Random True Story Of A Pizza Delivery Guy, A Bomb Collar, And A Bank Robbery (14 items)

(#9) The Plan Was Changed At The Last Minute

The day before the PNC Bank holdup, Wells and the accomplices discussed the original plan with a fake explosive strapped around Wells's neck, in order to get the bank employees' attention and hopefully net them more money. Rothstein was to follow Wells to the bank and intercept the money from him after exiting. The idea here was to have Wells empty-handed if the police should pull him over in his getaway vehicle.

Sometime after this, the device became real, and a system of instructions for Wells to follow was put into place.
(#3) He Carried A Wooden Cane That Had Been Turned Into A Single Barrel Shotgun

When the police searched Wells's car, they found a wooden cane that had been turned into a shotgun. Reportedly, this was given to him by his co-conspirators, just in case things went south when he was in the bank. Wells carried the homemade single barrel with him while holding up the bank.

He handed a note to the teller, demanding $250,000, but the teller told him they didn't have access to that amount. Wells ended up walking out with under $9,000.
(#8) Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong And Kenneth Barnes Watched The Holdup Go Down

As it turns out, both Diehl-Armstrong and Barnes, from the same car, watched with binoculars as Wells entered the bank. William Rothstein was there as well, having followed Wells in his own vehicle. They then retreated to Rothstein's house, where they all got inside of Rothstein's car.

On the way to their undisclosed destination, Diehl-Armstrong made them stop by the side of the I-79 so that she could pick up something that she had left in a wooded area. She tossed this unknown item into the backseat of the car.
(#10) Diehl-Armstrong's Boyfriend Was Found Hidden In A Freezer

In a weird twist, the body of James Roden, Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong's boyfriend, was found contained in a freezer at a house occupied by William Rothstein and Floyd Stockton. What does this have to do with the volatile situation? Well, Diehl-Armstrong reportedly killed Roden because he knew too much about the conspiracy.

Diehl-Armstrong also once dated Rothstein, who was described as a loner and criminal. So, it's plausible that Rothstein would hide Roden's body for her. It's also possible that Diehl-Armstrong didn't want to share her inheritance with Roden once her father had been taken care of.
(#4) The Device Was Professionally Made, But Consisted Of A Number Of Different Objects

Police investigators and experts examined the collar device after the incident and came to the conclusion that it was professionally made. The device was on the clasp of the collar, which meant that it would detonate with any attempt to remove it. There were also fake wires attached, designed to confuse anyone trying to disarm it.

Several kitchen items were also part of the design, as well as a countdown timer. Essentially, it was two incendiary pipes connected by a bunch of extemporaneous pieces and attached to a collar.
(#11) Authorities Believe That William Rothstein Planned The Whole Thing

William Rothstein passed of lymphoma back in 2004, not long after the CBH took place. He left behind a lot of unanswered questions, and authorities believe he was the person who engineered the entire plan and that the other players were simply his pawns. Rothstein is the one who built the device, and he had a connection to Diehl-Armstong since they had dated in the past.

Rothstein also had a fairly long rap sheet, and the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit believed that the money gained from the holdup was never the motive. Instead, Rothstein wanted to create a unique puzzle of a case, which he certainly did.