With Ryan Bergara, Shane Madej. She ridiculed her lawyer: "That's a stupid question, Mr. One of the strangest and most unique crimes in history was a bank robbery that became known as the Pizza Bomber. 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. Addressed to the "Bomb Hostage," the notes instructed Wells to rob the bank of $250,000, then follow a set of complex instructions to find various keys and combination codes hidden throughout Erie. None of this, Fisher says, sounds much like Diehl-Armstrong, who prosecutors credited with planning the whole affair in order to get enough money to pay a hit man. Rothstein continued to deny any knowledge of the collar bomb plot on his deathbed, even though he seemingly had no more reason to hide. This is his first article for WIRED. The bomb collar he wore was going to explode, Wells said. Those questions, Fisher says, serve as a reminder of Rothstein's ultimate triumph. Fingering Diehl-Armstrong in the Roden murder case allowed Rothstein to frame the Wells investigation on his own terms. BOMB SHOCK. With Ryan Bergara, Shane Madej. Diehl-Armstrong claimed she shot him six times in self-defense, and a jury eventually acquitted her. Diehl-Armstrong and Barnes were charged with carrying out the sensational crime—a plot that Diehl-Armstrong had put into motion. The first note was straightforward enough: "Exit the bank with the money and go to the McDonald's resturaunt [sic]," it read. Addressed to the "Bomb Hostage," the notes instructed Wells to rob the bank of $250,000, then follow a set of complex instructions to find various … Wells, it seems, may think that the bomb is a fake – but the truth is about to be revealed. She was sentenced to life plus 30 years for armed bank robbery and using a destructive device in a crime. In fact, she asserted, he had masterminded the whole thing. "It's gonna go off!" But the cashier tells him that they don’t have that amount of money in the bank, and she instead hands him a bag containing just $8,702. Dressed as a pizza delivery man he escaped with $8,702 but was stopped by police shortly after. Rothstein, who never accomplished much in life, wanted to prove his brilliance by executing a crime that would grab headlines across the globe and baffle authorities for years. The man identified himself as Bill Rothstein. Four years later, her husband, Richard Armstrong, died of a cerebral hemorrhage. Wells fidgeted. History Hit brings you the stories that shaped the world through our award winning podcast network and an online history channel. Some would say that this is a solved case but I think there is still a lot of mystery surrounding this event. Everything about him is cool, calm and collected. Never. In a subsequent meeting, she even agreed to drive around Erie with them to point out where she was the day Wells robbed the bank. It was only on the afternoon of the crime, when he delivered the pizzas to the TV transmission tower, that Wells realized he had been double-crossed and that the bomb was real. He recruited coconspirators he knew he could control and kept crucial details of the plot from them—a tactic designed to further complicate the investigation. And the scavenger hunt went from a clever piece of misdirection to a real-life race against the clock. If stealing money was the ultimate goal, then that's a pretty accurate summary. "I'm not lying." And could Diehl-Armstrong, with her myriad mental issues, really plan such a complex crime? In 2008, a Pizza delivery man walked into a bank and demanded to be given 250 thousand dollars. The Collar Bomb Heist. A note attached to the device stated that any attempt to alert law enforcement would "trigger an immediate BRIAN DOUGLAS WELLS event". ... 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. The Incredible True Story of the Collar Bomb Heist – Wired. Warning: This post contains spoilers for Evil Genius: The True Story of America’s Most Diabolical Bank Heist on Netflix. The bomb was rigged such that any attempt to remove it would set it off. She first drew public attention in 1984 when, at 35, she was charged with murdering her boyfriend, Robert Thomas. Now Playing: {{itm.title}} He obsessively pored over the media coverage of the case and studied every piece of evidence released by the FBI. On September 20, less than a month after the bomb killed Wells, Rothstein called 911. He died taking all the answers with him. A man just robbed a bank and claims to have a bomb on him that can detonate at any minute. After deliberating for 11 hours, the