Evil Genius Review

 If you love stories that lead you down one rabbit hole after another, “Evil Genius: The True Story of America’s Most Diabolical Bank Heist” is the documentary for you. This four-part series dives into the bizarre and tragic death of Brian Wells, known as the “collar bomb” or “pizza bomber” case from 2003. Squirrel friends, this case left investigators scratching their heads for years. 

This case left investigators scratching their heads for years. The story begins with Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong, who was behind the pizza bomber plot. An interview with her adamantly denying involvement sets the stage for a tale that twists and turns in unexpected ways.

The incident took place in Pennsylvania at a PNC bank, where pizza delivery driver Brian Wells walked in with a cane gun and a 9-page note, demanding $250,000 but only managing to get about $8,000. A video shows Brian surrounded by officers, claiming he was forced into the collar and made to rob the bank.

We are treated with a video of the older gentleman sitting in the middle of a field.  He is anxious and trying to get the police officers to help him.  The pizza man explains the events leading to that moment. He provides a vague description of his assailants, stating they were black men.  He was unable to provide any additional details which made the officers skeptical. 

The officers scramble to make sense of this story and then it happens. Then, it happens.  The bomb went off, killing Brian three minutes before the bomb squad arrived. The explosion ripped a hole in his chest and he died. 

Investigators found a piece of paper in Brian’s car with instructions for various tasks to obtain a key to release the bomb. He never passed the first task, raising questions about whether he was ever meant to survive. The officers followed the instructions but found that someone had already removed some of the contents, leading them to believe Brian’s story might be true.

Three weeks later, Bill Rothstein called the police to confess there was a body in his freezer. The body was James Roden, and Bill pointed the finger at his ex-girlfriend, Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong, claiming she killed James over a money dispute. Marjorie, who had a criminal past, needed money for a hitman to kill her father before he squandered her inheritance. James was killed because he was going to rat her out.

Marjorie was arrested, but Bill’s involvement remained unclear. The officers had to determine who the mastermind was. Bill died of lymphoma in 2004, and Marjorie eventually pleaded guilty to James’s murder, receiving 20 years. The connection to the bank robbery remained a mystery until 2005 when Kenneth Barnes was turned in by a family member. He revealed that Marjorie was the mastermind and that Brian Wells was part of the plan from the start, believing the bomb was fake.

Kenneth was sentenced to 45 years in prison in 2008, and Marjorie was sentenced to life in prison in 2010, dying in prison in 2017. While it’s unclear who built the bomb, Bill Rothstein was a likely candidate. The true mastermind behind the bombing may never be known, but this documentary will keep you guessing until the end.

This Netflix series provides everything to keep you glued to the screen. I give this 4 out of 5 acorns.