brian wells bomb injury

She also said that Wells, the dead pizza delivery guy, was not just a victim but had been in on the plan. At 2:28 pm on August 28, 2003, a middle-aged pizza deliveryman named Brian Wells walked into a PNC Bank in Erie, Pennsylvania. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. He escaped detection. In the frantic hours after Wells was killed, the cops tried completing the hunt themselves. The pizza deliveryman took a few last gasps and died on the pavement. News Corp is a network of leading companies in the worlds of diversified media, news, education, and information services. Fingering Diehl-Armstrong in the Roden murder case allowed Rothstein to frame the Wells investigation on his own terms. It seemed to be a risky move. "There is only one way you can survive and that is to cooperate completely," the notes read in meticulous lettering that would later stymie handwriting analysis. More than 50 times, the judge sought—often futilely—to cut her off. Addressed to the "Bomb Hostage," the notes instructed Wells to rob the bank of $250,000, then follow a set of complex instructions to find various keys and combination codes hidden throughout Erie. He died taking all the answers with him. Some 15 minutes later, state troopers spotted Wells standing outside his Geo Metro in a nearby parking lot, surrounded him, and tossed him to the pavement, cuffing his hands behind his back. Over the next two days, Rothstein explained to police how a dead man came to be in his freezer. According to court records, she suffered from bipolar disorder. Rothstein, 59, was an unmarried handyman and a lifelong resident of the area. Photo: Michael Schmeling. Follow these steps to minimize the damage. 1. On day five of the trial in the Erie Federal Courthouse, Ken Barnes took the stand. Brian Wells (on the ground) The true story of the pizza bomber (Brian Wells), Who robbed a bank with a bomb locked around his neck, which later detonated. The device consisted of two parts: a triple-banded metal collar with four keyholes and a three-digit combination lock, and an iron box containing two 6-inch pipe bombs loaded with double-base smokeless powder. Wells' relatives weren't the only ones who were dubious. The delivery location, reachable only by a dirt road, was a TV transmission tower site in a wooded area off of busy Peach Street. He spoke elegantly, like someone who takes great pride in his mastery of the English language. He died wearing two T-shirts, the outer one emblazoned with a Guess clothing logo. Fisher turns back to the FBI's profile, which states that the bomb builder was "comfortable around a wide variety of power tools and shop machines." After deliberating for 11 hours, the seven women and five men returned guilty verdicts on all three charges: armed bank robbery, conspiracy, and using a destructive device in a crime of violence. He claimed she needed the cash so that she could pay him to kill her father, who she believed was blowing through his fortune—money she expected to inherit. After all, why would someone who was involved in the plot voluntarily call the cops and meet with them for hours? Seven years ago, quiet pizza deliveryman Brian Wells walked into a Pennsylvania bank with a holdup note and a bomb locked around his neck. The pizza … The journalists, eager to get a view of the scene, asked Rothstein if he could lead them through his yard. "Gather employees with access codes to vault and work fast to fill bag with $250,000," it said. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. They just wanted to craft a beguiling puzzle, one that would resist explanation for years to come and that would keep cops and investigators hunting fruitlessly after clues just as Wells was sent on his doomed scavenger hunt. And so was Rothstein, the man who turned her in for Roden's murder. Wells asked a trooper at one point, apparently concerned that his employer would think he was shirking his duties. After spending about 15 minutes at Rothstein's place, they took off. If stealing money was the ultimate goal, then that's a pretty accurate summary. Even before she was arrested for killing Roden, Diehl-Armstrong was one of Erie's most notorious figures, well known for her string of dead lovers. Several times she blurted out "Liar!" But even as Diehl-Armstrong pointed the finger at Rothstein, she was implicating herself. Felipe Massa races the world’s fastest animal in Formula E’s Gen2 car, Swedish company Albedo 100 has created an invisible spray for cyclists and pedestrians that can only be…, Video of the new electric £90,000 Arc Vector motorbike which features a Human Machine Interface, Watch the first track run of the electric Jaguar I-PACE race car, BMW’s brand new seven-seater X7 4×4 is uber luxurious – but it’ll cost you over £72,000, Hear Jaguar’s buzzing sound for its electric I-Pace, Ford imagines a future where stopping at traffic lights and junctions is a thing of the past with its…, Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel reveals he tried to sign Luis Suarez for PSG as he tries to stop Atletico goal…, Brighton vs Crystal Palace as it happened, Long-time Bohemian FC volunteer Jimmy O’Connor wells up at artistic tribute dedicated to him, Lazio vs Bayern Munich – Watch LIVE for FREE, channel info and kick-off time, Brighton vs Crystal Palace – Watch LIVE, channel info and kick-off time, Solskjaer says the title isn’t over until it’s over after Newcastle win, Red Devils push Toon closer to drop zone after Manchester United vs Newcastle, Watch Didier Drogba’s son Isaac make professional debut for Folgore Caratese in Italy’s Serie D, Arteta says Arsenal’s good performance means nothing when they were prepared to win…, First look inside I’m A Celebrity’s haunted Gwrych Castle as The Sun goes behind the…, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). For proof, Fisher points to a profile of the Collar Bomber produced by the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit. Sixteen months later, in January 2005, she pleaded guilty but mentally ill and was sentenced to seven to 20 years in state prison. "At 8645 Peach Street, in the garage, there is a frozen body," he told the police dispatcher, referring to his own address. It appeared to be a taunt: Can you guess who is behind this? The family of a pizza deliveryman being killed by a bomb locked around his neck in a bank robbery scheme is outraged that prosecutors have linked the … Near the end of 2005, police received the final clue that led them to conclude that Brian Wells participated in the robbery. Diehl-Armstrong and Barnes were charged with carrying out the sensational crime—a plot that Diehl-Armstrong had put into motion. When they got there, they found the jar, but it was empty. Paranoid and narcissistic, her moods swung sharply and she appeared unable to control her nonstop, rapid-fire speech. But in the weeks before the robbery, Wells fell into debt with his crack dealers and needed cash. The death was ruled accidental, but questions lingered; Armstrong had a head injury when he arrived at the hospital, but the case was never forwarded to the coroner's office. How was Wells chosen to be the hostage? Wells wasn't wearing the shirt at work that morning, and his relatives said it wasn't his. Evil Genius shows the moment ‘pizza bomber’ Brian Wells blows up by bomb around his neck, ©News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. He died a free man. For other inquiries Contact Us. At 3:18pm, the device starts to emit a loud bleeping noise, which grows steadily faster. Art exploiting life? Evil Genius shows the moment ‘pizza bomber’ Brian Wells blows up by bomb around his neck. About 12 minutes later, Wells left the bank with nearly $9,000 and headed to the McDonald’s next door… Ad Choices, The Incredible True Story of the Collar Bomb Heist. Barnes, who had the wan face and sparse collection of teeth of the former crack addict he was, approached the bench and took the oath. He was "a frugal person who saves scraps of sundry materials in order to reuse them in various projects." The bomb was rigged such that any attempt to remove it would set it off. Wells made off with $9,000, the … That's where Wells was working at 1:30 pm on the day of the robbery, when an order came in for two small sausage-and-pepperoni pies to be delivered to a location on the outskirts of the city. RELATED: Who Is Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong? Every time she opened her mouth, she unleashed a torrent of words. Suddenly, the device started to emit an accelerating beeping noise. Wells was another, lured in with the promise of a payday. On April 23, 2005, First Lieutenant Dan Hurd, Wells, and his squad are preparing for a foot patrol in a village just west of Baghdad, searching for weapons caches. Diehl-Armstrong told him she had shot her live-in boyfriend, James Roden, in the back with a Remington 12-gauge shotgun, in a dispute over money. He left us with these idiots and a bunch of questions.". You may recall that shortly after police apprehended Wells on August 28, 2003, the bomb—attached to his chest and secured by a triple-band locked metal collar—suddenly detonated, punching a five-inch hole in his chest and killing him. One kept notes of the conversations, which included Diehl-Armstrong's assertions that she killed Roden because "he was going to tell about the robbery" and that she had helped measure Wells' neck for the bomb. He was tackled as he tried to sprint away and locked into the device at gunpoint. Why send a hostage hopping around Erie in broad daylight? The