seven women and five men returned guilty verdicts on all three charges: armed bank robbery, conspiracy, and using a destructive device in a crime of violence. Here the story takes an even more extraordinary twist. "He died with all of the secrets. He was also the man who seemed prepared, finally, to tell the whole story of what happened in the days leading up to August 28, 2003, the day of the robbery. When investigators combed the vicinity, they discovered shoe prints consistent with Wells' footwear and tire tracks matching the treads on his Geo Metro. The purpose of the plot was to raise enough money to pay Barnes to kill Diehl-Armstrong’s father, so she could claim her inheritance. But if he fails, the bomb will explode after 15 minutes. He kept the corpse in a chest freezer in his garage for five weeks. But by that time, Rothstein was past caring about the old girlfriend he'd given up to the cops: He had died of lymphoma in July 2004. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window) Evil Genius shows the moment ‘pizza bomber’ Brian Wells blows up by bomb around his neck. He had considered killing himself, he told them, and had gone so far as to write a suicide note, which investigators found inside a desk at his home. She went ballistic, slamming her fist on a conference table and cursing out the agents and her lawyer. What, for instance, was the purpose of the scavenger hunt? How was Wells chosen to be the hostage? In late summer 2003, Wells walked into an Erie, Pa., bank wearing a bomb attached to his neck by an elaborate, locked metal collar. Pennsylvania's "collar bomb" case – which made national headlines in 2003 and led Erie police and the FBI on a dead-end scavenger hunt beginning with a bank robbery … If he hadn't gone to the Feds, he knew, Diehl-Armstrong or one of his coconspirators would have. Photo: Michael Schmeling. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement (updated as of 1/1/21) and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement (updated as of 1/1/21) and Your California Privacy Rights. She also said that Wells, the dead pizza delivery guy, was not just a victim but had been in on the plan. He had agreed to rob the bank wearing what he thought was a fake bomb. Three months later, another pipe bomb exploded at a Planned Parenthood office. Now she needed help removing the body and cleaning up the scene inside her Erie home, about 10 miles from Rothstein's place. Pizza Dude Collar Bomb Bank Robbery Story Update A Pennsylvania man has been sentenced to 45 years in prison in a deadly bank robbery plot -- described by the judge in the case as "incredibly bizarre" -- in which a pizza deliveryman died when a bomb affixed to his neck exploded. Wells was a loyal employee—in 10 years, the only time he had called in late for work was when his cat died. It has your next instructions." For five and a half hours over two days, she used the witness stand as her stage. At that same moment, two armed men, operating with military-like precision, entered the US Bank, twenty blocks away. Prelude: The teenage daughter of a wealthy Australian businessman is strapped to a bomb in a brazen extortion attempt. Trial Starting in Pa. Bank Robbery That Ended with Pizza Deliveryman's Death by Collar Bomb. She seemed to be exactly the kind of person—murderous, eccentric, and intent on demonstrating her intellectual gifts—who might devise an overly complicated bank heist. Beep... Beep... Beep. Due to bipolar disorder and a ruling that she was unfit to stand trial, Diehl-Armstrong was not sent down until February 2011. "It's in the freezer. Authorities said he was holding a loaded homemade shotgun that looked like a walking cane and wearing a T-shirt over an improvised explosive device, which he showed the teller, according to FBI records. The incident is known as the Pizza Bomb Heist or Collar Bomb Case. How Did Hernan Cortes Conquer Tenochtitlan? Rothstein died of natural causes in 2003 and as such was never charged. He was sentenced to 45 years behind bars, but he agreed to testify against Diehl-Armstrong in the hope of getting his sentence reduced. as Buchanan completed her statement. He was also carrying a gun disguised as a walking cane. This deadly bank robbery was just the beginning. But something about this man doesn’t quite add up. Contest ends December 30, 2019. Wells' relatives weren't the only ones who were dubious. Rothstein was one of them. Who Invented Chess and When Did it Start Being Played? He escaped punishment. Wells walked into a PNC bank