Brian Douglas Wells
American murder victim
Died when: 46 years 286 days (561 months)Star Sign: Scorpio
On August 28, 2003, pizza delivery man Brian Douglas Wells robbed a PNC Bank near his hometown of Erie, Pennsylvania.After being apprehended by police, Wells was murdered when an explosive collar locked to his neck detonated.
A Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigation into the murder uncovered a complex plot that has been described as "one of the most complicated and bizarre crimes in the annals of the FBI".
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.
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.
William Rothstein and Floyd Stockton were also found to have conspired in the crime, but Rothstein died before being charged and Stockton was granted immunity in exchange for testifying against Diehl-Armstrong.
Diehl-Armstrong was sentenced in 2011 to life in prison, 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.
Wells' involvement in the plot is a matter of controversy.Investigators concluded Wells was a willing participant in the bank robbery, but was told the bomb was fake.
Wells' family said he was forced to rob the bank by the conspirators.Known as the "collar bomb" and "pizza bomber" case, the incident gained extensive media coverage, including the 2018 Netflix series Evil Genius.
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