Due to the nature of this episode, listener discretion is advised. This episode includes discussions on violence, sexual assault and killing, consider them when deciding how and when you listen. It was in otherwise normal afternoon at mama me as pizzeria in eerie pennsylvania, the employees kept up their usual pay of making in delivering pies. Just then, the phone rang tony detail While the stores owner answered the collar asked if they. delivered a upper peach street tony replied that it depend on where on upper peach, the customer tried to do Dr his location by tony, was having a hard time hearing him over the wind. In the background, he replied that they would be able to deliver to him, then quickly handed off the phone to his delivery, and brian wells

Brian, listen to the directions, but in truth he didn't need them. He been to upper peach before to that effect exact location today delivery would be no ordinary run. It was planned. This call was his trigger and there was more on the agenda and small pieces. I'm Nasa Richardson posted serial killers, spotify podcast. You can find us here every monday and be sure to check this out on instagram. Add serial killers. Podcast today joined by my friend and host of conspiracy theories carter. Roy Vanessa, thanks for having me great to have your carter. This is our first of three episodes on forty six year old brian wells more and mislead known as the pizza bomber on august, twenty eight two thousand three wells and european sea bank and airy pennsylvania with a low

demanding two hundred fifty thousand dollars in cash and with alive holler bomb strapped to his neck and beyond Brian wells was a ragtag group of conspirators looking to make a quick bach wheel. will unravel this complicated plot today and over the next three weeks, stay with us. This episode is brought to you by sonic for those especially chile days get a sonic, fredo's chile, cheese, junior rap, its packed with multi cheese, warm chile and crunchy fredo's, rapid toasty tortilla, and it's only ninety nine cents swing by the day. even today to grab this savory snack and add your favorite drink to make it the ultimate sonic pit stop tax, not included limited time only at participating, sonic driving fredo's is it

mark of fredo. Lay north america incorporated copyright. Twenty twenty three. This episode is brought to you by Simon premium outlets. It's the most wonderful time of the year at Simon premium atlas, the half hour, dec two, the trees are trimmed and the stores are stopped with extraordinary gifts for the people. You love and everything is up to sixty five percent off, get him a holiday spirit and get all the presence on your list all in one place, visit premium outlets dot com to find this Simon premium outlet near you

the city is butchers that freshly cut roasts party trays, gourmet, cookies and cakes. Those are some things that I love the most like: strawberry, candies and fresh bakes. The promise of fresh produce they make have holiday guests, raising a toast and food city's help is all that it takes to make me the house with the most nobody does food or the holidays like food city in august of two thousand and three america was riveted by headlines detailing a major bank heist in erie pennsylvania, Most baffling was the otherwise ordinary man at the centre of an extraordinary crime of forty six year old pizza, every man by the name of brian, in wells, Brian was a native of eerie in his early academic career he proved is,

right as any other grade school student by consistently achieving straight ays. That is until he enter junior high school around that I'm Brian's fathers, health was deteriorating, Harold wells struggled with multiple. Sclerosis, which proved to be a major strasser for his son Brian, as heralds health They declined brien's grades dropped in response a school psychologist before the study on Brian the findings. which word proven site for for future investigators. The psychologist did that. Brian's academic decline could be somewhat attributed to his father's physical incapacity more troubling. However, were Brian's other deep seated issues. The psychologist noted that Brian's record appears to indicate cycle I tendencies along with paranoid flavour. Those school psychology

I just asked brian to draw a person in order to gauge his self projection. According to the report, Brian drew a male figure that appeared be physically strong and dominant. His examiner concluded that the large figure appeared to indicate slate nick in grandiose signs in brian psyche, mister He also indicated that, although Brian was intelligent. He was also a troubled and defiant loan with a disdain for authority. According to the report, Brian claimed that he will not these others, and he saw adults as being too demanding and that he would his own life in his own time.

