Case 81: Brian Wells

DESCRIPTION
On August 28th, 2003, the Great Lakes city of Erie, Pennsylvania was in the height of summer.
46-year old Brian Wells did what he had done most mornings for the previous ten years - he went to his lunchtime shift as a pizza delivery man at Mama Mia’s Pizza...
CREDITS
Narration - Anonymous Host
Research and writing - Gemma Harris
Production, scoring - Mike Migas
Additional scoring - Andrew Joslyn
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RESOURCES
For all credits and sources please visit www.casefilepo...

[@charlenemonique1]

I watched the documentary on this case some time on Netflix ago but after listening here - I’m going to watch again. This is one crazy case! 🤔

[@SHurd-rc2go]

The wildest, strangest story ever. The combo of psychopathy, mental illness, domestic violence, drug abuse and just sad, weak men. Yikes. Thank you all for your work.

[@awright119021]

I don't even understand why they did this! How were they going to get the money from him whether he was involved or not? They didn't give him enough time to do anything, and the instructions sent him on a wild good chase to die in a wooded area

[@shell91]

I remember watching this as it happened on the news. Very sad.

[@lisas8244]

This is the most twisted, insane crime story ever!!!

[@azff]

Excellent presentation!!! This case always intrigued me. 👍

[@theresag1969]

...with friends like his who need enemies.

[@taracoff6832]

You deserve so many more views. I tell anyone who would listen casefile is LIFE

[@quinnmessiah6582]

instaBlaster

[@phatlassie]

Agree!

[@danmac73]

Agreed 👍

[@richardkranium2944]

Has it not occurred to anyone that Bill didn’t dispose of the shotgun used to kill Jim? It got turned into a cane gun.

[@melaniecarver5719]

This has to be the craziest story I have ever heard. Just...wow.

[@Greenmountainferns]

Amazing story, if you watch the Netflix doc... it seems as if Brian Wells might not of had any knowledge of this before hand, the conspirators claimed that he was accomplice to get out of the death penalty(you can’t get the death penalty if the person who dies was an accomplice) Kenneth Barnes repeatedly said in interviews that Brian was waiting to get paid for the pizza while The other guy came out with the bomb and Marjorie and Kenneth forced Brian to put it on,(The police found evidence of a scuffle at scene) when the interviewer asked Kenneth why would Brian be waiting to be paid for the pizza if he was in on everything? Kenneth eventually says Brian didn’t know anything about it until they forced The bomb around his neck.. Jessica Hoopsick backs that up.I feel so bad Brian wells.. there wasn’t ever any proof that he was an accomplice and the police shouldn’t have announced that as a conclusion. By the way great podcast.. i’ve listen to everyone so far and look forward to new ones!

[@lewismcminn1863]

What's the doc called please

[@Vexarax]

@@lewismcminn1863 it's called Evil Genius. I haven't watched it yet, been looking for detailed vids about this case for days and couldn't find any! Then randomly clicked this while scrolling through old Casefile eps and it's exactly what I was looking for. Evil Genius is apparently very good! :)

[@dwightcrapson135]

You do not have all the information here. There was a rehearsal on location the night before the event. Brian Wells was there with the others. As the group was leaving the area, turning off of the dirt road, onto the asphalt, Wells pulled out in front of an oncoming car, nearly causing a crash. The other driver got a good look at the car, and the driver, and it was Wells.

[@brandyjean7015]

​@@dwightcrapson135 curious where you learned of that detail?

[@johnking4930]

@@brandyjean7015 yeah I remember hearing that in the evil genius documentary. I don't believe it though. Weather or not Brian was involved I really don't know. I'm on the fence on that point. I don't believe however that story about Brian running someone off the road. I think that's just damage control by law enforcement. Making things up to cover up, why did it take so long to release that information?

[@yyznawar6568]

Born and raised in erie. The day this happened it was crazy in the city. It’s crazy passing by the place where the most diabolical bank heist took place at nearly every day.

[@stevenrears6944]

I wish you would add pictures

[@jerrymarbury9365]

These shrinks ate totally inept and mentally disordered.

[@cynthiagibson3069]

Not going to deliver to a clearing on some random dirt road.

[@katherine9109]

I got a clear synopsis of this case from something called 'True Crime Recaps'. short. and easy to fast forward. BUT nothing near the excellent productions on 'Casefiles'..!!! just this one I didn't quite get all the details. so - just lettin' folks know... the Readers Digest version if you're a little confused. helped me.

[@Delicious_J]

0:01 I thought you said you were sick of being overcharged for raisins

[@samsitluoc2375]

LOL.

[@erichoberg3502]

He buys sultanas

[@axadams]

One of the weirdest true crime cases ever.

[@sthomasond]

These are some incredibly disgusting humans

[@yukiefromoz2573]

Oh I watched the documentary about this case on Netflix some time ago.

[@Clay64]

One question plagues my mind.... What happened to Brian’s cats? D:

[@rmcgogo]

This question haunts me

[@esutt02]

4CLAY There’s a Netflix documentary about this called “Evil Genius” I don’t know if you’ve watch it but the neighbor of Brian said that one of them did actually end up staying around and she took care of it from time to time. I don’t remember what happened to the others.

