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CNN Live Today
Erie Bomb Death
Aired September 05, 2003 - 10:10 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: There are also few answers in the case of that pizza deliveryman who was killed by a bomb shackled around his neck. Federal investigators in Erie, Pennsylvania, warn it may be a while before they know whether the man was forced to rob a bank, as he claimed, in the moments before the fatal explosion.
Our Mike Brooks is in Erie, and he has the latest.
Mike -- good morning.
MIKE BROOKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.
The "Erie Times-News" is reporting in their paper this morning witness accounts that Brian Wells walked into this PNC Bank, handed the teller a note demanding $250,000. While he was in the bank, he was also carrying what is now being described as a weapon shaped like a walking cane that's capable of being fired like a gun.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BROOKS (voice-over): The weapon was recovered from Brian Wells' small Geo car. Wells told police someone had put a bomb around his neck and forced him to rob the bank.
It has been a week since Wells died in the bomb blast, and the FBI still does not know whether there is some mysterious mastermind out there who was behind all of this, or whether Wells might have made up the whole plot himself.
Wells' neighbors doubt that.
LINDA PAYNE, WELLS' LANDLADY: He was laid back. He didn't want a whole lot of things. He didn't have a whole lot of things. All he really needed was a car to deliver pizzas with and a couple of CDs.
BROOKS: Wells, 46 years old, lived with his three cats in this small house in Erie, Pennsylvania. He spent his time working on old cars. His house was filled with auto parts, but apparently not the kind of tools to fashion this kind of crime.
(on camera): Can you imagine him doing this by himself?
PAYNE: No, not at all. He would not -- he would not be interested in doing it himself. He would not be interested in robbing a bank. He would not be interested in making a bomb. It was done to him. He was a victim.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BROOKS: Witness accounts are also saying that after the teller gave Wells a bag full of money, he looked in the bag, said it didn't look like $250,000 to him, and that he would be back for more money -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Interesting clues. I know they have searched his home, police have. Any clues inside of there?
BROOKS: Well, apparently he does have tools. As we heard, he does redo cars. They actually blew the front door of his small house off, because they thought there could be more explosives inside. But law enforcement is not saying what kind of evidence they actually took from his house -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Mike Brooks in Erie, Pennsylvania, thank you for that.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Aired September 5, 2003 - 10:10 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: There are also few answers in the case of that pizza deliveryman who was killed by a bomb shackled around his neck. Federal investigators in Erie, Pennsylvania, warn it may be a while before they know whether the man was forced to rob a bank, as he claimed, in the moments before the fatal explosion.
Our Mike Brooks is in Erie, and he has the latest.
Mike -- good morning.
MIKE BROOKS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning, Daryn.
The "Erie Times-News" is reporting in their paper this morning witness accounts that Brian Wells walked into this PNC Bank, handed the teller a note demanding $250,000. While he was in the bank, he was also carrying what is now being described as a weapon shaped like a walking cane that's capable of being fired like a gun.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
BROOKS (voice-over): The weapon was recovered from Brian Wells' small Geo car. Wells told police someone had put a bomb around his neck and forced him to rob the bank.
It has been a week since Wells died in the bomb blast, and the FBI still does not know whether there is some mysterious mastermind out there who was behind all of this, or whether Wells might have made up the whole plot himself.
Wells' neighbors doubt that.
LINDA PAYNE, WELLS' LANDLADY: He was laid back. He didn't want a whole lot of things. He didn't have a whole lot of things. All he really needed was a car to deliver pizzas with and a couple of CDs.
BROOKS: Wells, 46 years old, lived with his three cats in this small house in Erie, Pennsylvania. He spent his time working on old cars. His house was filled with auto parts, but apparently not the kind of tools to fashion this kind of crime.
(on camera): Can you imagine him doing this by himself?
PAYNE: No, not at all. He would not -- he would not be interested in doing it himself. He would not be interested in robbing a bank. He would not be interested in making a bomb. It was done to him. He was a victim.
(END VIDEOTAPE)
BROOKS: Witness accounts are also saying that after the teller gave Wells a bag full of money, he looked in the bag, said it didn't look like $250,000 to him, and that he would be back for more money -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Interesting clues. I know they have searched his home, police have. Any clues inside of there?
BROOKS: Well, apparently he does have tools. As we heard, he does redo cars. They actually blew the front door of his small house off, because they thought there could be more explosives inside. But law enforcement is not saying what kind of evidence they actually took from his house -- Daryn.
KAGAN: Mike Brooks in Erie, Pennsylvania, thank you for that.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