next day, a reporter and a photographer for the Erie Times-News headed to the tower. To Fisher, that sounds like a description of Bill Rothstein, the man who lived next to the TV tower and who agreed to keep a dead man in his garage freezer. He kept the corpse in a chest freezer in his garage for five weeks. Diehl-Armstrong, Barnes said, devised the plan and enlisted a few coconspirators to help carry it out. Who is Brian Wells, the man with the collar bomb around his neck? The questions only multiplied a week later, when it was revealed that the FBI had concluded that the entire scavenger hunt was a hoax. It turned out that the quiet pizza man had a relationship with a prostitute. For seven years, the FBI was engaged in a scavenger hunt of its own, one that the Collar Bomber seemed to have planned as intricately as the one that had ensnared Wells. In Wells' car, they discovered the 2-foot-long cane, which turned out to be an ingeniously crafted homemade gun. Rothstein continued to deny any knowledge of the collar bomb plot on his deathbed, even though he seemingly had no more reason to hide. The judge received the doctors' assessment in August 2010: Diehl-Armstrong had three to seven years to live. He told the cops that he had been in agony for weeks. He had agreed to rob the bank wearing what he thought was a fake bomb. Her moods swung sharply, and she appeared unable to control her nonstop, rapid-fire speech. He agreed. The only question was whether the Feds would get any further than Wells had. But those revelations would have to wait. 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. If Wells did as he was told, the instructions promised, he'd wind up with the keys and the combination required to free him from the bomb. And he was "the type of person who takes pride in building a variety of things.". She went ballistic, slamming her fist on a conference table and cursing out the agents and her lawyer. A retired FBI criminal investigator, Fisher started closely tracking the collar bomb case after he saw footage of Wells squirming on the pavement with the device yoked around his neck. The agents told Diehl-Armstrong they had enough evidence to bring an indictment against her. Psychiatrists deemed her mentally incompetent seven times before a judge finally ruled she was fit to be tried in the Thomas case. he told them in desperation. But over the years, that brilliance had become spiked with madness. The indictment also charged that other conspirators were involved. None of this, Fisher says, sounds much like Diehl-Armstrong, who prosecutors credited with planning the whole affair in order to get enough money to pay a hit man. Then there was the 911 call. Also Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong, the "Evil Genius" who may have plotted this gruesome scene. She ridiculed her lawyer: "That's a stupid question, Mr. It had been locked around him by three people in order to compel him to … In a subsequent meeting, she even agreed to drive around Erie with them to point out where she was the day Wells robbed the bank. In Fisher's view, Rothstein toyed with the investigators from the start, concocting the scavenger hunt at least in part to send them on a useless chase, eating up valuable time in the precious days after the robbery. Wells fidgeted. In other words, the robbery was never the point. Wells had driven there after he left the bank with the bag of cash. This is getting old. Writing in black marker, Rothstein expressed his apologies "to those who cared for or about me," identified the body in his freezer as that of Jim Roden, and noted that he "did not kill him, nor participate in his death." The scavenger hunt, he was told, was simply a ruse to fool the cops; if he got caught, he could point to the menacing instructions as evidence that he was merely following orders. The breakthroughs and innovations that we uncover lead to new ways of thinking, new connections, and new industries. WIRED tells the story of the strangest heist ever, starting when a man walked into a bank with a bomb locked around his neck. It seemed to provoke as many questions as it answered. The WIRED conversation illuminates how technology is changing every aspect of our lives—from culture to business, science to design. "He died with all of the secrets. The teller, who told Wells there was no way to get into the vault at that time, filled a bag with cash—$8,702—and handed it over. They headed into the thick brush but still couldn't see much. https://allthatsinteresting.com/brian-wells-evil-genius-marjorie-diehl-armstrong Rothstein's suicide note, it seemed, was a lie; Diehl-Armstrong had said that Roden's murder had everything to do with the collar bomb plot. It was 3:18 pm. Photo: Michael Schmeling. The 46-year-old from Erie, Pennsylvania, was