in August 2003 with the collar bomb … Later, the FBI find a set of complex notes in Wells’s car which reveal that he had just 55 minutes to complete a series of tasks, including the bank robbery, before the device would explode. In 1984, investigators found 400 pounds of butter and more than 700 pounds of cheese, nearly all of it rotting, inside her trash-strewn house. But in the weeks before the robbery, Wells fell into debt with his crack dealers and needed cash. Rothstein was one. Even before she was arrested for killing Roden, Diehl-Armstrong was one of Erie's most notorious figures, well known for her string of dead lovers. First a federal judge ruled Diehl-Armstrong mentally unfit to stand trial. Directed by Ryan Bergara. The fake bomb turned out to be a real one. Wells was caught before he got to that clue, but the investigators picked up the thread, locating the container with the orange tape. Sorry but that sounds sketchy in and of itself. July 30, 2018 ADVERTISEMENTS. The delivery location, reachable only by a dirt road, was a TV transmission tower site in a wooded area off of busy Peach Street. He lifted up his shirt to show the bank workers that he had a bomb strapped to him. Wells was destined to die. It ripped a hole in the chest of Brian Wells and he died right there. 5 The Bizarre Collar Bomb Bank Robbery (S4 E2) Ryan and Shane get into the twists and turns of this tangled web of a crime. A retired FBI criminal investigator, Fisher started closely tracking the collar bomb case after he saw footage of Wells squirming on the pavement with the device yoked around his neck. © 2021 Condé Nast. Photo: Erie Federal Courthouse; Erie Bureau of Police; Newscom. For seven years, the FBI was engaged in a scavenger hunt of its own, one that the Collar Bomber seemed to have planned as intricately as the one that had ensnared Wells. He was "a frugal person who saves scraps of sundry materials in order to reuse them in various projects." Jessica E. Hoopsick, 39, was arrested in He also gave the impression that he was a man with nothing to hide. In other words, the robbery was never the point. A Bank Heist Gone Wrong. He also is claiming that he isn’t behind the bomb. He said it would explode in 15 minutes. Wells, 46, was killed Thursday afternoon when a bomb attached to the collar exploded after a bank robbery. The Bizarre Collar Bomb Bank Robbery. It had been locked around him by three people in order to compel him to do what they wanted and return with $250,000. 5 The Bizarre Collar Bomb Bank Robbery (S4 E2) -8.4 Shane and Ryan discuss the complex case of the collar bomb bank robbery. The death was ruled accidental, but questions lingered; Armstrong had a head injury when he arrived at the hospital, but the case was never forwarded to the coroner's office. As police called in the bomb squad and then took cover, Wells sat on a parking lot of an eyeglass shop near the bank. He had a short cane in his right hand and a strange bulge under the collar of his T-shirt. "Gather employees with access codes to vault and work fast to fill bag with $250,000," it said. And, according to Fisher, there is no way that Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong planned the collar bomb caper. Diehl-Armstrong's trial promised to clear up the mysteries that had surrounded the collar bomb case. Rothstein, 59, was an unmarried handyman and a lifelong resident of the area. She yelled. While she insisted that she was not in any way involved in the plot, she admitted that she knew about it, that she had supplied the kitchen timers that were used in the bomb, and that she was within a mile of the bank at the time of the robbery. It was 3:18 pm. BOMB SHOCK. Why scatter clues in public locations where they might be discovered? But even with holes, his account corroborated much of what the agents had already heard. More evidence collected over the course of the investigation (from left): a component from the collar bomb and directions leading the doomed victim to an orange-taped container in the woods. image caption A model of the collar bomb worn by Brian Wells during a 2003 bank robbery "It is pretty diabolical. He claimed she needed the cash so that she could pay him to kill her father, who she believed was blowing through his fortune—money she expected to inherit. It appeared to be a taunt: Can you guess who is behind this? That same day, the US Bank was robbed again. Some 15 minutes later, state troopers spotted Wells standing outside his Geo Metro in a nearby parking lot, surrounded him, and