Guy Was Told to Go on a Scavenger Hunt to Save Himself. The handwritten notes found in Wells' car after he died soon after robbing a bank in 2003 are addressed to the "Bomb Hostage". By Chris Harris. May 22, 2018 11:00 AM.
Why was the bomb collar locked around him?
It had been locked around him by three people in order to compel him to do what they wanted and return with $250,000.
Why did Diehl-Armstrong rob Wells?
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. (She mistakenly believed he was wealthy.)
When did the pizza delivery man rob a bank?
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.
Who asked Diehl-Armstrong if he knew how to build a pipe bomb?
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.
Was Wells a victim?
But in subsequent years, authorities uncovered an intricate criminal plot and concluded Wells was no pure victim. They said he had, in fact, helped plot part of the same scheme that led to his death.
Who was the attorney for the pizza bomber?
The U.S. attorney at the time of the pizza bomber case was Mary Beth Buchanan, who left office in 2009. In May, she was named general counsel of Kraken, a San-Francisco based cryptocurrency exchange.
Why was Rothstein an unindicted co-conspirator in the pizza bomber case?
He was an unindicted co-conspirator in the pizza bomber case because he was dead when a federal grand jury handed up the indictments in July 2007. Rothstein, believed to be an architect of the pizza bomber plot, died of cancer on July 30, 2004. He was 60.
Was Hoopsick charged in the pizza bomber case?
Hoopsick was never charged in the pizza bomber case. She testified at Diehl-Armstrong's trial. She was a key character in "Evil Genius," the docuseries on the pizza bomber case, though her contention that Wells had no idea about the pizza bomber plot goes against most of the other evidence in the case.
How did Rothstein die?
Rothstein died of lymphoma on July 30, 2004, at the age of 60. Kenneth Barnes is serving a 45-year sentence in federal prison. Another co-conspirator, convicted child rapist Floyd Stockton, testified against Barnes and Diehl-Armstrong and was given immunity. He was released from federal custody after completing a.
Who was the woman who killed Robert Thomas?
Federal prosecutors said Die hl-Armstrong conspired with others, including her fishing buddy, Kenneth Barnes, and her ex-boyfriend, William Rothstein, ...
How did Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong die?
The woman who is suspected of being one of the masterminds of the Erie pizza bomber bank robbery heist at the center of the Netflix documentary “Evil Genius,” died in 2017 of breast cancer while serving a life sentence plus 30 years in federal prison. According to The Associated Press, Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong was 68 when she died at the Federal Medical Center-Carswell in Fort Worth, Texas.
When did Diehl Armstrong die?
On March 21, Diehl-Armstrong was found unconscious and “deemed futile,” by medical staff. “She was breathing on her own, vital signs were stable, however she did not respond to verbal stimuli nor to questions,” the report states. She died two weeks later at Kindred Hospital at 4:48 a.m. on April 4, 2017, records show.
When Was Brian Wells' Death?
How Was The 'Pizza Bomber' Killed by A Collar Bomb?
- Wells was killed when the time bomb detonated as he sat in a parking lot after being stopped by police. The case drew national attention and was the subject of an intense investigation. Fifteen years after the bizarre crime, the case remains shrouded in mystery
Was He Killed by Marjorie Diel-Armstrong?
- Marjorie Diehl-Armstrongwas convicted of conspiracy of being involved in the robbery and other charges related to the death of Wells She was brought to justice in 2011 after an intense police investigation and later died behind bars. Accomplice Kenneth Barnes pleaded guilty to conspiring to rob a bank and to aiding and abetting in 2008. After Wells had been killed questions arose wh…