On the afternoon of August 23, 2003, Erie, Pennsylvania pizza delivery driver Brian Wells walked into the local branch of the PNC Bank and handed the teller a note warning that he had a bomb and they had fifteen minutes to hand over $250,000 or it would detonate. Unable to access the vault, the teller gave Wells all the cash on hand and he left as the employees triggered the emergency protocol.

Fifteen minutes later, Wells was spotted by police and placed under arrest. However, when they went to put handcuffs on the suspects, the officers discovered that Wells did indeed have an explosive device on him—it was strapped to his neck and rigged to explode. Officers cleared the area, but failed to alert the bomb squad in time and the device eventually exploded, killing Wells just three minutes before the bomb squad arrived.

The bizarre death of Brian Wells seemed to bring his brief criminal career to an end; yet as investigators began digging into the background of the delivery driver-turned-bank robber, they discovered the plot to rob the PNC Bank was far more elaborate than anyone had imagined.

Associated Press. 2003. "Witness also helped in 1977 slaying." Scranton Times, September 25: 5.

—. 2003. "Woman charged in roomate's death." The Sentinel (Carlisle, PA), September 23: 2.

Dao, James. 2003. "A childlike pizza deliveryman at the center of a puzzling crime." New York Times, September 5: A12.

Fuoco, Linda Wilson. 2003. "Robber, co-worker death query." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, September 1.

Fuoco, Michael. 2007. "Feds say collar bomb victim was part of plot." Pitsburgh Post-Gazette, July 12: 1.

Lin, Judy. 2003. "Erie bank robber explodes in police custody." Citizens' Voice (Wilkes-Barre, PA), August 31: 5.

—. 2003. "Bomb-case probers urge patience." Patriot-News (Harrisburg, PA), September 5: B5.

—. 2003. "Man may have been forced to rob Erie bank." The Daily Item (Sunbury, PA), August 31: 3.

Mandak, Joe. 2011. "Woman gets life plus 30 in collar-bomb death." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, March 1: 1.

Nephin, Dan. 2003. "Woman acquitted of boyfriend's death 15 years ago charges with killing another." The Morning Call (Allentown, PA), September 23: 14.

Schapiro, Rich. 2011. "Collar bomb." Wired, Janaury.

Times-Tribune. 2005. "Woman pleads guilty in killing." Times-Tribune (Scranton, PA), January 9: 2.

United States of America v. Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong. 2009. 1:07-cr-26-SJM (United States District Court for the Western District of Pennsylvania, September 8).

United States of America v. Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong. 2012. 11-1601 (United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit, September 25).

Wire News Service. 2003. "Neighbors say bank robber led quiet life." Patriot-News (Harrisburg, PA), September 4: B3.

Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)

Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)

Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley

Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally

Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

When firefighters discovered the body of forty-year-old Terry King inside the charred remains of his Cantonment, Florida home in November 2001, they assumed the man had been asleep when the fire broke out and died as a result. Upon further inspection, investigators found that King hadn’t died as a result of the fire, but from severe blunt force trauma to his head. And even more alarming than that was the fact that King’s two boys, thirteen-year-old Derek and twelve-year-old Alex, were missing.

Having occurred immediately in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Terry King’s murder could have easily been one of many tragedies lost in the fog of national trauma and grief; however, when King’s killers were arrested and identified in the days that followed, the story was so shocking, and the motive so heartbreaking, that it managed to break through the wall-to-wall coverage of the attacks.

Associated Press. 2002. "Convicted molester denies urging boys to kill dad." Miami Herald , February 1: 33.

—. 2002. "Convicted child molester accused of writing love letter to boy in jail." Miami Herald, April 4: 363.

—. 2001. "Grandmother: Boys couldn't have killed dad." Miami Herald, November 29: 438.

Canedy, Dana. 2002. "Judge throws out brothers' murder conviction." New York Times, October 18.

—. 2002. "Reject sympathy, jury is told in boys' trial." New York Times, September 6.

CBS News. 2002. Man gets 30 years in killer boys case. November 7. Accessed December 9, 2025. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/man-gets-30-years-in-killer-boys-case/.

