'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAQAAAQABAAD/2wCEAAMDAwMDAwQEBAQFBQUFBQcHBgYHBwsICQgJCAsRCwwLCwwLEQ8SDw4PEg8bFRMTFRsfGhkaHyYiIiYwLTA+PlQBAwMDAwMDBAQEBAUFBQUFBwcGBgcHCwgJCAkICxELDAsLDAsRDxIPDg8SDxsVExMVGx8aGRofJiIiJjAtMD4+VP/AABEIAAUACgMBIgACEQEDEQH/xABfAAEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABxAAAQMEAwEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAgEDBAAFESEGBxITAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAADEQEAAQMFAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAgADQREhMnGh/9oADAMBAAIRAxEAPwCA9T2K1vdVXm8tMCzco0aSLL6CKogLsvSYypL50WdVEJPcPJpcl595iCTjrhGZfFNkS5VaUobLzcsnxpbzvGOCMdDsGv/Z'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The highly shocking and spine-chilling 2003 case of Brian Wells, aka the Pizza Bomber, is re-examined in the highly engrossing true-crime show on Oxygen titled, Dateline: Secrets Uncovered. The astounding true story is chronicled in episode 23 of the series' season 8.
The riveting episode airs exclusively on the popular true crime network Oxygen on Wednesday, December 21, 2022, at 7 pm Eastern Time (ET). The official synopsis for Oxygen's Dateline: Secrets Uncovered episode, titled, Death Trap, reads:
"Pizza deliveryman Brian Wells robs a bank with a bomb strapped around his neck, launching one of the strangest cases ever investigated by the FBI."
The bone-chilling case dates back to August 2003. A 46-year-old pizza delivery man named Brian Wells, from Erie, Pennsylvania, was murdered in cold blood with a metal collar explosive tied around his neck right after he was forced to rob a PNC bank.
Viewers of Dateline: Secrets Uncovered have been buzzing with curiosity to learn all about the strange 2003.
Learn 5 significant details about the 2003 case of Brian Wells aka Pizza Bomber
1) Brian Wells was a pizza delivery man who was forced to rob a bank
Brian Wells, originally named Brian Douglas Wells, was reportedly a pizza delivery man residing in Erie, Pennsylvania. He was born on November 15, 1956, to Rose Wells and Harold Wells in Warren, Pennsylvania.
In 2003, when the terrible incident took place, Brian was 46 years old. On August 28, Wells was forced to go to Erie's PNC Bank to carry out a heist. He was instructed to get $250,000 within 15 minutes. However, he was only able to get $8,702.
The pizza delivery man, who was reportedly a hostage in the deadly crime, left the PNC bank in a petrified state as if someone was controlling his every movement.
2) Wells died from a terrifying collar bomb explosion
Brian Wells' life tragically ended when he was forced to take part in a PNC Bank heist with a metal collar explosive around his neck. After Wells came out of the bank, a bank employee quickly called the police. When authorities arrived, Brian was found standing in a parking lot outside his car.
As Wells was apprehended by the Erie police, the bomb detonated, making a hole in his chest area and killing Wells on the spot.
3) Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong was the mastermind behind the crime
Later on, it was disclosed that a woman named Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong planned the entire crime. She conspired to rob the bank to get money so that she could pay a man named Kenneth Barnes to take the life of her own father.
She provided kitchen timers that were utilized in the metal cooler explosive. The entire plan was executed under her supervision.
4) William Ansel "Bill" Rothstein and Kenneth Barnes were also involved in the crime
The hair-raising case also involved two other individuals named William Ansel "Bill" Rothstein and Kenneth Barnes. From the 1960s to the early 1970s, Rothstein was in a romantic relationship with Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong. He was reportedly the putative creator of the collar bomb. Rothstein passed away on July 30, 2004, from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
Kenneth Barnes was reportedly a retired TV repairman, a drug dealer, and a friend of Diehl-Armstrong's. He was also a part of the pizza collar bomb case. He passed away in jail owing to diabetes on June 20, 2019.
5) Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong was sentenced to life in prison for her sinister crimes
Marjorie was later convicted for her monstrous crimes, which included armed bank robbery, conspiracy to commit armed robbery, and the use of a deadly device. She was given a life imprisonment sentence by the jury.
Marjorie passed away at the age of 68 on April 4, 2017, from breast cancer while she was in jail.
Watch the 23rd episode of Dateline: Secrets Uncovered season 8, which arrives exclusively on Oxygen on Wednesday, December 21, 2022, at 7.00 pm Eastern Time.
