Brian Douglas Wells was a pizza delivery man who was killed by a time bomb fastened to his neck. Erie, Pennsylvania (CNN) -- The image remains chilling nearly eight years later: a pizza deliveryman sitting cross-legged on the pavement with a homemade bomb clamped around his neck, surrounded by nervous police who crouch behind their cars. Cookies help us deliver our Services. XD And that's how he almost became a suspect in that case, good thing he still had them and was able to find them! I used ctrl + A to mark everything, paste it into a word document and read it from there. He had apparently already used them in several projects, and had to nervously dig around and figure out where they had ended up. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Brian_Douglas_Wells for Wiki article for those who get a paywall from Wired - sorry!! Barnes' story had been corroborated by another witness in the affidavit. He was in on the planning but was forced to wear the collar bomb. Edit: As /u/CallMeCrow pointed out below me, I am completely wrong. "Why isn't anybody trying to get this thing off me?" And why would they (the conspirators) give him a gun? According to the FBI, Floyd Stockton knew of the robbery, but received immunity from prosecution and was allowed to go free. In Aug, 2003 a pizza delivery man named Brian Wells entered a PNC bank in Erie, Pennsylvania. Fifteen years later and key questions in the case — labeled the “pizza bomber” and “collar bomb heist” — remain the subject of debate, despite a prosecutor-endorsed theory of the crime. Bombmaking materials were found in Rothstein's home. He died of cancer before he was officially linked to the crime. Also, if he were forced into the device, why would he so casually stroll into the bank? 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. The case fueled years of debate about whether the hapless Wells had been the victim of a heinous murder or a willing participant in a horrifically botched crime. he shouts to the dozens of officers nearby. The teller’s face must’ve turned white as a sheet, the note also stated that Brian’s bomb collar would explode if the full cash amount was not handed over. He deserved to be brought to justice.". ), asking him about several electrical components he had purchased. https://www.wired.com/2010/12/ff_collarbomb/all/1. Rothstein told FBI agents that Roden had been killed by Diehl-Armstrong and that he had helped Diehl-Armstrong hide the body. By using our Services or clicking I agree, you agree to our use of cookies. "It was a first-degree murder," Fisher said. And Jim Fisher, a retired FBI agent and writer, told CNN that he believes Wells was murdered as part of the plot. Unable to access the bank’s vault in such a short period of time, the teller gave Brian Wells a bag of cash amounting to just short of $9000. Pizza Heist collar bomb; Photo: Netflix. They didn’t make it in time. Barnes, meanwhile, saw his 45-year sentence for the bomb plot reduced to 20 years because he cooperated with authorities. Many are dead and just as … Rich Schapiro, a writer for Wired magazine, has reported extensively on the case and told CNN that the notes Wells carried led him to believe he could live. According to Kenneth Barnes, a convicted crack dealer who is now serving a 20-year prison term in the bomb plot, Stockton was to have divvied up the money from the bank heist. The FBI believes a Stockton associate, William Rothstein, was the mastermind of the heist and likely made the bomb, the affidavit says. Rothstein then secured the bomb around Wells' neck and followed him to the PNC Bank branch that Wells robbed shortly before his death, the affidavit states, quoting a witness who talked to Rothstein's girlfriend, Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong. The bomb sat on his chest beneath a white T-shirt, which had the word "Guess" spray-painted on it. The best Instagram photos from 2014, After IVF shock, mom gives birth to two sets of identical twins, Inside North Korea: Water park, sacred birth site and some minders, Case of bomb-wearing bank robber pizza delivery man occurred in 2003, Man who allegedly knew about the bomb and the robbery was allowed to go free, Erie, Pennsylvania, case one of the most bizarre bank robberies in FBI history, Two people were convicted in the robbery; FBI closed the case this year. 2. FBI agents said William Rothstein was the plot mastermind. The plot was so convoluted just so it would confuse investigators. Combine the melted butter, garlic, salt, pepper, and Italian seasoning in a small bowl. Brian Douglas Wells (November 15, 1956 – August 28, 2003) was an American pizza delivery man who was murdered during a complex plot involving a bank robbery, scavenger hunt, and homemade explosive device near his hometown of Erie, Pennsylvania.Following an attempt to rob a PNC Bank, and while surrounded by police, Wells was murdered when an explosive collar locked to his neck detonated. Transcript for Sept. 1, 2003: Pizza Deliveryman's Bomb This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate. Shortly after this event, he got an interesting visit from the Erie police(I think, maybe FBI? For future reference, you can just create an archive link: Well since the source article is on a pos website... A POS website owned by the same people who own reddit, btw. Shocking video shows the moment pizza delivery man Brian Wells, 46, who co-conspired to rob a bank, gets blown up by a bomb around his neck in August 2003. The New York Times). I have a friend who grew up in Erie and likes to build electronics. Part 2: The Frozen Body The bomb was apparently set to go off whether or not these instructions were followed. Lay the pizza bombs on the prepared baking sheet. Thanks for the info! Two people