brian self prophecy came true in nineteen. Seventy three brian dropped out of high school at the age of sixteen to pursue as interesting mechanics though he seemed to lead a quiet life. His psychological struggles ultimately seem to take a toll as an adult spry and eventually fell into alcoholism. Oh, he pressed on without much trouble. Brian's only criminal case occurred in nineteen ninety two. When he was thirty six years old, he was charged with threatening to shoot the magistrate over a dispute with its neighbours. In the end he pleaded guilty harassing the magistrate and extremely minor offence. It was nothing compared to the treacherous plot he would eventually become ensnared in nineteen, before Brian got a job delivering pizzas for local joint in airy mama me as pizzeria. He enjoyed the independent

of his delivery work. Andy otherwise had no attachments, no wife for kids. By now, ryan was in recovery for as alcohol use disorder in the slope, so the work appeal to him and allowed him to manages stress and his schedule with both these things under control, he was less likely to drink As part of his stress management, Brian mean and a peaceful routine. He woke up each day at sea, in fifteen, a m bought a copy of the eerie times news. Eight breakfast at mcdonald's, andrew to mama me as where his shift started at eleven a m. He would keep this routine quite really until the day he died. One evening in late spring of two thousand three Brian had a guest with him on his delivery rounds

twenty four year old, jessica, hoop sick brian just relationship was anything but traditional. She sex worker and he loyal client, though it some clear exactly how bright and jessica met. She would later note that they had been good friends for years prior to two thousand three brian seem to care for jessica deeply. He for but we helped her run, errands picking up jessica and her mother and taking them to the grocery store or doctors. Appointments bought Brian enable jessica as well. jessica was addicted to crack cocaine and though Brian didn't do drugs himself. He would often by them for jessica in exchange for sex. He would eventually find himself buried in debt to the local drug dealers all to support his relationship with jessica,

on this particular night. Jessica was accompanying brian near the end of his delivery shift, as they pulled into the next location a car dealership, Brian double checked the address. The order Strangely enough, it was for the parking lot of the dealership, not the building itself. Who was ordering pizza to a parking lot? Suddenly, Brian spotted something in the distance a bright orange camaro and a gold mercury. Marquis small group of people, loitered near by hold up alongside the motley crew, noting the loan woman among them she was tall middle aged with dark, stringy, hair brian didn't know Yet, but this woman's name was marjorie d He'll Armstrong and

he would soon seal his fate. If you are getting ready to do your holiday shopping at places like walmart may cease or even a speedier make sure you had a racket in first racket and helps you save big, on whatever you're buying for the holidays. Getting gives for friends and family get some cash back for yourself with racket in you can earn cash back on top of the biggest sales of the season. So you get the most savings plus save on festive homemaker party outfits and that trip to see van and it's easy to use just start your shopping online or through the racket. An app and you'll get your cash back. Payments through pay, pallor check partnering with over three thousand seven hundred stores, racket and gets paid for sending them shoppers and then shares the money with you. Now. That's are a k you t and join for free

accurate in doubt com or get the racket, an app had simply say from security. Your safety is the only thing that matters. That's why you get twenty four seven professional monitoring for less than a dollar a day, because every home deserves to be protected. Light now get fifty percent off the whole home security system in the best of twenty twenty. Three by? U s news and world report. Does it simply said dot. Com slashed, bought a fight to save big today advanced from security, twenty four seven professional monitoring for less than a dollar a day, there's no safe, like simply safe marjorie deal grew up as an only child with an intense desire to do right by her well educated mother. She graduated from areas me, high school in nineteen sixty seven with straight ays, ranking twelfth in her class of four hundred and thirteen marjorie would be the first to believe that she was no ordinary woman. Might

he was a cut above the rest, even brilliant. She could account whatever she set her mind to good or bad intersperse, time, marjorie taught piano organ and cello. She even grey waited a year early from areas, mercy, hearst college, with a dual major in sociology and biology, bud. Backward marjorie was a preteen. She began experiencing difficulties with her mental health. Add just twelve years old. She developed anorexia. She later attributed this disorder to her pursuit of perfection, a fear of sex attention and the desire to please her mother, along Side, her anorexia marjorie recognised she was experiencing other symptoms of mental disorders. In fact, in nineteen seventy two at twenty three years old. She d did to undergo psychiatric treatment, marjorie explaining to the psychiatry