[@Jolenesmart1980]

@@esutt02 awwww bless man I couldn’t imagine what my cats would do without me!

[@SlimSlashie]

Whenever they say, "The FIB was called" you just know they gonna FK some sht up. Have they actually solved a case in the last 30 years?

[@cynthiagibson3069]

Where's the money, dude?

[@jennklein1917]

😢so sad😢

[@jerrymarbury9365]

This is as disordered as a box of frogs

[@thedisabledwelshman9266]

where is episode eighty?

[@harpandblooz7733]

Every day religiously I listen!!!

[@thedisabledwelshman9266]

what are wire nuts?

[@gypsynikki]

Why did Brian lie and say a black guy did it? That alone takes away any sympathy I would feel for him. He should have used his remaining time to tell the truth and name those responsible.

[@Jared_Wignall]

Probably because the people who forced him to put the bomb around his neck told him what to say if he got caught, so the real perpetrators wouldn’t be suspected.

[@turtleanton6539]

Probably so the sad part is we can never surely know

[@anitaholst7671]

His attacker probably told him he'd die if he didn't tell the lie.

[@silverwaterbug]

Yall ever see that movie, 30 Minutes Or Less?

[@stevenrears6944]

Ruby Bonilla was it good? Who’s in it?

[@silverwaterbug]

@@stevenrears6944 Aziz Ansari, Danny McBride, Jesse Eisenberg. It's this exact story except funny.

[@Cs_CatBandit]

its a funny movie yea ive seen it

[@samih5916]

I was thinking the exact same thing and yes I've watched it.

[@turtleanton6539]

Nope

[@zero_bs_tolerance8646]

Very bizarre.

[@turtleanton6539]

Totally agreed

[@always_b_natural703]

Good lord!

[@a.t.hustle1583]

I cant believe this hasnt blown up.

[@dougstyles]

That's what she said

[@bigdickdudley9119]

Marjorie should of been in prison for life long ago feel bad for poor bastards who met her !

[@brendajstevens3719]

👏👏👏

[@frankenns]

Why do some of them always talking about being a black guy (3) are we that scary 🤣🤣🤣🤣 we’re the boogie man lol

[@turtleanton6539]

Shifting the blame from his "friends"

[@HoffyRS]

@@turtleanton6539dude was a victim. Aint no way he was cool with dying. Use your head i think Marjorie said he was in on it to evade the death penalty

[@lisas8244]

@frankenns Simply put, it's so attention will be diverted away from them, as they are white and won't be considered as suspects.

[@ah-shar-ya2363]

Sadly I don't feel too bad for Brian...the fact he used the cliche, of black men did this is more fucked up to me. Even though he basically became a hostage to his own knowledge, he still chose to lie. Then the police raid someone's home because one of Brian's friends had a black boyfriend. They had eyes on him, but it wasn't NSA type of surveillance. The fact Brian at times appear to be calm the entire time, even grabbing a lollipop out his way out the bank, reading the paper, speaks volumes to me about him.

[@samih5916]

Wow you're a heartless bitch for not feeling bad for Brian you know. I hope you end up having the same fate you idiotic git.

[@brshaw8084]

“the fact he used the cliche, of black men did this is more fucked up to me.” Lol, you find that more fucked up than a man’s hand being ripped apart? You might want to adjust your moral compass.

[@samih5916]

@@brshaw8084 yeah you tell her, she's an asshole who thinks that a man's hand being ripped off is no big deal and that makes her as bad as the bad guys.

[@ah-shar-ya2363]

P@@brshaw8084 Nothing is wrong with my moral compass. It's his. His situation was sad but let's not forget he was down with all of it. My bad if I should feel like you about it and I don't. It's ok. Not everyone feels bad for him. Just read more than one comment.

[@beccaemily6396]

i see both sides of it. at the end of the day we don’t know whether he thought someone would detonate the bomb if he began talking or was told to play that awful race card. either way yeah it is super offensive and i can see how that would cause someone to lose empathy. on the other hand, knowing you’re going to die may make someone stop thinking straight. we don’t know all the facts or what was in his head at the time. he could’ve been a racist jerk but he also could’ve just been a scared man doing as he was told to survive. we don’t know. and because we don’t know, people’s opinions will vary. everyone is entitled to be offended by what offends them, doesn’t make them evil. if she chooses not to feel bad for the guy, that makes sense, he fed into a terrible stereotype whether thinking straight or not.

[@christinaperrigo]

Many will roll their fallen eyes. Many will laugh their fallen laugh. Many will mock. Some will be angry with me, but their fight is With The Only Living God. ... These events took place because of people entertaining their sinful, fallen nature, instead of resisting the devil so that he would flee. The occult, sorcery, worked out a huge plot all it's own and succeeded (but only for a moment in time. Jesus Christ Is Coming Quickly) in this case or rather cases. These humans were vessels, tools for satan to play with. ... ... ... God Bless You All In Truth and Repentance. - In Christ, Christina