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Pair 'face pizza bombing charges' Pizza-bombing man 'in on robbery'
(about 3 hours later)
A US grand jury has indicted two people in connection with the death of a man killed by a bomb round his neck after apparently being forced to rob a bank. A pizza delivery man killed by a bomb around his neck after apparently being forced to rob a bank was a conspirator, not a hostage, US authorities say.
Brian Wells, 46, died when the device exploded after police surrounded him after he left the bank in Summit Township, Pennsylvania, in 2003.Brian Wells, 46, died when the device exploded after police surrounded him after he left the bank in Summit Township, Pennsylvania, in 2003.
Mr Wells managed to tell police he had been forced into the robbery by someone who had set a timer on the bomb. A US grand jury has indicted two people in connection with the plot, both of whom are in jail for unrelated crimes.
The jurors indicted a man and a woman, already in jail for unrelated offences. The dead man's brother has rejected claims that Wells was part of the plot.
Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong, 58, has been told she might face charges of bank robbery, conspiracy and a firearms count, the Associated Press news agency reported. John Wells said he could not believe the police expected the public to believe that his brother would willingly have put on the timer-controlled bomb.
Diehl-Armstrong is serving a sentence for killing her boyfriend. Just before he died, Wells told police he had been forced into the robbery by gunmen.
Kenneth E Barnes, 53, in jail on drug charges, has been told he might also face charges in relation to Mr Wells' death, AP said. 'Limited role'
'Sophisticated device' Speaking at a news conference, US Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan said it had taken the authorities almost four years to complete an "extremely challenging and complex investigation".
The bizarre case unfolded in August 2003, when Mr Wells, a pizza deliveryman, was called to deliver two pizzas to an address in a remote area of Erie. According to the indictment, Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong, 58, and Kenneth E Barnes, 53, are charged with bank robbery and conspiracy. They are due in court later this week.
Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong is in prison for killing her boyfriendDiehl-Armstrong is already serving a sentence for killing her boyfriend, while Barnes is in jail on drug charges.
Ms Buchanan said Wells had had a limited role in the plot but that he had been involved in the planning stages.
She said his motive was unclear and he may not known that the bomb he carried was live.
"Sadly the plans of these other individuals were much more sinister... and he died as a result," she said.
"It may be that his role transitioned from that of the planning stages to being an unwilling participant in the scheme."
Investigators believe the reason for the live bomb was to ensure that Wells handed over the money after carrying out the robbery - and so that if he was caught, he could claim to have been forced into it.
Hitman claim
The bizarre case unfolded in August 2003, when Wells, a pizza deliveryman, was called to deliver two pizzas to an address in a remote area of Erie.
An hour later, he walked into the PNC Bank about two miles (3km) away with a note demanding money and saying he had a bomb.An hour later, he walked into the PNC Bank about two miles (3km) away with a note demanding money and saying he had a bomb.
Mr Wells took the money and left the bank, but was soon cornered by police, who discovered he had a bomb round his neck, which was locked in place. Wells took the money and left the bank, but was soon cornered by police, who discovered he had a bomb round his neck, which was locked in place.
Mr Wells said the device was on a timer, telling police: "It's going to go off. I'm not lying." Wells said the device was on a timer, telling police: "It's going to go off. I'm not lying."
The bomb squad was called but the device exploded, killing him.The bomb squad was called but the device exploded, killing him.
At the time, Erie chief deputy coroner Korac Timon told AP that the bomb appeared to be "a very sophisticated device". Ms Buchanan said investigators believed Diehl-Armstrong had killed her boyfriend to keep him from revealing the plot and that she intended to use the proceeds of the robbery to pay a hitman to kill her father.
An investigation was launched, although authorities have never said whether they believed Mr Wells was an innocent victim or part of a conspiracy. Family 'angry'
The body of Diehl-Armstrong's boyfriend was found in the freezer of a house near the location where Wells was ordered to deliver his pizzas. Responding to Ms Buchanan's address, John Wells said he and his family were very angry at the claim that Brian Wells had been a co-conspirator.
The owner of the property, William Rothstein, was questioned about Mr Wells' death, but has since died of cancer. "I don't want my brother being used," he said, accusing the authorities of failing to investigate the case properly.
"My brother was not involved in the bank robbery. He wasn't involved in the planning of the bank robbery."
He also criticised local police for having been too slow to call bomb squad officers to defuse the device.