The plot subsequently uncovered has been described as "one of the most complicated and bizarre crimes" in the history of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).[1]. I definitely want justice for Brians memory. We were in a tough spot. Then, at the documentary's end, Jessica Hoopsick, a prostitute frequented by Wells, drops the bombshell that she solicited him to get involved on behalf of Ken Barnes because he was "a. RELATED:8 Best True Crime Podcasts For People Who Just Love Being Scared, A post shared by @bluesbobb on May 17, 2018 at 9:56am PDT. Also isnt it almost even sadder for Brian his kid losing his mother? A still from "Evil Genius: The True Story of America's Most Diabolical Bank Heist" on Netflix, The Real Family That Inspired 'Little Women', How We Can Learn to Live with COVID-19 After Vaccinations. [5], Wells was instructed to "quietly" enter the PNC Bank at Summit Towne Center on Peach Street and give the teller an affixed note demanding $250,000, and to use his shotgun to threaten anyone who did not cooperate or attempted to flee. One would think this strange scenario would be an easy decision for a judge, but get ready to get angry. Want up-to-the-minute entertainment news and features? It started as a chance at information and it turned into a real relationship. Could Wells really have been a victim of the same bank robbery he helped carry out? "Divorce Corp." (2014): As if the criminal justice system hasn't failed enough Americans, this documentary makes family law seem downright criminal. 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. [32], Wells' corpse was found with nine pages of handwritten instructions addressed to "Bomb Hostage," directing him to rob the bank. And as police surrounded him while he sat cross-legged in a parking lot, he didnt realize the bomb was real until it started beeping, eventually detonating. I'm very sorry," Thomas said in court. The documentary is less clear, however, on Wells' involvement, although director Trey Borzillieri elicited a confession from Jessica Hoopstick a sex worker who frequently slept with Wells (and later had a baby that Wells likely fathered) who claimed that Wells had no idea when he delivered the pizza to Rothstein's property that a bomb would Our website services, content and products are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. She was sentenced to life plus 30 years on Feb. 28, 2011. She just wouldnt cooperate.. 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. This episode is sad. Apparently Jessica Hoopsick is currently getting arrested. Getting her to tell us at the time was a whole other issue. 2023 www.goerie.com. [54] In November 2012, the Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit affirmed her conviction. [20] The collar of the bomb was still intact and Wells's body was decapitated so it could be retained. Evil Genius: The True Story of America's Most Diabolical Bank Heist, Press J to jump to the feed. 8 How did Brian Wells the pizza bomber die? New Details About The Woman From 'Evil Genius' On Netflix, A post shared by Strange Matters Podcast (@strangematterspodcast) on Apr 15, 2017 at 5:11am PDT. The fact that shes saying it, you got to wonder why.. 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. 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. And says Bill Rothstein was the true mastermind. See additional information. The infamous pizza bomber narrative is as explosive as it soundsalthough filled with more twists and turns than actual pizza. "Fed Up" (2014): The tragedy Katie Couric's voiceover presents in this documentary isn't just that both the government and food industry place profit above public health, it's the realization that even those parents who are actually concerned about their children's poor diet have no idea how to eat healthy themselves. jessica hoopsick child with brian wells. [45] Barnes's sentence was later reduced to 22.5 years after he testified against Diehl-Armstrong. fucking loser these detectives are. [5], Wells worked as a pizza delivery driver at the Mama Mia's Pizzeria in Erie for ten years before his death. In May, she was named general counsel ofKraken, a San-Francisco based cryptocurrency exchange. "The difficulty we have is the fact that [Brian Wells] may not have known what was happening relating to the bank robbery itself, and that's where we differ with some of the evidence that we've had. "Yes.". Investigators concluded Wells was a willing participant in the robbery, but was told the bomb was fake. TribLIVE's Daily and Weekly email newsletters deliver the news you want and information you need, right to your inbox. "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.". I have a lot of remorse for a lot of the stuff I did and a lot of shame and guilt, she says. It is known as the collar bomb or pizza bomber case. May 9, 2022 candlelight vigil tonight. The Mandalorian's Pedro Pascal on season 3, Neighbours announces seven more returning cast. Its unclear whether authorities and prosecutors will decide to pursue charges against Hoopsick or any others after Hoopsicks new confession. They just want Brian Wells to be a co conspirator. [36], Around fifteen minutes after Wells left the bank, he had completed the first task of the treasure hunt. [27] The details of events at the tower that led to the bomb being attached to Wells' neck have never been firmly established, but evidence suggests there was a struggle and that Barnes, Diehl-Armstrong, Rothstein, and Stockton were all present at that time. She is at the Westmoreland County Prison, unable to post bond of $10,000, according to court records. Borzillieri explained when he read a 2007 document that was unsealed, he knew Hoopsick had more information than she had previously let on. 