that agents identified as having been part of the scheme are in prison; a third has died. "This was an intentional, pre-meditated homicide. A pizza delivery man with a bomb affixed to his body via a metal collar was blown to pieces in an Erie, Pennsylvania parking lot surrounded by police. I don't totally get how and why the four principals came together, either. But I think that's -exactly- the point. Wells handed over a series of notes to the tellers, demanding $250,000. She was a huge liability. In the agonizing minutes before his death on August 28, 2003, Wells told police the bomb had been fastened to his body by people who ordered him to rob a bank and follow a detailed checklist before it would be disarmed -- instructions that amounted to a twisted scavenger hunt. She was the one who brought it up. Press J to jump to the feed. Half an hour before the bomb went off, Wells had walked into the PNC branch on Peach Street in Erie. 'Pizza bomber' conspirator gets life behind bars. This case is going to be looked at for years ... and they don't want it known that they screwed up. The bomb is underneath his white T-shirt, which is a knockoff for … After her arrest, Diehl-Armstrong implicated Rothstein in the bomb plot, and she eventually told investigators she gunned down Roden when he threatened to go to police about the plan. He's the one Wells' sister wants brought to justice. I have something that automatically directs me to an archive for sites like that, I read it without paywalls and without supporting them. Whatever story you’re conjuring up in your mind to go with “pizza bomber," the reality is likely crazier. Evil Genius shows the moment ‘pizza bomber’ Brian Wells blows up by bomb around his neck. But it is such a strange and intriguing case that ONCE WAS a mystery, and I know sometimes our readers ask about curious cases that have now been solved. 30 Minutes or Less is a 2011 American action comedy film directed by Ruben Fleischer, starring Jesse Eisenberg, Danny McBride, Aziz Ansari and Nick Swardson.It was produced by Columbia Pictures and funded by Media Rights Capital.The film was released on August 12, 2011. Death claimed the main co-conspirators in the pizza bomber case. It was 3:18 pm. Fine art from an iPhone? "They screwed up big time," Heid said. Federal authorities have figured out how a pizza deliveryman wound up in the middle of a bizarre bank robbery scheme that ended with a bomb around … Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. By all accounts, the 2003 case evolved into one of the most complicated and bizarre crimes in the annals of the FBI. The bomb was placed around his neck by two men as a way of supposedly forcing him to rob a bank. He could commit the crime without a gun. Wish I had read the comments sooner, your way ensures that the text is properly formatted. Timeline, evidence photos, video, 911 audio. They waited 30 minutes before calling the bomb squad and the collar … New details revealed in 'pizza collar bomb' heist - CNN.com 6 Collar Bomb Explodes . Because it was a bank robbery, the FBI became the lead investigative agency. A bizarre bank robbery in Erie, Pennsylvania, involving a pizza delivery man and an improvised collar bomb leads to a scavenger hunt full of explosions, bodies, and double-crosses. Prelude: The teenage daughter of a wealthy Australian businessman is strapped to a bomb in a brazen extortion attempt. He didn't overtly try to pin the collar bomb plot on her, either. One federal law enforcement official says the cast of characters ultimately linked to the crime is "like a band of criminal misfits." "Brian never would have done this.". Bake for 15-20 minutes, until the bombs have nicely browned. A bank robbery in Pennsylvania ends in the bombing death of a pizza deliveryman who may or may not have been a hostage forced to commit the crime. Around the 10-minute mark, viewers are greeted by the actual video footage of the collar bomb exploding. And, in another mysterious and high-profile case in 2003, US pizza delivery man Brian Wells was killed when a collar bomb he was wearing blew up after he … Floyd Stockton allegedly was to have divvied up the money from the bank heist. The FBI later concluded that Wells had been a participant and closed the books on the case in March. Also works for most other news sites with paywalls too (e.g. Police investigating fake collar bomb extortion plot. Mixx Facebook Twitter Digg delicious reddit MySpace StumbleUpon LinkedIn Viadeo. Submissions should outline a mystery and provide a link to a more detailed review of the case such as a Wiki article or news report. "They let an innocent man, my brother, die while in their custody and they didn't even lift a finger to help him. He had a collar bomb attached to his neck though covered and passed a note to to the teller stating “Gather employees with access codes to vault and work fast to fill bag with $250,000, You have only 15 minutes.” The bomb squad was already on their way, but because officials had to close off that section of the road for public safety, traffic began to build up. Associated Press Rothstein was a big, bear-like man who wore overalls and a full beard. Part scavenger hunt, part bank robbery, the heist ended for Wells when a homemade explosive collar locked around his neck detonated. "The note suggested at the very end of this, if he completed it in the allotted time -- which wasn't much -- that he would be able to save his life," Schapiro said. According to the FBI affidavit, one of the admitted conspirators said Stockton carried the bomb out of Rothstein's garage on the day of the robbery and handed it to Rothstein. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Brian_Douglas_Wells. 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