Borzillieri explained when he read a 2007 document that was unsealed, he knew Hoopsick had more information than she had previously let on. According to court documents, Hoopsick also told investigators that she was a crack cocaine user and was engaged in prostitution not only to fund her addiction, but also because she needed the money.. Menu. Investigators concluded Wells was a willing participant in the robbery, but was told the bomb was fake. I definitely want justice for Brians memory. The reason, she says, is because the elusive key witness that came forward in the final moments of the series. [20] The collar of the bomb was still intact and Wells's body was decapitated so it could be retained. She was arrested for driving without a license. Less than two years since the September 11 attacks, many at first believed the incident to be terrorism-related. Brian Douglas Wells was 46-years-old and wasn't a bank robber. ", "Both parties were extremely intoxicated," Del Duca said. Barbara Schroeder and Trey Borzillieri, the creators of Evil Genius, told TIME they believe Hoopsick was moved to finally speak out because she couldnt hold in her secret any longer. She is believed to have killed Roden to prevent him from informing authorities about the robbery plot. [50] On September 9, the judge determined she was now competent. Jerry Clark and Ed Palattella. He wasnt out to hurt nobody. He is retired from the ATF and is an instructor at Gannon, where he works with Clark in the criminal justice program. Is 30 minutes or less a true story? She worked out of Ken Barnes' crack house, and the. Her next court date is Oct. 68years (19492017) Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. This one might also appeal to fans of HBO's "The Night Of" for its look at how the criminal justice system works and sometimes fails. Swank, assisted by patrolmen Hank Fontana Jr. and Chase Mollomo, took Hoopsick into custody when she arrived at the parking lot. Hoopsick is best known for her involvement in the pizza bomber case as the favorite prostitute of Brian Wells, who died when a bomb locked around his neck exploded on Aug. 23, 2003. Her next court date is Oct. 24. His death was ruled accidental. "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. Another man who had died prior, Bill Rothstein, was also indicted as a conspirator in the crime, along with Wells. The documentary takes on the mental health system. But if youve finished all 10 episodes of the true-crime saga, check out these docs currently streaming. 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. The FBI elite agent who investigated the murder of Brian Wells -- a case that inspired Netflix's ' Evil Genius ' -- isn't buying the shocking twist at the . [58], As the case continued to develop, the investigation garnered national media coverage in America. She has been troubled since she was very young and has been charged multiple times in different counties with prostitution and retail theft. The man who claims to have been her common-law husband, Mark Marvin, who lives near Poughkeepsie, New York, has unsuccessfully argued in federal court that Diehl-Armstrong might not be dead, and if she is dead, that the government should release her remains to him for a Quaker burial. 8 How did Brian Wells the pizza bomber die? Jessica Hoopsick, a prostitute whom Brian Wells frequented, became a key witness for the FBI in unraveling the pizza bomber case. I want people to know he was innocent., MORE: Why We Are Drawn to True Crime Shows, In the documentary, Hoopsick says a conspirator approached her to find a gopher who could be scared into robbing a bank. [6][9] In 1984, she shot her boyfriend Robert Thomas six times as he lay on the couch but was acquitted on claims of self-defense. This was just posted in our local paper. He obtained straight As until he entered middle school. Could Wells really have been a victim of the same bank robbery he helped carry out? McLaughlin resigned his seat on the bench on Aug. 16, 2013, to become executive vice president and general counsel at Erie Insurance Group, where he continues to work. Apparently it was for failure to appear for a prostitution charge. Barnes, 64, who suffers from severe diabetes, is incarcerated at the Federal Medical Center at Butner, North Carolina, near Raleigh. It took five years of persistence to eventually get her to a place where she was comfortable revealing a deeper truth to the story., Schroeder added, Trey was at the right place at the right time when she wanted to cleanse her conscience, to get her true confession for the first time. Two co-conspirators, Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong and Kenneth Barnes, were indicted on charges of bank robbery, conspiracy and weapon charges. 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. She testified at Diehl-Armstrong's trial. Wells' family said he was not a willing participant in the incident. Evil Genius on Netflix has become our latest obsession. Apparently Jessica Hoopsick is currently getting arrested. An Erie woman who was featured in the Netflix true-crime documentary Evil Genius, about the renowned 2003 collar-bomb bank robbery case, was detained Friday in the Westmoreland County Prison after failing to post $10,000 bail on a prostitution charge filed by Greensburg police. Wells said three unnamed black people had placed a bomb around his neck, provided him with the shotgun, and told him they would kill him unless he committed the robbery and completed several other tasks. I definitely want justice for Brians memory. [5], Wells worked as a pizza delivery driver at the Mama Mia's Pizzeria in Erie for ten years before his death. He was proceeding with the second task when police saw him standing outside his automobile and promptly arrested him, handcuffed him and left him sitting on the ground in the parking lot. I think that Jessica Hoopsick feels a lot of guilt over what happened to Brian and that's why she wants to push the narrative in a direction that makes him look better. Just hit 'Like' on our Digital Spy Facebook page and 'Follow' on our @digitalspy Twitter account and you're all set. Clark is also adamant that Wells agreed to take part in the robbery, before later trying to back out. 2023 TIME USA, LLC. We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article. Assuming this is real, does anyone else find it eerie (no pun intended) that she's sitting on the ground like Brian was when he was arrested? A report in US Weekly reveals that on August 28, 2003, a pizza deliveryman named Brian Wells robbed a PNC Bank in Erie, Pennsylvania. New charges could be filed in the notorious collar bomb crime after a Netflix documentary revealed a confession from an alleged conspirator who may have implicated herself nearly 15 years later, according to the films creators and the federal investigators who led the case. rams defensive scheme . And says Bill Rothstein was the true mastermind. 