that she wanted to get married and was having trouble finding a partner. She wanted help overcome. her perceived neurotic tendencies which she felt had been a bit you're too her relationships, but despite Her initial willingness to seek treatment, marjorie asthma till health would continue to deteriorate. Retired FBI, age and an author. Jerry Clark notes that for the rest of marjorie life psychiatry, since colleges would diagnose her with bipolar disorder, mark by narcissism, another possible outcome of her perfection. Mystic upbringing, marjorie constantly strove for perfection, both in herself and others. And she momentarily believe, she'd founded in her one time, fiance bill rothstein in nineteen seventy

Twenty six year old bill was introduced to twenty one year old margery through a mutual friend they bonded over. Love of new morality and formed an instant connection. The same here. They met marjorie and bill got engaged over time. Their strong connection was replaced by in compatibility both Marjorie s bill blame the other for the dissolution of their relationship. Marjorie claim that bill try to push converting to judaism, something she didn't want to do. meanwhile, marjorie lack of accountability took a toll on bill. He once said, marjorie was a person who never made a mistake. She was never wrong. So therefore, there's always buddy else. Everything is some the else's fault. There now month. Engagement was called off, but they remained friends and marjorie moved on to other men, but her neck

relationship proved deadly and nineteen. Eighty four thirty five year old margery shot and killed her then boyfriend bob thomas in an attempt to conceal the evidence she offered a friend twenty five thousand dollars to dispose. of thomas's body, the friend told their mother about marjorie request and the mother called the police when officers arrived at marjorie s home. They found thomas dead on the couch marjorie too. Then it was self defense. The thomas had been physically and sexually abusive. She said she was forced to kill him before he could kill her and her self defense plea one and marjorie was convicted only for care being a revolver without a license. She was given fifteen of probation but otherwise walked free, but the series of unfair

fortunate events surrounding marjorie lovers was just getting started in nineteen ninety one, forty two year old margery married her first and only husband, Richard Armstrong, a relationship that would also end in death. On august, twenty second nineteen, ninety two, a mere twenty months after the wedding, paramedic centre marjorie and richards home. They found richard on the floor in a pool of his own vomit do z and unable to walk. Richard said he had fallen and struck his head on the table in injury, would result in a brain, hemorrhage and eventually a coma. He died just two days after the incident.

Marjorie filed a wrongful death suit against the hospital where richard died, and four years later, she was awarded one hundred. Seventy five thousand dollars Worse, the mysterious events surrounding richard's death cast perpetual doubt marjorie involvement, but it was never investigated further. Now marjorie was constantly preoccupied with money, often hoarding her cash when her mother, agnes passed away in two thousand marjorie became obsessed with securing her inheritance. She was furious, the local p and see bank, not knowing of agnes deals. Passing allowed agnes husband herald to access this safe deposit box. Before the will was set, Several days later, marjorie arrived at the bank with her personal lawyer. She believed the money was rightfully hers and her father should not have been allowed to touch it, never mind the

the that he was the surviving spouse. It was the beginning of Ongoing dispute over the estates and marjorie was further incensed win in the summer of two thousand three. She there are far fewer was giving away the money he had taken Harold deal. held out, one hundred thousand dollars to one neighbour, fifty thousand dollars to another and one and dollars to the male carrier, all people he believed to have taken care of. m. Over the years, marjorie did receive any money at all. Marjorie was I rate she was determined stop her father from giving away her inheritance at any cost, even if it meant killing him. Marjorie had gotten rid of problematic men before She could do it again, so she decided to visit her ex beyond and long time friend

