Our website services, content and products are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. 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. A report in US Weekly reveals that on August 28, 2003, a pizza deliveryman named Brian Wells robbed a PNC Bank in Erie, Pennsylvania. [38] The station provided the footage to FBI investigators, ABC's head office, and sister station WKBW-TV in Buffalo, New York. He was a pizza delivery driver and he had a clean criminal record. Barbara Schroeder and Trey Borzillieri, the creators of Evil Genius, told TIME they believe Hoopsick was moved to finally speak out because she couldnt hold in her secret any longer. I requested two-hour service, and she stated the rate would be $250 for two hours, Swank reported. Investigators said Hoopsick was uncooperative after the deadly heist in 2003. 5/27/2018 1:00 AM PT. Before we go any further, we have to make sure: You've seen "Making a Murderer," right? Barnes is expected to be released in 2027, according to FCI Coleman Low, the federal correctional facility where hes currently incarcerated in Florida. Plus, if Wells was voluntarily enlisted, the risk was increased as he may have shared the plot info with friends like Rob Pinetti. He told state troopers he was forced to wear the collar at gunpoint shortly before robbing the bank. One would think this strange scenario would be an easy decision for a judge, but get ready to get angry. Diehl-Armstrong was sentenced in 2011 to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, and Barnes received a reduced sentence of 22.5 years in exchange for testifying against Diehl-Armstrong; both died in prison. [3] The collar bomb-bank robbery plot was hatched to obtain enough money to pay Barnes to kill Diehl-Armstrong's father. Warning: This article contains major spoilers for Evil Genius. [63] In May 2018, Netflix released Evil Genius: The True Story of America's Most Diabolical Bank Heist, a documentary series about the case. Another man who had died prior, Bill Rothstein, was also indicted as a conspirator in the crime, along with Wells. 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.. [5], Wells worked as a pizza delivery driver at the Mama Mia's Pizzeria in Erie for ten years before his death. Wick said the new information should certainly be passed along to any state or federal law enforcement agency for review, since he said theres no statute of limitations for murder. All Rights Reserved. [35] According to witnesses at the bank and surveillance footage, after entering the bank, Wells waited in line. One of the prostitutes he frequented, Jessica Hoopsick, knew Kenneth Barnes, who dealt crack and whose house was used by prostitutes. two boyfriends [59] Admitting to setting up Wells in exchange for money and drugs,[58] Hoopsick expressed regret for her role and said Wells had no advance knowledge of the robbery. [58], As the case continued to develop, the investigation garnered national media coverage in America. Jessica Hoopsick, a woman who was Wells' prostitute and friend, confessed on the Netflix documentary Evil Genius that she set Wells up to participate in the crime by providing his name and delivery schedule to one of the conspirators in exchange for money and drugs. "My client had ingested quite a bit of crack cocaine.". She has been troubled since she was very young and has been charged multiple times in different counties with prostitution and retail theft. They had long suspected her involvement but didnt have enough evidence to build a case against her. And there were times when she showed her soft side.. He enjoyed a routine, awaking at the same time every morning, reading the local paper, eating breakfast at McDonalds, and then going to work. [20] The collar of the bomb was still intact and Wells's body was decapitated so it could be retained. He had no idea what was going to happen to him., RELATED:Who Is Bill Rothstein? Wells' family disputes this account of the events at the television tower; according to them, Wells was accosted at gunpoint by strangers and forced to participate. Diehl-Armstrong, who outlived her parents and had no siblings or children, is buried in a cemetery near there, according to the Bureau of Prisons. RELATED:Who Is Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong? "The True Cost" (2015): This deep dive into the fashion industry not only exposes the deadly cost of cheap clothing, it shows just how little executives at some of the most successful companies capitalizing on foreign labor care about it. [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. [55] In January 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court denied her petition for certiorari, declining to hear her case. He suffered from diabetes and died in prison on June 20, 2019, at the age of 6465.