Kenneth Barnes
On December 3, 2008, Kenneth Barnes was sentenced to 45 years in prison for his role in the bizarre 2003 collar-bomb killing of pizza deliveryman Brian Wells.1
Barnes and his co-conspirator, Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong, forced Wells at gunpoint to place a collar-bomb around his neck and then rob a bank. Wells robbed the bank but was apprehended by police in a parking lot moments later. Wells was handcuffed and left sitting in the parking lot while police stood a safe distance way. Before the bomb squad arrived, the bomb exploded, killing Wells.2
Fast Facts
- Date of Wells' death: August 28, 2003
- Jamie Mead: Barnes' attorney
- September 3, 2008: Pleaded guilty to conspiring to rob a bank and to aiding and abetting
- December 3, 2008: Sentenced to 45 years behind bars
- Could have been sentenced to life in prison2
- Barnes was 55 at sentencing1
- According to the indictment, Diehl-Armstrong asked Barnes how to make a pipe bomb several weeks prior to the robbery2
- The indictment also stated that Diehl-Armstrong told Barnes she wanted to use the money from the bank robbery to pay Barnes to kill her father2
- Barnes was not charged with helping to make the bomb or the collar2
Quotes
- "[Barnes was] a very minor player in the entire event. The problem was that he was still a player, therefore he was involved in the conspiracy. That's why he was charged with it and that's why he's got to plead guilty to it.—Barnes attorney Jamie Mead2
Related Pages on Mahalo
Pizza Bomber | Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong | Erie Collar-Bomb Case
Categories