The unthinkable tragedy to strike Erie happened on August 28, 2003 which leave the rest of the nation surprised.”Pizza Collar Bomb” story is an ominous crime in which a pizza delivery driver was compelled to rob a bank with a neck collar bomb.
The Crime Unfolds
Following is the story of Brian Wells, a common pizza delivery man working on a particular day. The call requested that he make a delivery to a house on the outskirts of Erie, and unbeknown to him, he was being led headlong into a vicious, deadly trap. He pulled up to the house, got out of his car, and was instantly pounced on and fitted with an explosive device around his neck.
His captors passed him a note with explicit instructions to hold up a bank.
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With the bomb ticking and his life on the line, Wells had no choice but to comply. He entered a PNC Bank, visibly frightened, and gave a note to the teller asking for $250,000. Bank personnel, repelled by the sight of the bomb, quickly gave him what they could – $8,702.
The Terrifying Countdown
As soon as he left the bank, Wells began doing as his captors instructed.he was able to get only as far as a parking lot down the street before being police arrested him. Wells implored the arresting officers for help, telling them that the bomb was live and he had little time remaining to live.
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In a dramatic scene, officers scrambled for the bomb squad but, unfortunately, were too late. The device went off before the bomb squad reached there, and the detonation instantly killed Wells. The gruesome explosion of the device left law enforcement officials and spectators with questions surfacing on the bizarre incident.
The investigation
The subsequent investigation was one of the most complex in criminal history. This led to speculation in the initial days of Well’s plot involvement. But as evidence rolled in, it became apparent that Well was a pawn in a much more extensive criminal setup.
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The FBI and local law enforcement put all their might in helping to unravel some truth behind all this. Their investigations finally established that this group of conspirators had set up Wells to take part in the robbery. This group was masterminded by a lady by the name of Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong, who has a long record of mental disorders and criminal behavior, and her accomplice was Kenneth Barnes.
Already suspected by local police of performing random acts of erratic behavior, Diehl-Armstrong was also under investigation in the murder of her boyfriend, James Roden. As more details of the collar bomb case emerged, it was clear that she and Barnes had schemed together to carry out the entire elaborate plan so that they could rob the bank to pay off their debts.
The Motive and the Trial
And there was even a motive, just as involved as the plot. Diehl-Armstrong and Barnes intended to give the loot, which was stolen cash from the bank to Barnes so that he could kill a man who was Diehl-Armstrong’s father because he was supposedly hiding an inheritance worth as much as half a million dollars for his daughter. The heist was designed to be multi-layered and included the calling in of a series of notes to ensure that Wells would come to no harm upon completion of the robbery. But the plan backfired in the worst way possible, resulting in Wells’ untimely death.
In July 2007, Diehl-Armstrong was arrested for conspiring to use the collar bomb. In November 2010 she was found guilty and was sentenced to life in prison without a chance of parole while Barnes pled guilty and turned prosecution witness was convicted and sentenced to 45 years of imprisonment.
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The Legacy
The “Pizza Collar Bomb” really puts a very disturbing enigma on everybody’s head—a profile of extreme human debasement and the extent to which man would go to have whatever they want, no matter how sick said desires may be. It reminded everyone how very unpredictable human nature can be and how life is a very fragile thing. The tragic fate of Brian Wells continues to haunt their memory. His story remains a strong illustration of the haphazardness of fate and the possibility that ordinary people might get drawn into the crossfire of extraordinary evil. This case also stressed that thorough investigation and continuous chase toward justice is critical, even if the path is muddied and confusing. Since then, the “Pizza Collar Bomb” case has, over the years, been covered in billows of documentaries, books, and other types of discussion. This is one of those chilling real-life horror stories that have been resolved, but there are still too many questions unsolved.
Evil Genius:
Evil Genius: The True Story of America’s Most Diabolical Bank Heist is a 2018 real-life 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.
![](https://creepyknowledge.blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/Evil_Genius_Poster.jpg)
Pizza Bomber Video Information:
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