The nine year old bill, rothstein margie He sat at the kitchen table with bill and his long time friend, Floyd Stockton floyd was a wretched, sex offender with a long standing record just a year before in may of two thousand to he was armed with raping a sixteen year old, disabled girl. By the time the prosecutor issued charges. lloyd, had gone on the lamb bill, invited, floyd to move in, or rather hide out at his house, the three of them sat around the table. Commiserating their woes marjorie complained

out, her fathers, reckless spending floyd about the rape charges and bill at recent financial troubles of his own. His mother had died three years prior in august. Two thousand horace state, however, remained unsettled. Bill sister had taken him to court, claiming that bill, who was the executor of the estate, had failed to liquidate its asked. its including the house he currently lived in bill reluctantly listed the house for sale within asking price that significantly surpassed its actual value while the homeless, raised for eighty three thousand dollars bill had listed it for two hundred fifty thousand dollars he was In no rush to sell it was his childhood home and, more importantly, he had no money of his own and nowhere else to go

marjorie and bill described the perfect crime, insisting it was fail proof, despite how dangerous it Look from the outside the plan was for beef. and to wear a fake bomb while executing the heist. No one would dare question a man wearing a bomb, yet Brian himself not be in any real danger bill and marjorie packed up the idea of pulling off a day. Heist was extremely appealing to them. Both were desperately of cash marjorie was toying with the idea of hiring a hit on her father. Well, bill was looking to pay His sister and keep the house a successful bank raw, Bree seem like the perfect solution now that the seed was planned tat. There was no turning back floyd suggested that they should use a pizza, livery man in the robbery since bill loved pizza, so much bill self

claimed mastermind love. This personal touch: they would soon costs paths with perfect candidate. In the meantime, marjorie and bill began laying the groundwork for the robbery they decided to target p and see bank the same institution that it allowed marjorie s father to access her deceased mothers, safe deposit box. Next they got to work hammering out the technicalities of the highest. Marjorie knew that another of her friends forty nine year old, Kenneth Barnes was a skilled technician, she hoped to pick his brain about making a homemade bomb can was once a television repairman for fourteen years he had taken apart and reassembled tv sets, computers, stereos and vacuum cleaners, but all of that had changed in nineteen. Ninety eight, when a car accident

left him injured and on disability. After the accident he collected a hundred and fifty two dollars a month and food stamps in six hundred and thirty dollars in social security better. Its he's supplemented his income through his drug dealing, hindi, frequently rented out rooms to sex workers looking for a place to entertain clients. Coincidentally, one of these tenants was Brian's friend, jessica, hoop sick in the late spring of two thousand. Three marjorie and her boyfriend, Jim hired, can to help them remodel. On attic space. In marjorie s house, she used the opportunity to ask him we wanted to help her rob a bank can declined, but marge It was nothing if not persistent. She asked can flat out if he knew how to make a bomb. He admitted that he did but that he wouldn't be making one for her. Still. She pressed him and at last ken relented

agreed to build a pipe bomb. He offered to give marjorie some l e circuit board from a vcr player, and video electronics magazine. He said that the magazine tainted diagram with instructions for building a timer In her look a little further marjorie asked can, if he would kill her father, he jokingly replied that he do it for a quarter of a million dollars. jerry promised to use the money from the bank robbery as a down payment for the hit to which can seem to agree. The mechanics of the lots were all coming together, but they still needed to secure their hostage. None of them were willing to wear the homemade bomb themselves. The perfect opportunity woods, soon present itself

late spring of two thousand three marjorie Jim and can take a break from there attic renovation to go out for pizza on the way marjorie's car stalled and she called bill to come help bill arrived and tried to jumpstart the camaro, but to no avail. EL as they struggled to revive the car marjorie decided, have a pizza delivered right then, and there roughly ten minutes later. Brian wells arrived with jessica, hoop sick in the passenger seat brian got out to deliver the pizza can recognize jessica she often, Did a room in his home for sex work. Brian and Jessica hung around in the parking lot to talk for a few minutes. The Details of this conversation remain unclear, but in the end, bill decided to drive back to his house to find a part to fix the camaro. Marjorie care. Men can loaded into bills, car and drove off Brian.