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Warning: This post contains spoilers for Evil Genius: The True Story of Americas Most Diabolical Bank Heist on Netflix. [35] According to witnesses at the bank and surveillance footage, after entering the bank, Wells waited in line. With a note that demanded $250,000, he had a cane that he swung around like Charlie Chaplin, that was actually a gun, and a collar locked around his neck like a handcuff. ERIE TIMES-NEWS/FBI Samantha Maffucci is an associate editor for YourTango. He was granted immunity for his testimony against Diehl-Armstrong, but was never called to testify in court due to illness. We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article. In 2003, Brian Wells robbed a bank with a bomb collar around his neck, but who was the mastermind behind the notorious crime? Idealne schody do Twojego domu. Swank reported that he texted the number listed and a woman agreed to meet him in the parking lot near the Hampton Inn on Town Square Drive. She died of breast cancer at 68 in April 2017 while she was serving her sentence at a federal womens prison close to Fort Worth, Texas. On August 31, 2003, Wells's coworker at the pizza store and its only other delivery driver, Robert Thomas Pinetti, was found dead in his home after suffering a drug overdose. He has co-written two books about the pizza bomber case and frequently speaks about it. She is at the Westmoreland County Prison, unable to post bond of $10,000, according to court records. In 2003, Wells, a 46-year-old pizza delivery driver from Erie, got involved in a bank robbery and had a homemade bomb strapped around his neck. ", "Erie pizza bomber co-plotter Ken Barnes dies in prison", "Unraveling The Mysteries Of The Pizza Bomber", "Man with 'Pizza Bomber' connections dies in WA state", "Another chapter in the Erie pizza bomber case ends as Floyd Stockton dies with 'immunity', "Erie Bomb Victim was the Dupe in a Greedy Plan", "Pizza Deliveryman Who Robbed Bank Had Neck Measured for Bomb Collar", "Erie bomb victim was the dupe in a greedy plan", "Bizarre story of pizza-delivery man blown up by collar-bomb still an enigma eight years later", "Who was the Pizza Bomber? All Marriage & Divorce results for Hoopsick. [58][60] ATF agent Jason Wick stated Hoopsick was uncooperative in 2003 and that authorities "always believed that [she] knew more" about the case; however, Wick also expressed concern Hoopsick might not be a credible witness. The child she alleges to have had by Brian Wells would be her youngest known child. [19][20], According to law enforcement reports, Wells participated in the planning of the bank robbery the day before and was aware of the complex plot; he believed the bomb would be fake but would serve as exculpatory evidence if he was caught. By Samantha Maffucci Written on May 18, 2018. The January 2011 issue of Wired magazine covered the story. I agree with TheWrap's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy and provide my consent to receive marketing communications from them. He had no parts in the planning. Magazines, Digital Swank, assisted by patrolmen Hank Fontana Jr. and Chase Mollomo, took Hoopsick into custody when she arrived at the parking lot. 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? Upon Harold Wells' death due to multiple sclerosis when he was only 60 years old, his wife was left to raise their five children. Az adatvdelmi irnyelvek kztt s a Cookie-szablyzatban bvebben olvashat arrl, hogyan hasznljuk fel az adatait. And there were times when she showed her soft side.. Jessica Hoopsick, a sex worker listed in Wells' address book, and the mutual friend that introduced Wells to Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong and Bill Rothstein ended up leading agents to their prime . Diehl-Armstrong had claimed that Rothstein was the mastermind of the plot and many believe he was the one who actually built the bomb. The U.S. attorney at the time of the pizza bomber case was Mary Beth Buchanan, who left office in 2009. New Details About The Man In 'Evil Genius' On Netflix. [29] After the bomb was applied, Wells was given a sophisticated home-made shotgun, which had the appearance of an unusually shaped cane. All Rights Reserved. Whilst trying to uncover the mastermind behind the plot and the designer of the bomb which took Wells' life, documentary makers also tried to determine Wells' true involvement in the planned heist. "My client had ingested quite a bit of crack cocaine.". 