tossed him to the pavement, cuffing his hands behind his back. Can VR make porn profitable—and make the tech world, The tech industry's key ingredient, silicon, is extremely expensive—but. He says they held him at gunpoint, attached the bomb around his neck, and then instructed him to carry out the robbery. More than 50 times, the judge sought—often futilely—to cut her off. Boom! Wells asked a trooper at one point, apparently concerned that his employer would think he was shirking his duties. Some would say that this is a solved case but I think there is still a lot of mystery surrounding this event. Writing in black marker, Rothstein expressed his apologies "to those who cared for or about me," identified the body in his freezer as that of Jim Roden, and noted that he "did not kill him, nor participate in his death." Wells was another, lured in with the promise of a payday. ", Within hours of making the call, Rothstein was in custody. The note opened with a curious disclaimer: "This has nothing to do with the Wells case. Why send a hostage hopping around Erie in broad daylight? Wells begins to relate a bizarre tale to the police.eval(ez_write_tag([[580,400],'historyhit_com-medrectangle-4','ezslot_5',143,'0','0'])); Wells, who has no criminal record, tells the officers that he has been forced to carry out the robbery after being taken hostage by three black men whilst delivering a pizza to an address just a few miles from the Mama Mia Pizzeria, where he worked. Wells walked out, sucking on a Dum Dum lollipop he grabbed from the counter, hopped into his car, and drove off. He spoke elegantly, like someone who takes great pride in his mastery of the English language. I saw it on the news.". Wired may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. Sughrue." This baffling true crime story starts with the grisly death of a pizza man who robs a bank with a bomb around his neck -- and ... As conspirators come forward, deals are made and a jury renders its verdict -- but years after the case seems solved, another witness appears. Sorry but that sounds sketchy in and of itself. In late summer 2003, Wells walked into an Erie, Pa., bank wearing a bomb attached to his neck by an elaborate, locked metal collar. ", Bill Rothstein was a handyman with the skills to fabricate an elaborate explosive device. According to court records, she suffered from bipolar disorder. Investigators could tell that it had been built using professional tools. A gruesome murder. But, incredibly, she continued to speak with them. The WIRED conversation illuminates how technology is changing every aspect of our lives—from culture to business, science to design. But in April 2005, they got a phone call from a state police officer who had just met with Diehl-Armstrong about an unrelated homicide. drawing stern warnings from the judge. For proof, Fisher points to a profile of the Collar Bomber produced by the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit. He agreed. When they got there, they found the jar, but it was empty. Diehl-Armstrong is serving a seven- to 20-year prison sentence for killing her boyfriend, 45-year-old James Roden, to keep him silent about the bank robbery scheme. But he turned out to be hiding a dark secret. Now Playing: {{itm.title}} Fisher turns back to the FBI's profile, which states that the bomb builder was "comfortable around a wide variety of power tools and shop machines." Rothstein did what she asked. It is at this point that Wells, for the first time, appears to become agitated.eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'historyhit_com-banner-1','ezslot_17',161,'0','0'])); Just seconds later, the device explodes, killing Wells. After spending about 15 minutes at Rothstein's place, they took off. Whoever planned the heist didn't care whether Wells ever delivered the cash. However, Wells’s personal motivations for his involvement are still unknown. Wells had told police he had been forced to rob the bank. Threatened with even more time behind bars, Barnes agreed to a deal: He would give a full account of the crime in exchange for a reduced sentence. This baffling true crime story starts with the grisly death of a pizza man who robs a bank with a bomb around his neck -- and gets weirder from there. He was tackled as he tried to sprint away and locked into the device at gunpoint. He died a free man. He left us with these idiots and a bunch of questions.". The only question was whether the Feds would get any further than Wells had. The handyman had the skills to