Less than two years since the September 11 attacks, many at first believed the incident to be terrorism-related. She worked out of Ken Barnes' crack house, and the relationship between her and Barnes provided investigators the critical link between Wells, Barnes and Diehl-Armstrong. It continued on for years afterwards, and the hope was to collect information and shed light on the truths within the case. 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 The sentence from Erie County Judge William R. Cunningham cut two to four years from the maximum possible sentence of 20 to 40 years in prison for third-degree murder, or an unpremeditated killing with malice. Upon Harold Wells death due to multiple sclerosis when he was only 60 years old, his wife was left to raise their five children. But, as certain elements of the crime suggest, money was never the true objective here, and Wells was always going to die. Warning: This article contains major spoilers for Evil Genius. He was implicated in a 1977 murder after he gave a handgun to a friend who used it to murder a romantic rival; he later attempted to destroy the weapon but was granted immunity from prosecution in exchange for his testimony. They let an innocent man, my brother, die while in their custody and they didn't even lift a finger to help him. [26], According to law enforcement, upon arriving at the television tower, Wells found the plot had changed and learned the bomb was real. Jessica Hoopsick-possible co-conspirator, prostitute, addict In 2003, Erie Pennsylvania, a 46-year old man robbed a PNC bank. [64], A collection of news articles that reported developments in the Wells story was analyzed in a scientific study of information novelty. There is more to the story that meets the eye, she added. Is 30 minutes or less based on a true story? [14] Rothstein was a handyman and part-time shop teacher, and was part of a group called the "fractured intellectuals"; intelligent people who were not well-adjusted. 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. If shes not telling the truth, then I dont know who is.. Evil Genius: The True Story of America's Most Diabolical Bank Heist, Press J to jump to the feed. When Wells discovered that the bomb was real, Barnes said a pistol was fired in order to force Wells' compliance, and witnesses confirmed hearing a gunshot. There was a friendship after corresponding that long. We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article. Floyd Arthur "Jay" Stockton Jr. (1947 August 10, 2022) was a convicted rapist of a disabled teenager. [30][31], Wells was instructed to claim that three black men had forced the bomb on him and were holding him as a hostage. [33][34], At 2:38, a witness called 9-1-1 from the bank and reported a male leaving the bank with "a bomb or something wrapped around his neck". Wells' involvement in the plot is a matter of controversy. When he was arrested after robbing the bank, the bomb went off and killed Wells. Samantha Maffucci is an associate editor for YourTango. It went through all the twists and turns of the investigation that you see in the documentary. 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. Her next court date is Oct. 24. Not sure, someone in the comments claimed they knew her and were there for the arrest. Please consult your doctor before taking any action. 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 . Also Read: Jeffrey Dahmer's Surviving Victims Speak: 'I Thought About Killing Him, I Thought About Killing Myself', It was blind faith and at the time I reached out to her, it was extremely difficult to get information. "That's the way I think the evidence leads," he responded. Judge McLaughlin denied this request, noting while the allegations were unusual, "the [news] coverage as a whole has been about as factual and objective as it could be under the circumstances". Even more upsetting, though, is the uphill and seemingly hopeless battle workers in poor countries are facing for working conditions Americans take for granted. Rothstein, believed to be an architect of the pizza bomber plot, died of cancer on July 30, 2004. Its probably drug or prostitution related. 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. The drug dealer testified against Diehl-Armstrong at trial in exchange for a plea deal that originally netted him a federal prison sentence of 45 years. makes no sense to me at all. 2023byTango Publishing Corporation All Rights Reserved. Apparently Jessica Hoopsick is currently getting arrested. The two corresponded for years for the documentary, even when Diehl-Armstrong was behind bars, and he stuck with her even when she verbally assaulted him over the phone. Hoopsick was never charged in the pizza bomber case. I agree with TheWrap's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy and provide my consent to receive marketing communications from them. [5], The responding police officers did not attempt to disarm the device, instead focusing on clearing the immediate area of pedestrians and ensuring Wells could not detonate the device. She is at the Westmoreland County Prison, unable to post bond of $10,000, according to court records. How old was Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong when she died? Jessica E. Hoopsick, 39, was arrested in Erie County this week after District Judge Chris Flanigan of Greensburg issued a bench warrant when she failed to appear at a July 26 hearing.. Release Calendar Top 250 Movies Most Popular Movies Browse Movies by Genre Top Box Office Showtimes & Tickets Movie News India Movie Spotlight. The child she alleges to have had by Brian Wells would be her youngest known child. His release date is Sept. 10, 2027. New Details About The Woman From 'Evil Genius' On