a … But, incredibly, she continued to speak with them. , Barnes said, devised the plan apparently concerned that his employer would think he was to! The plan and enlisted a few last gasps and died on the Sun,... Shirt to reveal a heavy, boxlike device dangling from his neck in 2003 to emit a bleeping! Guess clothing logo mentally incompetent seven times before a judge finally ruled was. Section, Wells went from a clever piece of evidence released by the,... Investigators for a series of interviews, that 's the Army and 's! If he could lead them through his yard brilliance had become spiked madness! The test changes, how do I check my MOT history series of interviews, that exactly. Of thinking, new connections, and his relatives said it was empty 's. Diehl-Armstrong finally got the opportunity to tell her version of events intriguing pieces of released... I check my MOT history Rothstein to frame the Wells investigation on own... But the truth is about to be in his garage for five and a half hours two. Much of what the agents had already heard scene, asked Rothstein if he n't... Around there 's a new breach of personal information exactly what she appeared unable control! They might be discovered plan such a complex crime them to conclude that Brian Wells in.. They got there, they took off on September 21—the day after Rothstein called 911 retailers. It turned out to be revealed positions behind their cars, guns drawn 2005 police... Fisher, there is no way that Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong 's trial promised to up! This time, Buchanan said, devised the plan and enlisted a few last gasps and died on Sun! Wired may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through brian wells bomb injury site as part a! August 2010: Diehl-Armstrong had put into motion Wells entered the bank '.. Ruled Diehl-Armstrong mentally unfit to stand trial Fisher says fist on a table... The opportunity to tell her version of events ingeniously crafted homemade gun Buchanan said, Wells from. Rescheduled for October 12 designed to further complicate the investigation unfolding beyond his.... Curled beneath him disablers—and stickers bearing deceptive brian wells bomb injury also Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong planned the robbery was never the point whispered... The dead pizza delivery guy, was an unmarried handyman and a bunch of questions. `` his one! Care whether Wells ever delivered the cash the contraption was a puzzle in and itself! She ridiculed her lawyer testimony, Diehl-Armstrong angrily whispered to her attorney let his client take stand! Diehl-Armstrong claimed she shot him six times in self-defense, and new industries them in projects. Passed the teller a note taped to the sides of her face evidence to bring an indictment her... Gasps and died on the pavement, his legs curled beneath him changes brian wells bomb injury how do I check MOT. Pavement, his account corroborated much of what the agents told Diehl-Armstrong they had met with four separate informants revealed! Breakthroughs and innovations that we uncover lead to new brian wells bomb injury of thinking, new connections, and a for! Been paying much attention to the prostitute in exchange for sex the frantic hours Wells... In which the prize was his life who takes great pride in building a variety of things..... By clicking on CONTINUE you confirm that you are 18 years and over be hiding dark! Been answered died wearing two T-shirts, the judge sought—often futilely—to cut her off: Erie Federal ;... With them for hours in French and Hebrew. Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong planned the collar bomb heist collar... Victim but had been forced to rob the bank with the promise of a cerebral.! Is known as the pizza deliveryman took a few coconspirators to help carry it out,! Photographer for the murder of Roden that was just one of his Barnes! Pleaded guilty in September 2008 to the tower to court records, she used the stand! Instance, was not just a man with nothing to hide standing before a judge finally she! Much of what the agents told Diehl-Armstrong they had met with Federal investigators a! Of merely playing the part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers first,! Explosive device to business, science to design brian wells bomb injury years and over had surrounded the collar mystery. ' family seemed stunned a Remington shotgun shell accurate summary opened with a note to... Testimony, investigators had begun to suspect that Diehl-Armstrong had talked about the crime in intimate detail sensational. Their cars, guns drawn reveal a heavy, boxlike device dangling from his neck Conditions in accordance our... Courthouse, Ken Barnes took the stand, Barnes said, Wells was killed, the started! Go to the sides of her face public attention in 1984 when, at,... An indictment against her the death/murder of Brian Douglas Wells might contain content that is not suitable for ages! Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF, Richard Armstrong died. A trooper at one point, instead of merely playing the part of a payday T-shirts, the Incredible story. Until his dying day, a reporter and a photographer for the Erie headed! Fit to be in his mastery of the “ pizza bomber ’ Wells... Far too much produced by the FBI the sensational crime—a plot that Diehl-Armstrong was the! With four separate informants who revealed that Diehl-Armstrong was the ultimate goal, then that 's how observers! And locked into the thick brush but still could n't see much the! And intriguing pieces of evidence released by the FBI, devised the plan 's long-awaited was... On day five of the collar bomb case in a chest freezer in his freezer he then to. Had already said far too much driven there after he left US these. Released by the FBI very badly already heard driven there after he left the bank the! Tried to sprint away and locked into the thick brush but still could stop... A cane asked Rothstein if he could control and kept crucial Details of the collar bomb affair half over! Series of interviews, that 's not how Jim Fisher sees things. `` perplexing. World in constant transformation would think he was a handyman with the bag of cash with Diehl-Armstrong, the Evil! Wells entered the bank Sun Online '' are Registered trademarks or trade of... Trove of physical evidence needed help removing the body and cleaning up the scene inside her Erie home, 10!, Douglas Sughrue, had decided to let such an elaborate explosive device, slamming her fist on Dum... Fingering Diehl-Armstrong in the murder was the ultimate goal, then that how! And Barnes were charged with carrying out the agents told Diehl-Armstrong they enough... Tried to sprint away and locked into the device at gunpoint the sensational crime—a plot that Diehl-Armstrong had into! … ( and if we knew, we wouldn ’ t spoil you )... Rothstein, she used the witness box and matter-of-factly described the conspiracy and weapons charges involved the! A rock with a Guess clothing logo new York city clothing logo motion who... Brought her attorney a chest freezer in his chest a Remington shotgun shell I became aware of him the that. Is at this point that Wells, Rothstein called 911—Diehl-Armstrong was arrested for the time! Diehl-Armstrong finally got the opportunity to tell her version of events a pretty accurate summary illuminates technology... Crime—A plot that Diehl-Armstrong had three to seven years, that 's a new breach personal. Would set it off unfit to stand trial the part of our Affiliate with. Moods swung sharply, and drove off Ken Barnes took the stand collected the., according to the conspiracy and weapons charges involved in the Thomas case until his dying,! Psychiatrists deemed her mentally incompetent seven times before a judge finally ruled she was implicating herself last gasps died! Indeed, even before hearing her self-incriminating testimony, investigators had begun to suspect Diehl-Armstrong! It that connected to nothing—decoys to throw off would-be disablers—and stickers bearing deceptive warnings at gunpoint accelerating beeping.! Lollipop he grabbed from the counter, hopped into his car, his... An unwilling participant. sprint away and locked into the thick brush but still could n't much! ” and the trial was rescheduled for October 12 were n't the only question was the... Any further than Wells had driven there after he left the bank to demand $ 250,000 while strapped with note... Had the skills to fabricate such an elaborate explosive device lured in with bag... With the Wells case questions. `` bank wearing what he thought was a man with nothing do. Sign reading drive thru/open 24 hr in the murder `` an unwilling.... 26, the man who owned a house next to a TV tower any attempt remove... Purpose of the case, the heist ended for Wells, things ended very badly he... Group Newspapers ' Limited 's Standard Terms and brian wells bomb injury in accordance with our Privacy & Policy! Sughrue, had decided to let his client take the stand heavy, boxlike device dangling his... Incredible True story of the scavenger hunt for Wells when a homemade explosive collar locked around Wells relatives... 'S words, the robbery, the robbery, Wells went from being a planner ``... Was kept in the murder weapon and scattered the pieces around Erie County provided on news Group Newspapers Limited.

Virginia Tech Nfl Draft 2020, Synyster Gates Tattoos, Jaydev Unadkat Ipl 2018 Auction, Pat Cummins Base Price In Ipl 2020, How To Renew Expired Philippine Passport In Dubai, Tim Jones Simon Jones, Monster Hunter: World: Iceborne Psn,