Cheryl and Nikki Druce are kicking things off with an insane bomb plot full of twists and turns… the wacky but totally true story of The Pizza Bomber. It’s a warm afternoon in August, 2003. A phone call is made to Mama Mia’s Pizza in Eerie, Pennsylvania. The resident delivery guy, Brian Wells, heads off to deliver the two large sausage and pepperoni pizzas… never to return. But how did a pizza delivery turn into one of the wildest and most bizarre bomb plots in modern day history? Cheryl and Nikki are about to find out. Expect tales of the most sinister scavenger hunt since Saw, a man who happily stores a dead body but draws the line at an ice grinder, and LOTS of talk about pizza…
This episode contains graphic details of violence and death and is not intended for all audiences. Listener discretion is strongly advised.
00:00 - Intro
02:12 - Nikki sets the scene
04:13 - Who was Brian Wells?
07:22 - Introducing Jessica Hoopsick
07:57 - The day of the bank heist
09:52 - The scavenger hunt rules
13:06 - Brian arrives at P.N.C Bank in Eerie, Pennsylvania
16:36 - Brian finds his next instructions at McDonalds
18:08 - The death of Brian Wells
22:18 - Introducing William Rothstein
27:57 - Bill’s love, Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong
30:40 - The FBI makes a profile
31:36 - Introducing Kenneth Barnes
33:58 - Kenneth spills the beans
35:22 - Marjorie can’t stop talking
37:00 - Brian Wells’ not so unassuming past
43:07 - The gang get sentenced
45:06 - Does Brian have a lovechild with Jessica?
46:33 - Outro
For all things Killers, Cults and Queens, head over to @killerscultsqueens on Instagram. And follow Cheryl @cheryldragqueen and Nikki Druce @nikkimacabrelondon.
If you have been affected by any of the themes in this episode, please consider contacting the following resources:
The Samaritans helpline: 116 123
Confidential Emotional Support Line: 01708 765200
Refuge domestic abuse helpline: 0808 2000 247 (live chat is also available at https://www.nationaldahelpline.org.uk/Contact-us *times apply)
Safeline domestic abuse helpline: 01926 402 498
Safeline national male survivor helpline: 0808 800 5005
Sexual Assault Support Line: 01708 765200
Sane mental health line: 0300 304 7000
The knowledge out there on this topic is vast, so if your interest is peaked by this episode, please take a look at our sources:
A Childlike Pizza Deliveryman at the Center of a Puzzling Crime - The New York Times
After Robbing a Bank Wearing a Bomb, a Pizza Guy Was Told to Go on a Scavenger Hunt to Save Himself
Death of Brian Wells - Wikipedia
The Bizarre Collar Bomb Bank Robbery
The Pizza Bomber Heist | Tales From the Bottle
Unraveling The Mysteries Of The Pizza Bomber | WBUR
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