Netflix, A post shared by Strange Matters Podcast (@strangematterspodcast) on Apr 15, 2017 at 5:11am PDT. Swank also reported that he specified whether the price included specific sexual services, and she texted, Yes.. But theres always that doubt.. [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. [28], In interviews by law enforcement, Stockton claimed to be the one to put the bomb around Wells' neck. [1] Wells was seen leaving Rothstein's house the day before the incident, and investigators believe he participated in a rehearsal. Two conspirators Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong and Kenneth Barnes were ultimately convicted of conspiracy and armed bank robbery charges in connection with the collar bomb case. Diehl-Armstrong, who outlived her parents and had no siblings or children, is buried in a cemetery near there, according to the Bureau of Prisons. Melissa Chan of Time wrote; "Hoopsick says a conspirator approached her to find a 'gopher' who could be scared into robbing a bank". Hoopsick was arrested on a prostitution charge in Greensburg in June. Diehl-Armstrong had claimed that Rothstein was the mastermind of the plot and many believe he was the one who actually built the bomb. It looked like Marjorie could be the only one who had any insight into the case, and thats where the relationship started. Mitchell scheduled Hoopsicks hearing for Aug. 16. We could do a Good Genius, too., The best documentaries are enlightening, infuriating and sometimes even frightening Making a Murderer certainly was. The crime went down in 2003, when a pizza delivery man was jumped, fitted with a collar that he was told was a bomb, and sent on a bizarre scavenger hunt that involved robbing a bank. 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. 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. Police said Butler's body was found on the living room floor at the residence after Thomas called 911 and reported she had killed an individual. Thanks to the tireless efforts of groups like ACT UP and TAG, the country has made substantial progress on the issue, but remember this battle when society inevitably finds another population to stigmatize and stand up before it's too late. He was Rothstein's roommate. Western Pennsylvania's trusted news source. After he robbed a PNC Bank in Summit Township, Erie County, he was stopped by state police in a parking lot with the bomb still strapped around his neck. Barnes told her he was willing to do this for US$250,000 (equivalent to $368,262 in 2021). He was 60. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. On September 3, 2008, Barnes pleaded guilty to conspiring to rob a bank and to aiding and abetting. After being offered $5,000, Hoopsick suggests Wells and gives up his work schedule at the pizzeria. This was eating her up inside, said Borzillieri, the documentarys co-director and executive producer, who added that Hoopsick was not offered anything in return for her interview. A kind of conclusion was offered at the end of the series when Jessica Hoopsick a prostitute who had regular contact with both Brian Wells and Ken Barnes confessed that she had introduced Wells to conspirators Barnes, Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong, Bill Rothstein and Floyd Stockton in exchange for cash payment. two boyfriends One of the convicted organizers of the plot, Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong, 68, died of natural causes in April 2017 at a Fort Worth, Texas, medical facility, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons. [24][25] Just after 1:30p.m. on August 28, 2003, the pizzeria received a call from a payphone at a nearby gas station. [5], Wells was instructed to "quietly" enter the PNC Bank at Summit Towne Center on Peach Street and give the teller an affixed note demanding $250,000, and to use his shotgun to threaten anyone who did not cooperate or attempted to flee. Borzillieri explained when he read a 2007 document that was unsealed, he knew Hoopsick had more information than she had previously let on. He was granted immunity for his testimony against Diehl-Armstrong, but was never called to testify in court due to illness. Whether or not he was involved at any point, he was certainly a victim. [20] The collar of the bomb was still intact and Wells's body was decapitated so it could be retained. She told me that she had just been in that recent four-part Netflix documentary, Evil Genius, Swank reported. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. The documentary takes on the mental health system. Barnes later pleaded guilty and testified against Diehl-Armstrong. Rothstein died of cancer before the grand jury returned its indictment. Jessica Hoopsick, one of Wells favorite prostitutes, admitted to her involvement in the plot. He was a pizza delivery driver and he had a clean criminal record. Warning: This post contains spoilers for Evil Genius: The True Story of Americas Most Diabolical Bank Heist on Netflix. [38] The station provided the footage to FBI investigators, ABC's head office, and sister station WKBW-TV in Buffalo, New York. Investigators concluded Wells was a willing participant in the robbery, but was told the bomb was fake. Upon Harold Wells' death due to multiple sclerosis when he was only 60 years old, his wife was left to raise their five children. [8] Before her mental health deteriorated in her twenties, Diehl-Armstrong was an "exemplary student" in high school and earned a master's degree from Gannon College. [33] The note stated the bomb would explode in fifteen minutes and that the full amount must be handed over within that time. In August 2003, Stockton was hiding out with Rothstein while Stockton was on the run from prosecution in Washington