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How Did Wells Hacker Die?
Opening
In August 2003, a man named Brian Wells died in Erie, Pennsylvania, after he robbed a bank wearing a collar bomb. The bizarre case was dubbed as ‘pizza bomber’ case, which made headlines across the world. Wells’s death was a shocking incident, and it took the authorities more than a decade to unravel the mystery behind it.
After extensive investigation and a series of legal battles, some details came to light, but many unanswered questions remain. In the following article, we will explore the events leading up to Wells’s death, the investigations undertaken, and the unresolved questions that still surround the case.
Contents
The Pizza Delivery
The events leading up to the death of Brian Wells began almost innocuously. On August 28, 2003, Brian Wells, a 46-year-old pizza deliveryman, went on a delivery to a remote location far from his pizzeria. Wells delivered two pizzas to a remote television tower on the outskirts of Erie, Pennsylvania. When he arrived, he was accosted by two unknown assailants who forced him to put on a homemade collar bomb. The assailants told Wells that the bomb would be detonated if he didn’t comply with their demands.
The demands were straightforward. Wells had to rob a nearby PNC Bank of $250,000, which he would then give to his kidnappers. The kidnappers gave him the necessary tools to commit the robbery, including a shotgun disguised as a cane.
The Bank Robbery
True to their word, Brian Wells, wearing the collar bomb, went to the bank and informed the tellers that he was being held hostage with a bomb and forced to rob the bank. The employees of the bank initially took him seriously, but when they saw the weapon, they triggered the silent alarm and called the police.
By then, Wells had collected the money and left the bank. He was intercepted by the police forces less than a mile away from the bank, several minutes before the bomb detonated on live television. He was handcuffed, and his pleas for help fell on the deaf ears of the police as they believed that he was in on the heist.
Minutes later, as the bomb squad was making their way to the scene, Wells’s bomb exploded, killing him instantly.
The Investigation
In the aftermath of the incident, law enforcement officials began investigating the case immediately. The FBI quickly joined forces with the Erie County Police Department, and a task force was formed to investigate the so-called ‘pizza bomber’ case.
The investigation revealed that the crime was elaborate and premeditated. The FBI team found several clues that led them to the prime suspect, named Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong, a woman with a history of mental illness. Diehl-Armstrong was quickly arrested, and her house was searched, which turned up several weapons and devices that were similar to those used in the collar bomb.
During the investigation, it became clear that several other individuals might have been involved in the crime, including Kenneth Barnes, who was identified as one of the kidnappers and who confirmed Diehl-Armstrong’s involvement. However, Barnes died of a drug overdose before he could be questioned or charged.
Unresolved Questions
Despite the extensive investigation, several questions remain unanswered in the ‘pizza bomber’ case. For example, it is still unclear whether Brian Wells was a willing participant in the heist, or if he was an innocent victim.
Additionally, the identity and motive of the mastermind behind the heist is still unknown. According to the FBI, Wells was not the mastermind, and the real culprits might be still at large.
Moreover, one of the key questions that remain unanswered is the identity of the second kidnapper. While Kenneth Barnes confessed to being one of the kidnappers, the other one remains a mystery.
Closing
Brian Wells’ death was undoubtedly a tragedy, and the events that led to his death shocked not only his family and friends but the entire world. The ‘pizza bomber’ case is an example of the intricate investigations carried out by law enforcement agencies to bring justice to the victims and their families.
While the investigations continue, it is unclear if the events of that fateful August day will ever achieve full closure. The unanswered questions continue to puzzle researchers, true-crime enthusiasts, and the public alike, making the ‘pizza bomber’ case one of the most perplexing and mysterious cases in modern crime history.
FAQ
Q1. What was the ‘pizza bomber’ case?
The ‘pizza bomber’ case was the infamous case of Brian Wells, a pizza deliveryman who died after robbing a bank with a homemade collar bomb in Erie, Pennsylvania, in August 2003.
Q2. Who were the perpetrators of the ‘pizza bomber’ case?
Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong, a woman with a history of mental illness, and Kenneth Barnes, who died of a drug overdose before he could be charged, were two of the known culprits in the case. However, the question of the mastermind behind the heist remains unknown.
Q3. Was Brian Wells a willing participant in the heist?
It is still unclear whether Brian Wells was a willing participant in the heist or an innocent victim. The investigations into the ‘pizza bomber’ case were unable to conclusively prove either theory.