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. The death of Brian Wells took place on August 28, 2003, after Wells, a pizza delivery man, robbed a PNC Bank near his hometown of Erie, Pennsylvania, United States. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ETNoneill. Who Is Brian Wells? Would someone who was aware of the heist act in this manner? "ACT NOW, THINK LATER OR YOU WILL DIE!" [18], Immediately after his death, investigators searched Wells' house and found a list of people he knew, including two prostitutes unknown to other members of his family. [6][7], Marjorie Eleanor "Marge" Diehl-Armstrong (February 26, 1949 April 4, 2017) had a history of suffering from multiple mental illnesses including bipolar disorder,[6][7] since her early teens, and seems to have been a serial killer. Barnes is expected to be released in 2027, according to FCI Coleman Low, the federal correctional facility where hes currently incarcerated in Florida. But if youve finished all 10 episodes of the true-crime saga, check out these docs currently streaming. Her court-appointed lawyer, Mark Del Duca, of Pittsburgh, called the attack an "alcohol- and drug-fueled event. When he entered PNC Bank and demanded $250,000, he was calm, even grabbing a lollipop before leaving with less than $9,000 in cash. The lead investigator in the pizza bomber case retired as an FBI agent in June 2011. We always believed that Jessica knew more, retired ATF Special Agent Jason Wick told TIME in a recent interview about the documentary. Stockton, known as Jay, was wanted on charges that he raped a 19-year-old developmentally disabled woman in Washington in 2002. Massage Beds & Heat Mats. "If you look at this case, Marjorie Diehl Armstrong really was the one that came up with the idea to get the money from the bank to pay Ken Barnes to kill her father to get an inheritance," he added. But theres always that doubt.. Windi C. Thomas went out to buy crack cocaine before calling 911 to report that she had beaten and crushed her boyfriend to death on March 18, a prosecutor said Friday. Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/ETNpalattella. The Erie office is under the U.S. Attorney's Office in Pittsburgh, where the new U.S. attorney is Scott Brady. Yes but Im torn about this at least she tries to do the right thing eventually. Digital Spy participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites. Evil Genius: The True Story of America's Most Diabolical Bank Heist premiered on Netflix earlier this month and ever since, debate has raged about the show's ending. [58] In the 2018 documentary Evil Genius, Hoopsick identifies the conspirator as Barnes and alleges she recommended Wells, whom she described as "a pushover". Ed Palattella can be reached at 870-1813 or by email. The FBI did not return requests for comment, and the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Pennsylvania declined to discuss the documentarys findings. 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. After being offered $5,000, Hoopsick suggests Wells and gives up his work schedule at the pizzeria. "Jessica Hoopsick eventually gonna tell her son she's the one who gift wrapped his dad to his killers or nah" He was going to die no matter what. 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. Jessica E. Hoopsick, of Erie, faces a prostitution charge in Greensburg. Lucky you, because this documentary exposes a sad reality that grade-school students across the country are bombarded with so much homework and pressure to prepare for college before they even hit high school that they're already as stressed out as working adults. Is 30 minutes or less based on a true story? [40], On September 20, 2003, Rothstein, who lived near the television tower, called police to inform them the body of a man, James Roden, was hidden in a freezer in a garage at his house. Hoopsick was arrested on a prostitution charge in Greensburg in June. The answer to this is, No, 30 Minutes Or Less is not based on a true story. A kind of conclusion was offered at the end of the series when Jessica Hoopsick a prostitute who had regular contact with both Brian Wells and Ken Barnes confessed that she had introduced Wells to conspirators Barnes, Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong, Bill Rothstein and Floyd Stockton in exchange for cash payment. Magazines, Capture a Year of Painand Resiliencein Ukraine, Or create a free account to access more articles. He had no parts in the planning. The sentence from Erie County Judge William R. Cunningham cut two to four years from the maximum possible sentence of 20 to 40 years in prison for third-degree murder, or an unpremeditated killing with malice. On the other hand, neighbors described Wells as almost child-like; could his mental state be an explanation for his behavior? After he telephoned police, Rothstein wrote a suicide note indicating his planned death had nothing to do with Wells. She claimed she recommended Wells to Barnes for the heist in exchange for drug money, but. 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Had ingested quite a bit of crack cocaine. `` May, she says would think this strange would...
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