Jessica, followed suit when they got to bills. House Brian got out of the car telling Jessica he'd be right back. He later recalled watching as he made his way over to marjorie and bill. The trio spoke intently I've been using the opportunity to enlist brien's help with the robbery in exchange for the promise of a big, payday, marjorie and bill described the perfect crime, insisting it was fail proof, despite how. dangerous. It would look from the outside. The plan was for Brian to wear a fake bomb. Executing the heist. No one would dare question. man wearing the bomb, yet Brian himself. Would not be in any real danger. there was even an insurance policy built in on the off chance. Brian was caught by police. He could absolve himself

claiming he was forced to wear a bomb by the way Brian would be safe Brian mould over this proposal. He considered his quiet life and the daily routine that kept him sober. Really wanna up and everything also undoubtedly thought of the steep dead he had acquired thanks to his relationship with jessica time in time Again he had purchased drugs on credit, pay her for sex, surely he needed to pay off the dealers. This could be his chance after If you wanted to keep jessica around, he needed to keep paying her to this day, it's unclear exactly when Brian wells decided to proceed with a paean, see bank heist most likely he was hesitant so The plans masterminds marjorie deal Armstrong and bill rothstein recruited

Other mama me a pizzeria employee to persuade him forty three year old, robert penelope, whatever penelope said, seem to convince Brian. He agree to participate. Marjorie and bill now had their hostage. This I'm authority brought to you by been verified, help chip away at the uncertainty that comes with online dating and use been verified, dot, com, au leading platform for online background searches and people search reports with their powerful search tools and extensive database. You could easily gather information about potential dates which may help you find peace of mind before taking that next step, you can never be too safe, It comes to data and get twenty percent off today. To help take control of your dating game visit been verified, dot, com, slash podcast. Flexibility is great. That's why there's yoga flexibility for your insurance coverage is great too.

That's why there's united healthcare insurance plans underlined golden rule, insurance, company, united health. Here insurance plans offer flexible budget friendly coverage for medical. visions and to lend more one of these plans me, right for you, if you're say between jobs coming off your parents plan, turning aside hustle into a full hustle or even missed, open enrollment, what more flexibility find more about united healthcare insurance plans at you, each one dot com marjorie and bill were the masterminds, but strangely gave them a small roles in the highest itself. Instead, they recruited their friends to do the dirty work juries boyfriend, Jim Rodin would drive Brian the peony, see branch ryan would go in and rob the place with a fake bomb strapped to himself bill would intercept the money from Brian and can would be the getaway driver. The money would then be handed off to floyd, who

hide it until the commotion died down. So far, everything was going smoothly. That is until marjorie begin getting push back from her boyfriend. Jim in the summer of two thousand three Jim got cold feet. He know Or wanted to go through with the plan marjorie was worried that Jim would go to the police. She couldn't take that chance. Nothing was going to get in here. way. So in the middle of the night on august tenth, two thousand three marjorie. I'm the staircase upper house up to the bedroom or unsuspecting boyfriend, lay closed on the bed. He was face down sleeping marjorie frowned at him, disgusted by his cowardice, then she aimed a shot gun, buckshot plough through the middle of gems, back killing him instantly marjorie rain,

out of the house straight for her jeep she hit out there for several days. Continent. how to dispose of his body. Finally, she called bill. Marjorie offered him Seventy eight thousand dollars from her own bank account to help get rid of gems body bill accepted. On august, twelve, at roughly ten p m the pair drove back to marjorie s house, where Jim had been dead for two days. The van and several plastic tarps. They wrapped up Jim's bloodied body. dragged it down the stairs spilling blood as they made their way through marjorie s fly infested house Jim's body was loaded into the van and taken to bills house, where Jim was left on War of the garage the next day bill

a freezer to store gems body, then he shifted his focus to the murder weapon bill cut. The shock into little pieces with a reciprocating saw and an acetylene torch. He then drove and eerie dispersing the pieces after this was done here. the returned to her house and scrubbed the murder scene with clorox and hydrogen peroxide wants the house. Clean of evidence they could refocus on the more pressing task at hand. p and c robbery, which was scheduled to go down in just a few weeks. On august, twenty seventh, two thousand three brian wells drove up to the tv tower on peach street right near bills, house marjorie bill and