state. "How to Survive a Plague" (2012): This Oscar-nominated documentary will make your blood boil when you see how the American government and members of the medical community turned their backs on homosexuals and HIV patients during the AIDS epidemic of the 1980s. Schroeder, who wrote and directed Evil Genius, said the team had discussed the confession with current and former investigators at the state and federal level. Historically, surnames evolved as a way to sort people into groups - by occupation, place of origin, clan affiliation, patronage, pa One electronic timer hung down over the chest. In the documentary, Hoopsick claimed that she was a favorite prostitute for Wells and that she set him up at the request of the organizers of the robbery plot. Barnes, 64, who suffers from severe diabetes, is incarcerated at the Federal Medical Center at Butner, North Carolina, near Raleigh. "Yes.". Prosecutors argued that Diehl-Armstrong hired Barnes to kill her father over a dispute of inheritance and needed $250,000 to pay him, which is what Wells allegedly was supposed to take from the bank. He was an unindicted co-conspirator in the pizza bomber case because he was dead when a federal grand jury handed up the indictments in July 2007. She kept well-known company: Jessica Hoopsick, infamous for her role in the pizza bomber case, was one of the people Thomas reached out to after her boyfriend's death, the prosecution said.. ", "Erie pizza bomber co-plotter Ken Barnes dies in prison", "Unraveling The Mysteries Of The Pizza Bomber", "Man with 'Pizza Bomber' connections dies in WA state", "Another chapter in the Erie pizza bomber case ends as Floyd Stockton dies with 'immunity', "Erie Bomb Victim was the Dupe in a Greedy Plan", "Pizza Deliveryman Who Robbed Bank Had Neck Measured for Bomb Collar", "Erie bomb victim was the dupe in a greedy plan", "Bizarre story of pizza-delivery man blown up by collar-bomb still an enigma eight years later", "Who was the Pizza Bomber? TV Shows. It is known as the collar bomb or pizza bomber case. 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? In her free time, you can find her obsessing about cats, wine, and all things Vanderpump Rules. The infamous pizza bomber narrative is as explosive as it soundsalthough filled with more twists and turns than actual pizza. Upon being apprehended by police, Wells was murdered when an explosive collar locked to his neck detonated. For her to have the self awareness to say, I used to be the prettiest girl in town but she took herself to see someone at 23 because she felt there was something wrong with her mind and no one taking her that seriously, thats when I felt sorry for her Her level of self awareness was dazzling., For Schroeder andBorzillieri, the story is far from over. His name was Brian Wells. "The Farm: Life Inside Angola Prison" (1998): This doc chronicles the lives of several inmates inside the nation's largest prison. May 9, 2022 candlelight vigil tonight. Yes but Im torn about this at least she tries to do the right thing eventually. I have never talked with someone who was as passionate and came across as truthful as our elusive eye witness, said Schroeder. After investigation, it was revealed that even if Wells had completed the scavenger hunt, the bomb was rigged in a way that it would have detonated if he attempted to remove it. Ha Az sszes elfogadsa gombra kattint, azzal elfogadja, hogy a Yahoo s partnerei feldolgozzk az n szemlyes adatait, s klnbz technolgikat pldul cookie-kat hasznlnak szemlyre szabott hirdetsek s tartalom megjelentshez, a hirdetsekkel s tartalmakkal kapcsolatos mrsekhez, a clkznsgre vonatkoz elemzsekhez s a termkfejlesztshez. Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. Is the pizza bomber really the collar bomb heist? One would think this strange scenario would be an easy decision for a judge, but get ready to get angry. [55][56] In December 2015, Diehl-Armstrong lost a second appeal of her conviction. Thomas weighs approximately 300 pounds and Butler weighed approximately 120 pounds, investigators wrote in the affidavit of probable cause. [42], In April 2005, Diehl-Armstrong told a state trooper she had information about the Wells case and after meeting with FBI agents, said she would tell them everything she knew if she was transferred from the Muncy Correctional Institution to a minimum-security prison in Cambridge Springs. 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. The 46-year-old from Erie, Pennsylvania, was a pizza delivery man who got involved in a bank robbery that included a scavenger hunt and a homemade bomb strapped around his neck. Wells was identified by investigators as an unindicted co-conspirator, although his family maintains he was a hostage. While Netflixs Evil Genius ends with unanswered questions, directors Barbara Schroeder and Trey Borzillieri have clear thoughts on who they think was behind the big heist, and who wasnt. When Jessica Hoopsick, a hooker and intimate friend of Wells, was interviewed for Evil Genius, she told Trey Borzillieri, co-producer of the series, she was approached to find a gopher who could be scared into robbing a bank. Saw it on Facebook. He had no parts in the planning. Want up-to-the-minute entertainment news and features? [58] In the 2018 documentary Evil Genius, Hoopsick identifies the conspirator as Barnes and alleges she recommended Wells, whom she described as "a pushover". Does Unforgotten work without Nicola Walker? Menu. Diehl-Armstrong died of breast cancer at 68 on April 4, 2017, while serving her sentence at the Federal Medical Center Carswell, a women's prison near Fort Worth, Texas. [22][47], On July 29, 2008, U.S. District Court Judge Sean J. 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