If the answer is "no," then what are you waiting for? He was the lead investigator on the case for the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. [5], Wells was instructed to "quietly" enter the PNC Bank at Summit Towne Center on Peach Street and give the teller an affixed note demanding $250,000, and to use his shotgun to threaten anyone who did not cooperate or attempted to flee. Here's What Could Happen Next in the Collar Bomb Case, "Was pizza deliverer a robber or a victim? Whether or not he was involved at any point, he was certainly a victim. After dropping out of high school in 1973 when he was 16 (later getting his GED), Wells got a job at Mama Mia Pizzeria in Erie, PA. Now, Wick and his partner Jerry Clark, who was the lead FBI investigator on the collar bomb case, believe Hoopsick may have said too much for her own good. But I didnt see it with my own two eyes, so I cant be positive., Schroeder agrees: For me, being cynical by nature and by profession, Im 99 percent sure hes innocent. He had no parts in the planning. Historically, surnames evolved as a way to sort people into groups - by occupation, place of origin, clan affiliation, patronage, pa It took five years of persistence to eventually get her to a place where she was comfortable revealing a deeper truth to the story., Schroeder added, Trey was at the right place at the right time when she wanted to cleanse her conscience, to get her true confession for the first time. The deceased Rothstein and Wells were named as un-indicted co-conspirators. William Ansel "Bill" Rothstein (January 17, 1944 July 30, 2004) dated Diehl-Armstrong in the late 1960s and early 1970s. [22][47], On July 29, 2008, U.S. District Court Judge Sean J. McLaughlin made an initial finding that Diehl-Armstrong was mentally incompetent to stand trial due to a number of mental disorders, indicating this ruling would be reviewed after she had received a period of treatment in a mental hospital. [63] In May 2018, Netflix released Evil Genius: The True Story of America's Most Diabolical Bank Heist, a documentary series about the case. Hoopsick was never charged in the pizza bomber case. In fact,Borzillieri said that he was the last phone call Diehl-Armstrong made before she died. Was he involved from the beginning and a co-conspirator in the foiled plot? It looked like Marjorie could be the only one who had any insight into the case, and thats where the relationship started. They just want Brian Wells to be a co conspirator. Jessica Hoopsick, Self: Evil Genius: The True Story of America's Most Diabolical Bank Heist. 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. Swank also reported that he specified whether the price included specific sexual services, and she texted, Yes.. She killed two boyfriends, including one whose body was stuffed in a freezer. After watching this terrifying expos on how the big business of divorce ruins the lives of parents and children caught in the crossfire, you'll think twice about ever popping the question. It continued on for years afterwards, and the hope was to collect information and shed light on the truths within the case. Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong, as one judge described her, was a coldly calculated criminal recidivist and serial killer. She had experienced a lifetime of murder, mayhem, and mental illness. But if youve finished all 10 episodes of the true-crime saga, check out these docs currently streaming. [1] Wells was seen leaving Rothstein's house the day before the incident, and investigators believe he participated in a rehearsal. [1] Stockton died of acute respiratory failure in Bellingham, Washington at the age of 74-75. [5], Wells worked as a pizza delivery driver at the Mama Mia's Pizzeria in Erie for ten years before his death. He was a pizza delivery driver and he had a clean criminal record. Jessica Hoopsick, a sex worker listed in Wells' address book, and the mutual friend that introduced Wells to Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong and Bill Rothstein ended up leading agents to their prime . ", "Evil Genius Trailer: Netflix and Duplass Brothers' Pizza Bomber Series", "Newsjunkie: Providing Personalized Newsfeeds via Analysis of Information Novelty", "Killing of pizza deliveryman with necklace bomb still unsolved", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Death_of_Brian_Wells&oldid=1141951210, Deaths by improvised explosive device in the United States, Filmed improvised explosive device bombings, Articles with dead external links from December 2017, Articles with permanently dead external links, Short description is different from Wikidata, Module:Interwiki extra: additional interwiki links, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 27 February 2023, at 18:51. Barnes told her he was willing to do this for US$250,000 (equivalent to $368,262 in 2021). According to court documents, Hoopsick also told investigators that she was a crack cocaine user and was engaged in prostitution not only to fund her addiction, but also because she needed the money.. Plus, if Wells was voluntarily enlisted, the risk was increased as he may have shared the plot info with friends like Rob Pinetti. What we hope were achieving is new truths and new depths within the truths., The big twist at the end, Schroeder said, is just another piece to the puzzle.. Wells' involvement in the plot is a matter of controversy. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. The device had several decoys, such as unconnected wires, a toy cell phone, and stickers bearing deceptive warnings. "Fed Up" (2014): The tragedy Katie Couric's voiceover presents in this documentary isn't just that both the government and food industry place profit above public health, it's the realization that even those parents who are actually concerned about their children's poor diet have no idea how to eat healthy themselves. Something that shocked many viewers of Evil Genius wasBorzillieris relationship with Diehl-Armstrong. I have never talked with someone who was as passionate and came across as truthful as our elusive eye witness, said Schroeder. "I just want to apologize to the family. "The Race to Nowhere" (2010): Remember what it was like to be a kid without any responsibilities? He appeared confident as he left the bank, swinging his cane gun and the bag of money "like Charlie Chaplin" according to one witness. 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.Death of Brian Wells. Thomas, 44, agreed to the sentence in a deal with prosecutors when she pleaded guilty to third-degree murder in the death of her boyfriend, 44-year-old Keeno Butler, earlier this month. They let an innocent man, my brother, die while in their custody and they didn't even lift a finger to help him. They are "adamant" that Jessica is lying however i think they are just trying to cover their ass. Magazines, Capture a Year of Painand Resiliencein Ukraine, Or create a free account to access more articles. "Quite honestly if you look at co-defendants, witnesses and everyone else we talked to related to having any information in the case, there is nothing in Jessica's statement that appears to be accurate," he told TMZ. But Wick and Clark are not convinced Hoopsick is a credible enough witness. Investigators said Rothstein made the time-bomb collar using two egg timers provided by Diehl-Armstrong. This episode is sad. In conjunction with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP), the FBI investigation led to Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong and Kenneth Barnes being charged with the crime in 2007. Paul Peirce is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Enter a Melbet promo code and get a generous bonus, An Insight into Coupons and a Secret Bonus, Organic Hacks to Tweak Audio Recording for Videos Production, Bring Back Life to Your Graphic Images- Used Best Graphic Design Software, New Google Update and Future of Interstitial Ads. However, FBI lead agent Jerry Clark who also appeared regularly in the series has since contradicted Jessica's confession, sharing his belief that it is 'not accurate' and that Wells did know about the heist in advance. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. When he entered PNC Bank and demanded $250,000, he was calm, even grabbing a lollipop before leaving with less than $9,000 in cash. She claimed she recommended Wells to Barnes for the heist in exchange for drug money, but. [2], At Kenneth Barnes' home, he, Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong, and William Rothstein discussed ways they could make money. [3] The collar bomb-bank robbery plot was hatched to obtain enough money to pay Barnes to kill Diehl-Armstrong's father. The gruesome story behind Netflix's new crime sensation", "Indictments Said to Be Near in '03 Robbery Bomb Death", "Pa. collar-bomb trial jury selection begins", "Double-crossed: Erie pizza bomber Brian Wells was both victim and conspirator", "Jury Convicts Woman in Collar Bomb Robbery", "Indictment: Bomb victim in on bank plot", "Officials say chaos delayed call to bomb squad after robbery", "Case 81: Brian Wells Casefile: True Crime Podcast", "12th Anniversary of Erie Pizza Bomber Case", "News media may withhold gruesome images, but Internet sets them free", "Co-worker of man killed in Erie bank robbery blast dies at home", "Evil Genius: the True Story of America's Most Diabolical Bank Heist", "Pizza collar-bomb case solved, official says", "Pennsylvania 'Pizza Bomber' Co-Defendant Pleads Guilty in Bizarre Bank Heist Plot", "Admitted bank robber has sentence cut for his testimony", "Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong Could Make Court Appearance", Defense humanizes collar bomb suspect for jury, Case No. [35] According to witnesses at the bank and surveillance footage, after entering the bank, Wells waited in line. Her next court date is Oct. 24. There is more to the story that meets the eye, she added. It started as a chance at information and it turned into a real relationship. Mitchell scheduled Hoopsicks hearing for Aug. 16. After investigation, it was revealed that even if Wells had completed the scavenger hunt, the bomb was rigged in a way that it would have detonated if he attempted to remove it. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Do you need a ground wire for a dishwasher? The death of Brian Wells took place on August 28, 2003, after Wells, a pizza delivery man, robbed a PNC Bank near his hometown of Erie, Pennsylvania, United States. Thats whats interesting about Marjorie, added Schroeder. The bomb detonated and killed Wells. He was Rothstein's roommate. The U.S. attorney at the time of the pizza bomber case was Mary Beth Buchanan, who left office in 2009. I have a lot of remorse for a lot of the stuff I did and a lot of shame and guilt, she says. If shes not telling the truth, then I dont know who is.. fucking loser these . Barnes, 64, who suffers from severe diabetes, is incarcerated at the Federal Medical Center at Butner, North Carolina, near Raleigh. "Either way, Mr Wells died a horrific death that we'll never forget him for, but the fact that he might not have had knowledge is not really related to the evidence gained.". Saw it on Facebook. On August 31, 2003, Wells's coworker at the pizza store and its only other delivery driver, Robert Thomas Pinetti, was found dead in his home after suffering a drug overdose. All Marriage & Divorce results for Hoopsick. Movies. Jessica Hoopsick, one of Wells favorite prostitutes, admitted to her involvement in the plot. 7 What was the story of the pizza bomber? One electronic timer hung down over the chest. 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. 2023 TIME USA, LLC. "My client had ingested quite a bit of crack cocaine.". In 2003, Brian Wells robbed a bank with a bomb collar around his neck, but who was the mastermind behind the notorious crime? [21] Buchanan stated Wells had been involved in the plot from the beginning but that his co-conspirators fitted him with a real bomb that would have exploded even if it were removed. The Erie office is under the U.S. Attorney's Office in Pittsburgh, where the new U.S. attorney is Scott Brady. Swank reported that he texted the number listed and a woman agreed to meet him in the parking lot near the Hampton Inn on Town Square Drive. 2023byTango Publishing Corporation All Rights Reserved. 8 How did Brian Wells the pizza bomber die? Police said Butler's body was found on the living room floor at the residence after Thomas called 911 and reported she had killed an individual. It took a long time to get.. Investigators concluded Wells was a willing participant in the robbery, but was told the bomb was fake. He is an associate professor of criminal justice at Gannon University, where he chairs the criminal justice program. The address was the location of the transmitting tower of WSEE-TV at the end of a dirt road. [5], The responding police officers did not attempt to disarm the device, instead focusing on clearing the immediate area of pedestrians and ensuring Wells could not detonate the device. I think that Jessica Hoopsick feels a lot of guilt over what happened to Brian and that's why she wants to push the narrative in a direction that makes him look better. Warning: This post contains spoilers for Evil Genius: The True Story of Americas Most Diabolical Bank Heist on Netflix. The 46-year-old from Erie, Pennsylvania, was a pizza delivery man who got involved in a bank robbery that included a scavenger hunt and a homemade bomb strapped around his neck. ", "Both parties were extremely intoxicated," Del Duca said. However, the teller explained that she couldn't gather that much money in so little time and only gave him $8,702. "Divorce Corp." (2014): As if the criminal justice system hasn't failed enough Americans, this documentary makes family law seem downright criminal. . Upon Harold Wells' death due to multiple sclerosis when he was only 60 years old, his wife was left to raise their five children. Is the pizza bomber really the collar bomb heist? [2][23], The bomb used in the killing consisted of a hinged collar that worked like a large handcuff to go around the neck, four keyholes that went under the chin, and a rectangular section that contained two pipe bombs and two kitchen timers. Samantha Maffucci is an associate editor for YourTango. He pleaded guilty in September 2008 to using a destructive device during a crime of violence and conspiracy to commit bank robbery. Jessica Hoopsick, a sex worker who had a relationship with Wells, confesses in the series' final moments that she suggested Wells to Barnes because of his kind and unquestioning nature.. [53] On February 28, 2011, she was sentenced to life in prison, to be served consecutively with the prison term imposed in 2005 for killing Roden. jessica hoopsick child with brian wells. The child she alleges to have had by Brian Wells would be her youngest known child. Apparently it was for failure to appear for a prostitution charge. Want up-to-the-minute entertainment news and features? They want to try and make themselves look "good" because they had overlooked so much evidence that could have solved this case years ago but failed to do so. ``, `` was pizza deliverer a robber or a victim where he chairs the criminal justice program never in. 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