and were already assembled. Jim, of course, was conspicuously absent. Brian took a deep breath ass. He approached them steadying his nerves, I walked Brian through the plan one last time he would drive to the bank and walk in wearing the fake collar bomb. They had written instructions for Brian to present to the tellers. The notes threatened that Bryan's bomb would detonate if the bank didn't fork over two hundred and fifty thousand dollars in cash, they instructed brian to leave the bank with the money and immediately handed over to the EL. Who would be waiting outside this way if the police caught up with Brian, he would have no money on hand. Bill disappeared momentarily when he reappeared, was holding the fake bomb marjorie, measured brian's neck to make sure the collar would fit. it was all set. Brian got back in his car and left complete

We are unaware of the dark turn of events that would take place in his absence after Brian left can approached bill concerned with the appearance of the metal collar. Right now it had an empty box dangling from the front. There was obviously no bomb inside bill asked can, when he would do to make it look more. Authentic can replied that he would put some wires in it from the collar down put them in the box, but d Have them go anywhere bill ultimately, would do more than that. In fact, he would go the extra mile and rigged the box with an active bomb. Its unclear who knew about bills. Additional

plan, but can would later testify that he had no prior knowledge of the working device. He had thought it was a gag to scare the teller. What certain, though, is that brine wells had no idea on august, twenty eighth two thousand three marjorie woke up with even more energy than usual. The big day had arrived. She picked up ken barnes in her. At jeep cherokee around ten thirty a m. Then they made their way to the barnes and noble on peach street, where bill was supposed to meet them in the parking not bills. Car was nowhere to be seen so marjorie and can went inside and ordered coffee from the starbucks Marjorie and bought a book, but when they came back outside bill still wasn't there, they left

I finally met up with bill a little while later at the nearby shell station bill pulled up in his mercury marquis and while KEN filled marjorie's jeep with gas, she and bill made their way over to a pay phone. The fateful call to mama me, as was placed bill, ordered two small pieces to be delivered to upper peach street a signal for brian Brian nervously took his cue. There was no turning back now. He packed up the peters and gotten his car. Then he made his way back to the tv tower on peach. When he arrived, ryan saw KEN marjorie bill and his coworker Robert Kennedy in the distance Brian, out of the car doing his best to stifle his mounting anxiety. He carried over the peters and set them on the hood of bills. Van suddenly floyd came out of

this house carrying the device. Brian costs, at the collar, and was immediately confused. It looked significantly different than it had the day before it looked real Of course, that's because it was Brian's eyes went wide with panic. He didn't want to go through with this. He turned and ran bill fired, his pistol into the air a warning shot while Brian was distracted. Robert in floyd ran over and tackled in they and brian to the ground, while marjorie and bill rushed over with the device and strapped it around Brian's neck brian scream that he didn't want to be part of this, but can walked up and punched him in the face. For a moment, Brian had the wind knocked out of him, but it was nothing compared to the fate that awaited him. As the collar clicked into place. Ryan went

being a foe hostage to a very real one, He had one hour left to live, thanks for listening to serial killers, spotify podcast we'll be back next week with part two of this story. and be sure to check this out on instagram at serial killers, podcast for more nation on marjorie deal Armstrong among the many sources we used. We found mania and marjorie deal Armstrong by jerry clark and ed polytechnic extremely. Helpful to our research until time. Remember the truth is, and always the best story and the official story isn't always the truth. Stay safe out there Serial killers and conspiracy theories are spotify podcast. This episode was written by now

ITALY, my edited by kate Gallagher, researched by aid. Ana gomes fact, checked by cora mackerel, and sound designed by sam, bear our head of programming is julian borrow our head of production is nick johnson and spencer. Howard is our postproduction supervisor. Conspiracy theories is hosted carter, Roy and serial killers is hosted by me, vanessa, Richardson.