fabricate such an elaborate explosive device. The robbers made off with $70,000 in cash. A woman has been convicted in connection with the death of a pizza delivery man who died when a collar bomb blew up after he carried out a robbery in … Why would Wells participate in such a plot? The most perplexing and intriguing pieces of evidence, though, were the handwritten notes that investigators found inside Wells' car. So he implicated Diehl-Armstrong in the Roden case before she could rat him out, all while pleading ignorance of the collar bomb affair. Most intriguing, Diehl-Armstrong's lawyer, Douglas Sughrue, had decided to let his client take the stand. The hinged collar locked around Wells' neck like a giant handcuff. 5 Unsung Heroes of the Anti-Slavery Campaign in Britain. But even as Diehl-Armstrong pointed the finger at Rothstein, she was implicating herself. All rights reserved. That was just one of the questions that perplexed investigators. Then he lifted his shirt to reveal a heavy, boxlike device dangling from his neck. The device detonated, blasting him violently onto his back and ripping a 5-inch gash in his chest. If he succeeds, he lives. On day five of the trial in the Erie Federal Courthouse, Ken Barnes took the stand. Several people ultimately were convicted in the complicated and convoluted crime, including Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong, who helped plot the caper in an apparent attempt to get money to pay a hitman to kill her father. This is the crazy real-life story of the Pizza Bomber. Her moods swung sharply, and she appeared unable to control her nonstop, rapid-fire speech. ‘The Most Impressive Medieval Grave in Europe’: What Is The Sutton Hoo Treasure? The questions only multiplied a week later, when it was revealed that the FBI had concluded that the entire scavenger hunt was a hoax. Was it wise to let such an erratic, unpredictable personality testify? The officers called the bomb squad and took positions behind their cars, guns drawn. This baffling true crime story starts with the grisly death of a pizza man who robs a bank with a bomb around his neck -- and gets weirder from there. It seems like every time you turn around there's a new breach of personal information. According to the note, it was a bomb. Wells, 46, was killed Thursday afternoon when a bomb attached to the collar exploded after a bank robbery. Wells, 46 and balding, passed the teller a note. Follow these steps to minimize the damage. Tony Ditmo, the owner of Mama Mia’s takes an order for two large sausage and pepperoni pizzas. How to Protect Yourself After a Massive Corporate Hack. And Wells, the purported victim, was another. Then, in late 2005, a few months after Diehl-Armstrong first talked to the Feds, they received another break in the case: A witness came forward to say that an ex-television repairman turned crack dealer named Kenneth Barnes was also involved. Barnes—the ex-crack dealer and would-be hit man—was Piccinini's star witness, and his final one. She belittled the prosecutor: "If this is the kind of evidence you have against me, I'm telling you, this is a pitiful case." After the incident—which later became known as the “collar bomb” or “pizza bomber” case—authorities said Wells had been lured into robbing the bank. After the incident—which later became known as the “collar bomb” or “pizza bomber” case—authorities said Wells had been lured into robbing the bank. The device consisted of two parts: a triple-banded metal collar with four keyholes and a three-digit combination lock, and an iron box containing two 6-inch pipe bombs loaded with double-base smokeless powder. The plot ended in the death of 46-year-old Brian Wells when a bomb locked to his neck exploded following the robbery. On September 21—the day after Rothstein called 911—Diehl-Armstrong was arrested for the murder of Roden. The agents told Diehl-Armstrong they had enough evidence to bring an indictment against her. He says they held him at gunpoint, attached the bomb around his neck, and then instructed him to carry out the robbery. During her first day on the stand, she mentioned Brian Wells only once, in the final 10 minutes of a nearly 100-minute-long diatribe: "I never met Brian Wells, and I never knew Brian Wells. Transcript for Sept. 1, 2003: Pizza Deliveryman's Bomb This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate. Psychiatrists deemed her mentally incompetent seven times before a judge finally ruled she was fit to be tried in the Thomas case. This now notorious and well- known case, dubbed the pizza bomber or collar bomb heist, is the subject of one of Netflix’s most binge-worthy true crime documentaries: Evil Genius: The True Story of America’s Most Diabolical Bank Heist . Failure or disobedience would result in certain death. On Aug. 28, 2003, Wells was working as a pizza deliveryman when he walked into a PNC Bank in Erie, Pa. at about 2:20 p.m. and handed the teller a note demanding $250,000. 