The bizarre case of the "Pizza Bomber" robbery finally came to a conclusion recently in Erie, Pennsylvania. Documents were unsealed July 11, 2007, and indictments were handed out for the robbery which took place on August 23, 2003. Prior to being blown up by the bomb around his neck, Brian Wells, a pizza deliveryman, told police that he was an innocent victim. However, douments show he was found to be a co-conspirator in this robbery. Two others — Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong, who is currently serving a prison sentence for killing her boyfriend, and her friend Kenneth E. Barnes — are charged with bank robbery, conspiracy and one firearms count.
How it unfolded...
Here's how the plan, contrived by Marjorie Diehl, played out. With greed as the motive, the plan was to rob a bank to get money to pay someone to kill her father. They prepared a series of notes that would make Wells appear as a hostage then, after intercepting him, attached the live bomb to his neck. Although they originally planned to use a fake bomb, at the last minute they substituted a live bomb to ensure that their conspiracy would remain a secret. Wells entered the bank, got about $8,700 from a teller, and was apprehended in the parking lot. With the bomb on a timer, his arrest sealed his fate because while police waited for the bomb squad to arrive, it went off. For two years, it had been thought that Brian Williams was a random hostage brought into the plan to do the dirty work for Diehl and Barnes, but recent findings have eyewitnesses seeing him with them two days prior to the robbery.
Lessons Learned
Are there any lessons to learn from this? Yes. While this tragic situation played out poorly for those who planned it, the well-trained bankers handled the situation well. Other than Wells, no one was injured and property damage and loss were limited. Furthermore, the police made the arrest, uncovered the conspiracy and solved the crime, and, although the bomb squad did not arrive in time, they handled the situation in a way that minimized risk to others. Being prepared and following procedures helped reduce risk in this dangerous situation.
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