Pizza Bomber/Hostage Brian Wells on This Day in History

Evil Genius Trailer

This Day In History: The death of Brian Wells happened on this day in 2003 in what came to be known as the Pizza Bomber case and the incident was shown live on TV. Wells was a pizza delivery man who was killed during an intricate plot involving a bank robbery, scavenger hunt, and homemade explosive device near Erie, Pennsylvania. If this sounds familiar to you, it is because it is also the basis of a Netflix series called "Evil Genius."

Wells' corpse was found with pages of lengthy, hand-written instructions addressed to "Bomb Hostage" telling him to rob the bank. The instructions also included a treasure hunt, listing a series of strictly timed tasks of collecting keys that would delay detonation and eventually defuse the bomb. It also warned that Wells would be under constant surveillance and any attempts to contact authorities would result in the bomb's detonation. "ACT NOW, THINK LATER OR YOU WILL DIE!" was scrawled at the bottom of the instructions.

This crime would go on to inspire other shows as well, such as the 2011 American comedy film 30 Minutes or Less which depicts a pizza delivery man being forced to wear a bomb vest and rob a bank, and a "Black Mirror" episode called “Shut Up and Dance" about a teenage pedophile who is blackmailed by hackers who know of his true nature into committing various crimes. Just like Wells’ ordeal Kenny is sent on a scavenger hunt across the suburbs of England carrying out a series of increasingly-violent and dangerous tasks on his tormentors’ behalf, including robbing a bank at gunpoint and later fighting to the death with another man, all in the span of a single day in a futile and hopeless attempt to keep his secrets from being leaked to the public.

In 2006 NBC had an episode in "Heist" where Zac Efron plays a teenage pizza delivery worker who is forced to commit a robbery with a bomb on his chest.

See also Notorious Criminals, Crimes & Criminology - 100 Books on DVDrom

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