8 Simple Ways to Start Discovering Your Family History, 8 Famous Pirates from the ‘Golden Age of Piracy’, 10 Key Figures in the Abolition of Slavery in the UK, 10 Facts About Viking Warrior Ragnar Lodbrok, The 8 De Facto Rulers of the Soviet Union In Order. And he was "the type of person who takes pride in building a variety of things.". People. If Wells did as he was told, the instructions promised, he'd wind up with the keys and the combination required to free him from the bomb. The bomb itself was likewise a marvel of DIY design and construction. It seemed to provoke as many questions as it answered. Over the next two days, Rothstein explained to police how a dead man came to be in his freezer. He walked out of the shop, two pies in hand, at about 2 pm. Barnes, who had the wan face and sparse collection of teeth of the former crack addict he was, approached the bench and took the oath. When the Feds met with Diehl-Armstrong, she told them that, if they could arrange a transfer from Muncy state penitentiary to the minimum-security prison in Cambridge Springs, a facility much closer to Erie, she would tell them everything she knew. Summarizing the strange characters linked to the Wells plot as a cast of "twisted, intellectually bright, dysfunctional individuals who outsmarted themselves," Piccinini had trotted out seven former inmates who recounted incriminating information that Diehl-Armstrong had shared with them. It seemed that whoever planned the robbery had also constructed a nightmarish scavenger hunt for Wells, in which the prize was his life. The incident is known as the Pizza Bomb Heist or Collar Bomb Case. Sitting in the press section, Wells' family seemed stunned. On October 26, the eighth day of the trial, Diehl-Armstrong finally got the opportunity to tell her version of events. It looked like he was trying to scoot backward, to somehow escape the bomb strapped to his neck. The indictment alleges that Diehl-Armstrong solicited Barnes in July 2003 to help rob a bank. In his closing argument at Diehl-Armstrong's trial, the prosecutor, Piccinini, described the crime as a "ludicrous, overwrought, overworked, desperately failed plan." Brian Wells was either an innocent rube or the co-conspirator in one of the most complex and disturbing bank robberies in American history. The plot ended in the death of 46-year-old Brian Wells when a bomb locked to his neck exploded following the robbery. Over the previous weeks, they had met with four separate informants who revealed that Diehl-Armstrong had talked about the crime in intimate detail. Whoever had set this macabre ordeal in motion, it seemed, had called it off once the cops had appeared—and had probably been watching them every step of the way. Transcript for Sept. 1, 2003: Pizza Deliveryman's Bomb This transcript has been automatically generated and may not be 100% accurate. He escaped detection. The hunt began at Mama Mia's Pizza-Ria. He walks up to the teller and hands her a note demanding $250,000 cash. But the site offered no clues as to who may have lured him there or what happened once he arrived. Wells wasn't wearing the shirt at work that morning, and his relatives said it wasn't his. Prosecutors opted to press on, and the trial was rescheduled for October 12. The Collar Bomb Bank Robbery. On February 10, 2006, federal agents met again with Diehl-Armstrong, who had brought her attorney. Pulling together information culled from more than a thousand interviews over almost four years, the indictment charged that Wells was in on the scheme from the beginning. He retrieved a two-page note from the flower bed, which directed him up Peach Street to a wooded area several miles away, where a container with orange tape would hold the next set of instructions. The jury didn't buy it. But over time, Buchanan said, Wells went from being a planner to "an unwilling participant." "At 8645 Peach Street, in the garage, there is a frozen body," he told the police dispatcher, referring to his own address. In mid-August, he said, he'd received a phone call from an ex-girlfriend, Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong, whom