A lone man robbed a bank with a suspicious device around his neck. He had a cane that doubled as a shotgun, and was demanding $250,000. Already, the small town of Erie knew that this wasn’t going to be an ordinary bank robbery. They had no idea that this would plague the town for the next decade…
It Started With a Bank Robbery
In the late summer of 2003, reports of a bank robbery began to flood police communication systems. The suspect was a White male who had a cane. He demanded $250,000 but only got $8,000.
The Note
He handed a note to the teller that said there was a bomb around his neck and that it would go off in 15 minutes. After Wells left the bank, a witness called the police and said that a man leaving with bank with “a bomb or something wrapped around his neck” just robbed it. Police knew the bomb was a fake. He was reported to be calm and collected during the robbery.
Moving On
After the bank, the robber made a loop around the block where he would end up near a McDonald’s parking lot. Police had him surrounded, guns pointed at him.
Whatâs Going On
The robber, cool and collected, got out of his vehicle with his hands up and sat on the ground as ordered. He calmly warned them, “There’s a bomb around my neck.” Police did not believe that it was real and figured he was bluffing.
Time to Investigate
The threats certainly spooked police officers. Guns aimed at the suspect, they cut open the back of his shirt to reveal a horrible sight.
A Collar Bomb
Just as suspected, the suspect had a collar bomb tight around his neck. Police immediately backed off, while more support was requested. They needed the bomb squad, but things were about to get very difficult.
Traffic Chaos
Police closed down all of the surrounding roads, which made traffic a nightmare. Additional support, such as more officers and an ambulance, couldn’t get through. Even worse, the bomb squad couldn’t either…
Time Was Being Wasted
Meanwhile, the suspect was warning the police of the time limit. “It’s going to go off. Can’t you get this thing off of me?”
It Was Extremely Confusing
The police weren’t sure what to make of this. At first, it seemed like a bizarre hostage situation…
Iâm Innocent
Meanwhile, the suspect claimed innocence. He said that he was abducted when he delivered a pizza to a remote location and stuck with this collar. Now, it was going to blow.
Brian Wells
The suspect was later realized to be Brian Wells. He was currently working as a pizza delivery driver for a Mama Mia’s Pizzeria in Erie, Pennsylvania. He delivered a pizza to a remote location deep in the woods, 8631 Peach Street. It was a transmitting tower at the end of a dirt road.
Three Individuals
Wells claimed that three Black individuals jumped him and placed the collar on his neck. Then, demanded that he rob the closest bank. They wanted $250,000, something that banks don’t even have available…
He Needed To Deliver The Money Or He Would Die
He continued to repeat to the officers that he was going to die, that they were going to kill him. Wells wanted the collar off. Instead, police dispatched the bomb squad and worked on clearing the area of civilians. No one knew what this so-called bomb was capable of.
It Was Ticking
Witnesses, civilian and police, reported hearing the sound of the bomb ticking away. No one could tell for sure if this was a rouse or not…
Too Late
The bomb squad was on their way, but it would be in vain. The traffic was too chaotic for them to get through, and Brian ran out of time.
Itâs Going to Go Off
The ticking was getting louder and more hurried. Wells was heard saying, “Get this thing off me, it’s gonna go off!”
It Was Over
Soon, the ticking got faster and faster. Then, it exploded. The collar launched shrapnel into Wells’ chest, leaving a fist-sized hole. He was dead on the spot.
Police Move In
Quickly, and with their guns still drawn, police moved in on the body. This was the beginning of a decade long journey. Nobody knew what they were in for.
Manic Kidnappers
After Wells was murdered, police began searching his car. That’s when they found the nine pages of notes of what Wells was to do.
The Letters
The instructions listed a series of tasks. Wells was to collect keys that would delay the detonation, but not turn it off completely. Only once he completed all of the tasks would he be able to defuse it.
You Will Die
In the instructions, it was stated that if Wells tried to go to authorities, they would defuse the bomb themselves. “ACT NOW, THINK LATER OR YOU WILL DIE!” was written at the bottom of the page.
He Couldn’t Have Finished This
After investigating, police came to a conclusion. They went through the route multiple times to see it if could really be done in 15 minutes. They went at the same time of day, the same day of the week, and in the same weather condition. They concluded that there was no way Wells could have done this within 15 minutes. He was doomed to die.
The Device
After looking into the device, it was determined that it could never have been safely removed without going off. There were four locks and a combination dial involved, which meant that the only way to get it off was with the locks and the dial… Which were impossible to get to.
Media Frenzy
The media, who were filming live, ended up broadcasting Wells’ death to their audience. Thousands of people witnessed the bomb detonate, including his family. They were horrified.
No Justice
The family immediately turned to the media to claim the flaws in how the bomb was dealt with. They believed that the police murdered Wells by not helping him, an innocent man. Police had a different story…
He Can’t Be Fully Innocent
Wells may be innocent, but not in the way his family and other people wanted him to be. As police investigated, they couldn’t find anyone responsible. They investigated the tower, but there was nothing there other than the control for the bomb. It was fitted with a lot of red herrings… The person who built this was maniacal.