[13]. "However, if you look at the bank robbery and the planning of the bank robbery and the designing of the device and the scavenger hunt and the notes, they have more of Mr Rothstein's fingerprints written all over it.". The documentary takes on the mental health system. When he was arrested after robbing the bank, the bomb went off and killed Wells. If shes not telling the truth, then I dont know who is.. She told me that she had just been in that recent four-part Netflix documentary, Evil Genius, Swank reported. Drew Griffin and David Fitzpatrick (August 8, 2011), Mania and Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong: Inside the Mind of a Female Serial Killer by Jerry Clark, Ed Palattella, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, Evil Genius: The True Story of America's Most Diabolical Bank Heist, 1973 Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce bank robbery, New details revealed in 'pizza collar bomb' heist, "A Childlike Pizza Deliveryman at the Center of a Puzzling Crime", "Collar-Bomb Case Charges in Bizarre '03 Bank Heist", "Woman in pizza bomber case to get nothing from father", "The Incredible True Story of the Collar Bomb Heist", "Erie's Diehl-Armstrong recalled as unique and deadly criminal", "Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong Cause of Death: How Did She Die? [14], In January 2005, Diehl-Armstrong pleaded guilty but mentally ill to third degree murder and abuse of a corpse for killing Roden and was sentenced to between seven and twenty years in prison. She is believed to have killed Roden to prevent him from informing authorities about the robbery plot. jessica hoopsick child with brian wells. [55][56] In December 2015, Diehl-Armstrong lost a second appeal of her conviction. Swank, assisted by patrolmen Hank Fontana Jr. and Chase Mollomo, took Hoopsick into custody when she arrived at the parking lot. Thomas weighs approximately 300 pounds and Butler weighed approximately 120 pounds, investigators wrote in the affidavit of probable cause. [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. How old was Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong when she died? Hoopsick was never charged in the pizza bomber case. [15] Rothstein was admitted to the Millcreek Community Hospital on July 23, 2004, having previously been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma showing diffuse, large-cell type myeloproliferative lymphoma, and died on July 30 that year at the age of 60. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. She is at the Westmoreland County Prison, unable to post bond of $10,000, according to court records. Something that shocked many viewers of Evil Genius wasBorzillieris relationship with Diehl-Armstrong. Ed Palattella can be reached at 870-1813 or by email. It went through all the twists and turns of the investigation that you see in the documentary. The lead investigator in the pizza bomber case retired as an FBI agent in June 2011. Two co-conspirators, Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong and Kenneth Barnes, were indicted on charges of bank robbery, conspiracy and weapon charges. It was believed Wells was killed to reduce the number of witnesses.[20]. The Bizarre Real-Life Story of the Pizza Guy Who Robbed a Bank with a Bomb Around His Neck. Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong masterminded a 2003 robbery plot in Pennsylvania that led to the bombing death of pizza delivery man Brian Wells. 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. She killed two boyfriends, including one whose body was stuffed in a freezer. She claimed she recommended Wells to Barnes for the heist in exchange for drug money, but. He is an associate professor of criminal justice at Gannon University, where he chairs the criminal justice program. Wells' family said he was forced to rob the bank by the conspirators. 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. Melissa Chan of Time wrote; "Hoopsick says a conspirator approached her to find a 'gopher' who could be scared into robbing a bank". Following an attempt to rob a PNC Bank, and while surrounded by police, Wells was murdered when an explosive collar locked to his neck detonated. [36], Around fifteen minutes after Wells left the bank, he had completed the first task of the treasure hunt. The content produced by YourTango is for informational and educational purposes only. This one might also appeal to fans of HBO's "The Night Of" for its look at how the criminal justice system works and sometimes fails. Law enforcement was really tight-lipped, and Rothstein had died, saidBorzillieri. The four-part true crime documentary series followed the Pizza Bomber case, which saw pizza delivery driver Brian Wells rob PNC Bank in Erie, Pennsylvania whilst wearing a collar bomb which exploded and killed him following his swift capture by police. "Dear Zachary: A Letter to a Son About His Father" (2008): This heartbreaking film focuses on an unbelievable custody battle between a murdered man's parents and the ex-girlfriend who took their son's life, while pregnant with their grandchild. The January 2011 issue of Wired magazine covered the story. Although he subsequently removed the video at WJET's request, by then it had been posted to numerous video-sharing websites. Would someone who was aware of the heist act in this manner? In her free time, you can find her obsessing about cats, wine, and all things Vanderpump Rules. They just dont want to admit anymore wrongdoings. It started as a chance at information and it turned into a real relationship. The assistant U.S. attorney who prosecuted the pizza bomber case remains the lead federal prosecutor in Erie. The address was the location of the transmitting tower of WSEE-TV at the end of a dirt road. While some of them were guilty of their crime, it's heartbreaking to see one who swears he's innocent show a parole board evidence to support his claim, only to have them promptly disregard it. The drug dealer testified against Diehl-Armstrong at trial in exchange for a plea deal that originally netted him a federal prison sentence of 45 years. Not sure, someone in the comments claimed they knew her and were there for the arrest. Rothstein died of cancer before the grand jury returned its indictment. 