Sometimes, against our better judgement, we do things that we know will absolutely end badly for us. It’s hard to know why exactly we do that, but it seems to be a trait that most humans share. In August of 2003, 46-year-old Brian Douglas Wells was probably pondering the same question. Before the month was out, Wells would be dead…and he would be killed by a bomb strapped to his neck.
For almost 30 years, Wells (pictured below) worked as a pizza delivery driver. He began his career after dropping out of high school. By all accounts, he was good at what he did and was a valued employee.
On the afternoon of August 28, 2003, Wells received a call to deliver two pizzas down the road. This was a false order placed by Wells’ soon-to-be accomplices, Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong and Kenneth Barnes.
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The plan was for Wells to rob a local bank so that Barnes could hire a professional hitman to kill Diehl-Armstrong’s father. Diehl-Armstrong would then hopefully come into a sizable inheritance.
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At the meeting before the robbery, Wells’ accomplices fitted him with a bomb to wear around his neck. When Wells learned that the bomb was real, he struggled, but was subdued so the bomb could be forcefully attached.
Barnes and Diehl-Armstrong also gave Wells a homemade shotgun to use inside the bank if things got out of control.
However, things went badly for Wells not long after entering the bank. The police arrived while he was still there with the money. He warned them that he had a bomb strapped to his neck and said it was put there against his will.
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The police took Wells outside and called the bomb squad. However, minutes before they arrived, Diehl-Armstrong set off the bomb remotely. The explosion blew a hole in the man’s chest and he was dead within three minutes.
By that time, the press had arrived on the scene and cameras captured the moment of the explosion. WARNING. The following video is very graphic and might be upsetting to some readers. Proceed with caution if you choose to watch it.
It took until 2010 for Barnes and Diehl-Armstrong to finally stand trial for their crimes. Luckily, they were both already put in prison for unrelated crimes during the intervening years. They were both found guilty for their roles in Wells’ death.
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