No Leads…
The case was getting cold, but then things took a turn when Bill Rothstein called the police about a dead body in a freezer… Right at the end of Peach Street, where Wells was allegedly made a hostage.
The Body
When police got to Rothstein’s home, they found the body of James Roden, the boyfriend of one of his ex-girlfriend’s and a long-time friend. He said that the friend, Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong, had murdered Roden and asked Rothstein to put him in the freezer. Rothstein also made it weirdly clear that this wasn’t to do with the Wells case…
It Was Her, Not Me
Rothstein was arrested quickly for more questioning. He claimed that it was Diehl-Armstrong who did the murder, not him but understood why he needed to be arrested. He was said to be charming and likable off the bat.
It Was Over Money
Rothstein claimed they fought over money, and Diehl-Armstrong shot Roden dead with a 12-gauge shotgun. She paid Rothstein $2,000 to hide the body and clean up the scene at her home.
He Was Scared
Rothstein claimed to turn Diehl-Armstrong over to police because he was scared… She was manipulating and strong-arming him to keep her secret and he didn’t want any part of it anymore. In exchange for information about the murder and a walk through the crime scene, Rothstein was let go.
Diehl-Armstrong
Marjorie, on the other hand, claimed her innocence. She said multiple times that Rothstein just killed Roden out of jealousy. She claimed he’d been in love with her for years…
Her History
Diehl-Armstong has a history with police. She’s had some bipolar episodes that landed her in jail, and she’s had a string of lovers who have died. So far, things weren’t looking good for her.
Rothstein
Almost a year after the bank robbery, on July 30th, 2004, Rothstein died of lymphoma. He was never called to testify in court due to his illness. Up until his death, he was still insistent that this had nothing to do with the Wells case…
Confession
Just a year-and-a-half later, Diehl-Armstrong admitted to lying before. She killed Roden and paid Rothstein to hide the body… But, not under the same circumstances. Here is where the Wells case comes right back into the spotlight.
He Didn’t Want To Do It…
Apparently, Diehl-Armstrong said that Roden didn’t want to be involved anymore. When investigators asked what he didn’t want to do, she said that he didn’t want to go on the bank heist with him. The bank heist that killed Brian Wells.
The Wells Case
This is when Marjorie began to spill. She said that Rothstein made up the plan with Kenneth Barnes and Brian Wells. She said that Wells was in on it. That would make sense as to why Wells lied about being strong-armed by three Black people, something that police tried to follow up on and came up short.
Barnes
Kenneth Barnes had already been in jail for an unrelated drug offense. In order to reduce his sentence, he agreed to tell the whole story. He was saying that Marjorie constructed the entire plan so she could get $250,000 to kill her father for his inheritance (which he didn’t even have.)
Years-Long Investigation
There were years worth of back and forth talk between the two suspects and the investigators. No one knew who was telling the truth. They did find that Marjorie was looking for $250,000, which was incriminating.
It Made Sense
The fact that Wells was in on it made sense. After investigations, it was determined that Wells knew of the scheme, but thought the bomb would be a decoy. He had the notes in his pocket to make it seem like it was real and that he was really a hostage in case he got caught. But then, Diehl-Armstrong and Rothstein made a real bomb and Wells was betrayed…
Rothstein Made the Bomb
It was determined that Rothstein made the bomb with all of the things he and Marjorie had hoarded in their homes. Marjorie was an actual hoarder, with her home being a complete mess. They found out that many of the things found in the collar bomb matched to missing parts of many items in her home…
She Still Claimed Innocence
Marjorie still claimed her innocence. She didn’t make the bomb and didn’t want to do the heist, but did it anyway. With Rothstein not alive to defend himself, this was the story she stuck to. She believed it, so she assumed others had to as well. She was a full-on narcissist.
Wells Needed the Money
Wells was in on it because he needed the money. It’s apparent that he ended up being a victim, as they murdered him for no reason after sticking a real bomb to him. One person did stand up for him…
His Favorite Prostitute
A woman named Jessica Hoopsick was friends with Wells and Barnes. She avoided police for years, not wanting to give up anything. Then, finally, on Evil Genius, she spoke to the documentarians…
He Was Innocent
She claimed that he was innocent of the real bomb, but everything else was true. She also said it was all her fault he was there in the first place. Barnes was looking for someone that could rob the bank, and Jessica said that Wells would do it since he was a “pushover.” She had no idea he would die.
Jessica Hoopsick
She ended up getting pregnant with, what she believes, Wells’ child. That’s the main reason why she didn’t speak to police.
Where Are They Now?
Marjorie was sentenced to life in prison for the crimes. She was never convicted of Brians murder, but of the bank robbery and conspiracy to commit a crime. She died in 2017 of breast cancer.
Barnes
Barnes is still in jail for his crimes. He maintains his story that it was all Rothstein. He will spend 45 years in prison since he testified against Marjorie.
No One Came Out A Winner
About Marjorie, Evil Genius’ Barbara Schroeder had this to say about her: “She believed she could control people and she thought she had people at her beck and call, but when she died, there was no one to claim her body and she was buried in an unmarked grave. In her mind, she had a lot of people paying attention to her but in the end, she was never really loved.”