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. Follow her on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ETNoneill. Barnes was sentenced to 45 years in federal prison, and Diehl-Armstrong was sentenced to life in prison, where she died in 2017. Massage Beds & Heat Mats. She said, I have a lot of remorse for a lot of the stuff I did and a lot of shame and guilt. Marvin claims Diehl-Armstrong was a Quaker like he is. The bomb detonated and killed Wells. Getting her to tell us at the time was a whole other issue. portugal women's league results; coaching youth lacrosse; jessica hoopsick child with brian wells. He was 60. Something that shocked many viewers of Evil Genius wasBorzillieris relationship with Diehl-Armstrong. She was serving a life sentence plus 30 years for the bank robbery plot. How to Market Your Business with Webinars. Rothstein said she subsequently paid him $2,000 to help hide the body and clean the crime scene at her house. The documentary series Evil Genius: The True Story of Americas Most Diabolical Bank Heist, which debuted in May, tells the story of Brian Wells. [5], Diehl-Armstrong, Barnes, and Rothstein seem to have had issues with compulsive hoarding. fucking loser these detectives are. Brian Douglas Wells At the bank, Brian Wells handed a teller a note demanding $250,000 within the next 15 minutes. Wells' involvement in the plot is a matter of controversy. [a] In return for a reduced sentence, Barnes later told investigators Diehl-Armstrong was the mastermind of the crime and that she wanted the money to pay Barnes to kill her father, who she believed was wasting her inheritance. YOU'VE REACHED YOUR MONTHLY ARTICLE LIMIT. Az adatvdelmi irnyelvek kztt s a Cookie-szablyzatban bvebben olvashat arrl, hogyan hasznljuk fel az adatait. [43], In late 2005, Barnes, who was in jail on unrelated drug charges, was turned in by his brother-in-law after revealing details of the crime to him. We feel this is a second chance at justice, Borzillieri said. At 3:18, three minutes before the bomb squad arrived, the bomb detonated and blasted a fist-sized hole in Wells's chest, killing him in seconds. 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. 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. According to neighbors and friends, Wells was described as hardworking and reliable. [1] Stockton died of acute respiratory failure in Bellingham, Washington at the age of 74-75. She was sentenced to life plus 30 years on Feb. 28, 2011. RELATED:Who Is Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong? Theres misinformation and theres disinformation within this case, Borzillieri told TheWrap. 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 . Although he subsequently removed the video at WJET's request, by then it had been posted to numerous video-sharing websites. There was a friendship after corresponding that long. Magazines, Digital 1:07-cr-26-SJM-1. "I just want to apologize to the family. She claimed she recommended Wells to Barnes for the heist in exchange for drug money, but. [30][31], Wells was instructed to claim that three black men had forced the bomb on him and were holding him as a hostage. She is at the Westmoreland County Prison, unable to post bond of $10,000, according to court records. Evil Genius tells the story of the pizza bomber heist and the murder of Brian Wells in 2003. "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. EXCLUSIVE. The answer to this is, No, 30 Minutes Or Less is not based on a true story. They want to try and make themselves look "good" because they had overlooked so much evidence that could have solved this case years ago but failed to do so. Saw it on Facebook. After he telephoned police, Rothstein wrote a suicide note indicating his planned death had nothing to do with Wells. [41], Roden had been living with Diehl-Armstrong for 10 years. You can contact Paul at 724-850-2860, ppeirce@tribweb.com or via Twitter @ppeirce_trib. We do hope that the documentary spawns questions about mental health and that the light that is shining on Marjorie now can we use that light to reflect where we are today with mental health? said Borzillieri. I cant imagine if she was charged in a murder case they would let her sit on the ground . By Samantha Maffucci Written on May 18, 2018. Barnes is expected to be released in 2027, according to FCI Coleman Low, the federal correctional facility where hes currently incarcerated in Florida. Diehl-Armstrong was sentenced in 2011 to life imprisonment 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. Swank said that he told Hoopsick that her name sounded familiar and asked if she had ever been arrested in Greensburg. Mitchell scheduled Hoopsicks hearing for Aug. 16. [58] In the 2018 documentary Evil Genius, Hoopsick identifies the conspirator as Barnes and alleges she recommended Wells, whom she described as "a pushover". Jessica Hoopsick, Self: Evil Genius: The True Story of America's Most Diabolical Bank Heist. Jessica Hoopsick, one of Wells favorite prostitutes, admitted to her involvement in the plot. Jessica Hoopsick Friends Photos Videos More Friends Photos Videos About Work Self-Employed Worked at Panos' Restaurant 1995 - 2005 College Studied medical assistant at Great Lakes Institute of Technology High school No schools to show Photos See all photos Others Named Jessica Hoopsick Jessica Hoopsick Jessica Hoopsick Jessica Hoopsick See more Hoopsick could not be reached by TIME, despite multiple efforts. She believed she could control people and she thought she had people at her beck and call, but when she died, there was no one to claim her body and she was buried in an unmarked grave. It went through all the twists and turns of the investigation that you see in the documentary. 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. 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