Pizza Delivery Driver Killed by Collar Bomb in Horror Live Broadcast
The Bizarre True Story of the Pizza Bomber adn the Collar Bomb Heist
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The story of the “Pizza Bomber” is a chilling tale of greed, betrayal, and a meticulously planned bank robbery gone horribly wrong. It’s a case that captivated the nation in the early 2000s, filled with shocking twists and turns, and ultimately led to life sentences and untimely deaths. This is the story of Brian Wells,Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong,and the elaborate scheme that ended in tragedy.
The Collar Bomb and the Bank Robbery
On August 28,2003,Brian Wells walked into a PNC Bank in Erie,Pennsylvania,and handed a teller a note demanding $250,000. What made this robbery unlike any other was what Wells was wearing: a refined collar bomb,locked and ticking. He claimed he’d been kidnapped, forced to wear the device, and instructed to rob the bank or it would detonate.
Police quickly surrounded the bank.After a tense 45-minute standoff, Wells surrendered, and the bomb was defused by a bomb squad just eight seconds before it was set to explode. But this wasn’t a simple case of a desperate man following orders. The investigation that followed revealed a complex and sinister plot orchestrated by a group of individuals driven by financial desperation.
The Key Players: A Web of Deceit
The investigation quickly focused on several individuals, each with a role to play in the elaborate scheme.
Brian Wells: The pizza delivery driver who became the unwilling pawn in the robbery. He was a man struggling with personal issues and, tragically, became the face of this bizarre crime. Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong: A manipulative and controlling woman with a history of involvement in previous crimes. She was the alleged mastermind behind the plot, driven by a desire to alleviate her financial woes.
William Rothstein: Diehl-Armstrong’s former lover and a key figure in the planning stages. He was a chemist with the knowledge to construct the complex collar bomb.
Jeffrey Notaro: Another accomplice involved in the planning and execution of the robbery.
Daniel “Danny” Greene: A local gangster with connections to the group.
Floyd Hopps: Involved in acquiring the materials for the bomb.
The motive? Reportedly, it was a desperate attempt to pay off debts and escape financial ruin. The plan involved using Wells as a scapegoat,ensuring that he would be the one caught and imprisoned,while the others remained free to enjoy the stolen money.
The Investigation Unravels the Truth
As investigators delved deeper, the story became increasingly convoluted. It emerged that Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong had orchestrated the entire operation, manipulating those around her to carry out her plan. William Rothstein, with his chemical expertise, built the collar bomb, initially intended to be a fake. Tho, Barnes, another accomplice, later claimed wells was told it wasn’t real, only to discover it contained actual explosives.
Barnes, facing significant prison time, eventually agreed to cooperate with authorities and provide testimony against Diehl-Armstrong. he revealed that Wells had initially tried to back out of the scheme once he realized the bomb was genuine, but Diehl-Armstrong and the others threatened him.
The family of Wells vehemently protested the allegations, maintaining his innocence and portraying him as a victim of circumstance.
Justice Served – and lives Lost
In November 2010, Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong was found guilty of armed bank robbery, conspiracy, and using a destructive device in a crime of violence.She was sentenced to life plus 30 years in prison. Throughout the trial,she maintained her innocence,insisting that Rothstein was the true mastermind and that Wells was complicit in the planning.
However, Rothstein died of lymphoma in July 2004, less than a year after Wells’ death. Diehl-Armstrong continued to deny responsibility until her death from breast cancer on April 4, 2017, and was buried in an unmarked grave.
Barnes received a reduced sentence of 45 years, later halved for his cooperation, and died in prison on June 20, 2019. Tragically,Brian Wells was found dead in a storage unit just hours after the robbery,having succumbed to asphyxiation. His death was ruled a homicide,though the