Clark, Lesley. 2001. "Boys accused of bluedgeoning father, setting home on fire." Miami Herald, December 4: 1.

Gomez, Alan. 2002. "Boys take stand against friend." Pensacola News Journal, August 28: 1.

—. 2002. "Chavis judge denies request for acquittal." Pensacola News Journal, August 29: 1.

Graybiel, Ginny. 2002. "Slaying suspect vows he could hurt no one." Pensacola News Journal, August 4: 1.

Kaczor, Bill. 2002. "Sons change story, still to be tried for murder." Miami Herald, August 25: 970.

Keith Morrison. 2009. Second chances. September 7. Accessed December 6, 2025. https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna32664652.

2003. American Justice: Blood Brothers. Performed by Bill Kurtis.

Midico, Kathryn, and Mollye Barrows. 2004. A Perversion of Justice: A Southern Tragedy of Murder, Lies, and Innocence Betrayed. New York, NY: Avon .

New York Times. 2002. "Boy, 13, testifies he and brother didn't kill their father." New York Times, September 5.

Scandlen, Monica. 2002. "Testimonies quiet, simple." Pensacola News Journal, August 28: 1.

Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)

Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)

Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley

Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally

Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

When firefighters discovered the body of forty-year-old Terry King inside the charred remains of his Cantonment, Florida home in November 2001, they assumed the man had been asleep when the fire broke out and died as a result. Upon further inspection, investigators found that King hadn’t died as a result of the fire, but from severe blunt force trauma to his head. And even more alarming than that was the fact that King’s two boys, thirteen-year-old Derek and twelve-year-old Alex, were missing.

Having occurred immediately in the wake of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Terry King’s murder could have easily been one of many tragedies lost in the fog of national trauma and grief; however, when King’s killers were arrested and identified in the days that followed, the story was so shocking, and the motive so heartbreaking, that it managed to break through the wall-to-wall coverage of the attacks.

Associated Press. 2002. "Convicted molester denies urging boys to kill dad." Miami Herald , February 1: 33.

—. 2002. "Convicted child molester accused of writing love letter to boy in jail." Miami Herald, April 4: 363.

—. 2001. "Grandmother: Boys couldn't have killed dad." Miami Herald, November 29: 438.

Canedy, Dana. 2002. "Judge throws out brothers' murder conviction." New York Times, October 18.

—. 2002. "Reject sympathy, jury is told in boys' trial." New York Times, September 6.

CBS News. 2002. Man gets 30 years in killer boys case. November 7. Accessed December 9, 2025. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/man-gets-30-years-in-killer-boys-case/.

Clark, Lesley. 2001. "Boys accused of bluedgeoning father, setting home on fire." Miami Herald, December 4: 1.

Gomez, Alan. 2002. "Boys take stand against friend." Pensacola News Journal, August 28: 1.

—. 2002. "Chavis judge denies request for acquittal." Pensacola News Journal, August 29: 1.

Graybiel, Ginny. 2002. "Slaying suspect vows he could hurt no one." Pensacola News Journal, August 4: 1.

Kaczor, Bill. 2002. "Sons change story, still to be tried for murder." Miami Herald, August 25: 970.

Keith Morrison. 2009. Second chances. September 7. Accessed December 6, 2025. https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna32664652.

2003. American Justice: Blood Brothers. Performed by Bill Kurtis.

Midico, Kathryn, and Mollye Barrows. 2004. A Perversion of Justice: A Southern Tragedy of Murder, Lies, and Innocence Betrayed. New York, NY: Avon .

New York Times. 2002. "Boy, 13, testifies he and brother didn't kill their father." New York Times, September 5.

Scandlen, Monica. 2002. "Testimonies quiet, simple." Pensacola News Journal, August 28: 1.

Cowritten by Alaina Urquhart, Ash Kelley & Dave White (Since 10/2022)

Produced & Edited by Mikie Sirois (Since 2023)

Research by Dave White (Since 10/2022), Alaina Urquhart & Ash Kelley

Listener Correspondence & Collaboration by Debra Lally

Listener Tale Video Edited by Aidan McElman (Since 6/2025)

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.