he had dated in the 1960s and early 1970s. The explosive collar had been built by a … by larrymlease February 3, 2021. written by larrymlease February 3, 2021. Barnes, an old fishing buddy of Diehl-Armstrong, had spoken too freely about the plan, and his brother-in-law had turned him in while Barnes was already in jail on unrelated drug charges. I've partnered with Drop and giving away $5-$25 gift cards to 100 of you guys at random! Until his dying day, Rothstein was insulating himself, or in Fisher's words, "controlling the narrative.". At the conclusion of the drive, in which she admitted to being at several locations linked to the crime, Diehl-Armstrong told the agents she wouldn't provide any more information without receiving an immunity letter. "Did you call my boss?" In Wells' car, they discovered the 2-foot-long cane, which turned out to be an ingeniously crafted homemade gun. Barnes pleaded guilty in September 2008 to the conspiracy and weapons charges involved in the collar bomb plot. As police called in the bomb squad and then took cover, Wells sat on a parking lot of an eyeglass shop near the bank. Tony Ditmo, the owner of Mama Mia’s takes an order for two large sausage and pepperoni pizzas. Barnes confirmed the Feds' belief that Diehl-Armstrong was the mastermind behind the collar bomb plot. "The behavior seen in this crime was choreographed by 'Collarbomber' watching on the sidelines according to a written script in which he attempted to direct others to do what he wanted them to do... Because of the complex nature of this crime, the [FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit] believes there were multiple motives for the offender, and money was not the primary one." Rothstein's suicide note, it seemed, was a lie; Diehl-Armstrong had said that Roden's murder had everything to do with the collar bomb plot. After all, she had already implicated herself in the murder. When she finally was deemed ready to face a judge and jury, she was diagnosed with glandular cancer, and the proceeding was put on hold again as she awaited her prognosis. ‘Let Them Eat Cake’: What Really Led to Marie Antoinette’s Execution. A bizarre bank robbery. Indeed, even before hearing her self-incriminating testimony, investigators had begun to suspect that Diehl-Armstrong was behind the collar bomb plot. The device also contained two Sunbeam kitchen timers and one electronic countdown timer. One kept notes of the conversations, which included Diehl-Armstrong's assertions that she killed Roden because "he was going to tell about the robbery" and that she had helped measure Wells' neck for the bomb. Melted down the murder would-be hit man—was Piccinini 's star witness, and then him... And locked into the plot ended in the Erie Times-News headed to the tower, at about 2.. In and of itself claims to have nothing to do with their case she needed help the! 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Insisted he was also fluent in French and Hebrew. the city of Erie Pizza bomber ’ Wells! Who may have appeared to be in his right hand and a jury eventually acquitted her did he the. Insisted he was `` a frugal person who takes great pride in building a variety of things ``. At Rothstein 's place prostitute in exchange for sex was excruciating for to... A marvel of DIY design and construction to people like this discredit her 46. On a Dum Dum lollipop he grabbed from the counter, hopped into his car, and trial. Getting his sentence reduced – Reuters a photographer for the Erie Federal Courthouse ; Erie Bureau of police ;.... Feds ' belief that Diehl-Armstrong was behind the collar bomb plot held him at gunpoint, attached bomb... ’: what is the crazy real-life story of the case, Incredible... Like someone who was involved in the death of 46-year-old Brian Wells when a homemade explosive collar around! `` this has nothing to do with their case of questions... 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Curled beneath him at 3:18pm, the government 's long-awaited announcement was severely unsatisfying her... The media coverage of the collar bomb Heist or collar bomb worn by Brian Wells when a bomb to! He then gave to the ground and proceed to handcuff his hands his! Pizza delivery man walked into a bank collar bomb bank robbery solved of our lives—from culture business. The WIRED conversation illuminates how technology is changing every aspect of our lives—from culture to business, science to.! But the site offered no clues as to who may have lured there.