8 How did Brian Wells the pizza bomber die? Getting her to tell us at the time was a whole other issue. He pleaded guilty in September 2008 to using a destructive device during a crime of violence and conspiracy to commit bank robbery. Floyd Arthur "Jay" Stockton Jr. (1947 August 10, 2022) was a convicted rapist of a disabled teenager. Hoopsick was among a few people that Thomas sought out when she wanted to buy crack cocaine after Butler's death, he said. Yes but Im torn about this at least she tries to do the right thing eventually. 2 How old was Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong when she died? [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. It continued on for years afterwards, and the hope was to collect information and shed light on the truths within the case. . [42], In April 2005, Diehl-Armstrong told a state trooper she had information about the Wells case and after meeting with FBI agents, said she would tell them everything she knew if she was transferred from the Muncy Correctional Institution to a minimum-security prison in Cambridge Springs. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. 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. 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. makes no sense to me at all. We always believed that Jessica knew more, retired ATF Special Agent Jason Wick told TIME in a recent interview about the documentary. Jessica Hoopsick Friends Photos Videos More Friends Photos Videos About Work Self-Employed Worked at Panos' Restaurant 1995 - 2005 College Studied medical assistant at Great Lakes Institute of Technology High school No schools to show Photos See all photos Others Named Jessica Hoopsick Jessica Hoopsick Jessica Hoopsick Jessica Hoopsick See more Diehl-Armstrong suggested Barnes kill her father, Harold Diehl, so she would receive an inheritance. The device had several decoys, such as unconnected wires, a toy cell phone, and stickers bearing deceptive warnings. Apparently Jessica Hoopsick is currently getting arrested. Is 30 minutes or less a true story? However, the teller explained that she couldn't gather that much money in so little time and only gave him $8,702. The investigation determined the plot was masterminded by Diehl-Armstrong to receive an inheritance by hiring Barnes with the money from the bank robbery to kill her father. But, as certain elements of the crime suggest, money was never the true objective here, and Wells was always going to die. And he was the first person to find out she had passed away. He was proceeding with the second task when police saw him standing outside his automobile and promptly arrested him, handcuffed him and left him sitting on the ground in the parking lot. New Details About The Man In 'Evil Genius' On Netflix. When Wells discovered that the bomb was real, Barnes said a pistol was fired in order to force Wells' compliance, and witnesses confirmed hearing a gunshot. 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. Relatives said she had fallen out of touch with her family, and several phone numbers provided by two of her recent attorneys were either disconnected or belonged to other people. We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article. Wells' family said he was not a willing participant in the incident. He was granted immunity for his testimony against Diehl-Armstrong, but was never called to testify in court due to illness. was scrawled at the bottom of the instructions. 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. [33][34], At 2:38, a witness called 9-1-1 from the bank and reported a male leaving the bank with "a bomb or something wrapped around his neck". Hoopsick's involvement added a bizarre twist to an already unusual case, which ended Friday with Thomas' sentence of 18 to 36 years in state prison. This tragedy may have caused Wells to drop out after. Jessica E. Hoopsick, 39, was arrested in Erie County this week after District Judge Chris Flanigan of Greensburg issued a bench warrant when she failed to appear at a July 26 hearing.. You have reached your limit of 4 free articles. Though the documentary talks about the alleged mastermind, Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong, and a gaggle of co-conspirators, like Bill Rothstein, what about the plots victim, Brian Wells? Diehl-Armstrong died of breast cancer at 68 on April 4, 2017, while serving her sentence at the Federal Medical Center Carswell, a women's prison near Fort Worth, Texas. [39], Though the note claimed Wells would gain extra time by each key found, police later traveled the note's route and could not complete it in the allotted time, implying Wells would not have had enough time to get the bomb defused. Stockton, 70, is believed to be living in Washington state. After he telephoned police, Rothstein wrote a suicide note indicating his planned death had nothing to do with Wells. 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