BOMB-DEATH SHOCK

New York Post ^ | September 7, 2003 | By PHILIP RECCHIA

[stlnative]

Cops are baffled by the case of pizza deliveryman Brian Wells.

September 7, 2003 -- ERIE, Pa. - Four hidden keys may have saved Brian Wells from being blown up by the pipe bomb that was shackled to his neck. Wells was the 46-year-old pizza delivery man who was killed by the bomb 40 minutes after robbing a PNC Bank in Erie on Aug. 28.

[RaceBannon]

That cover is hand drilled. Look at the front cut out, where the keys go, there are small holes drilled in the upper right and left corners, and then the side and top flat areas where the red lock dial is, look at the flat areas, it is NOT smooth, it is either a poor band saw or it is a hacksaw cut with a file to smooth out the rest of the cut out. This person knows how to cut metal, he just wasnt very concerned about appearance. Looks like he tried to turn the corner with a 1/2 inch blade or bigger, and then went back over the cuts he made with the band saw blade and went over the line to make it smoother.

Notice also, the cut-outs for the two screws on the bottom, those are some crude cutouts, like something started on a band saw to hog out material, then used the band saw to create a semi-circular half hole for the screws.

That neck device is hand cut angle, looks like 2inch by 1/8 web, hand welded. Not too precise, but definitely hand made. Easy to design.

That collar is something store bought, but I have no idea what it is designed for. Possible to hold a cylindrical tank in place on some rack for shipping or storage. There is no way the same guy built that collar and this sheet metal cover, too radically different quality appearances, also the collar has rivets? Also close welding webs between the upper and lower flat sections.

Thinker, though, look at how he used it. Cheap, Rube Goldberg, but if you never saw it, you might not know where to start to disarm it!

Look at the bottom picture, on the left, the guy took the time to rivet this together? 3 rivets visible on the left? 1 on the right?

[csvset]

The six- to nine-page manifesto..

If six were nine? Is it six or nine pages? What does it say? Why don't they publish the content?

The Unibomber's brother recognized his brother's rant; perhaps someone would be able to do so in this case.

At any rate, it'd be interesting to know what it said.

[martin_fierro]

Conexão Brasileiro bizarro.

[Mercat]

Looking forward to the CSI plot based on this case.

[Ditter]

I haven't been keeping up with this case. What happened to the money?

[Shooter 2.5]

Aside from someone knowing how to use taps and dies, even when I worked as a machinist, I did most of my metal bending with a hammer and a vise.

We had metal brakes but they were at the other end of the property and I didn't feel like walking that far.

The Brazilian locks may be a common variety just like the Chinese stuff at Wal-Mart.

This is a sophisticated design but the pizza guy could have had all the time in the world to design it.

[Vigilantcitizen]

"That collar is something store bought, but I have no idea what it is designed for. Possible to hold a cylindrical tank in place on some rack for shipping or storage. There is no way the same guy built that collar and this sheet metal cover, too radically different quality appearances, also the collar has rivets? Also close welding webs between the upper and lower flat sections."

I've read in previous threads that the collar looked like a device used to secure video cables to tv towers.

[Lucy Lake]

Ping.

[jokar]

Bookmark

[Free Trapper]

FWIW,I happened to read about a Japanese novel,"Battle Royale",that was made into a movie in Japan and the book translated into English.

The plot seemed to be children forced to kill each other or have their lives taken by "explosive collars" attached to their necks.

According to the article I read,the movie was turned down by distributors in the U.S. because of the fear of lawsuits that could be brought by victims of copycat type crimes "caused" from seeing the movie.

[Cboldt]

A bench vise makes a reasonable substitute for a sheet metal brake.

The plastic security key is not a common item. I've never seen one in a hardware store or catalog. They keys are sold in lots of 600 as tamper-evidence. That lead would, to me, do more to narrow down the hunt than consideration of hand-held metal-working tools would.

[stlnative]

after looking longer this morning... the high security plastic keys are probaby not what was used. I think now they are more along the lines of switch locks which are also uncommon and only used in special applications, they have 4 prong keys and the key slot looks like a phillps screw heads. They are small cylinder locks. I have not looked for a picture of them yet, but when I do I will post it.

The other high security keys on the PDF file are not like regular keys, once the key is in you cannot take it back out.

[TigersEye]

Thanks for the ping!

[stlnative]

Here is a picture of a switch lock except it is not a 4 prong key cylinder switch lock and it is larger in diameter than the ones used on the collar bomb.

[Cboldt]

Switch locks (keyed electrical switches) are not uncommon, I suspect they are more common than the platic tamper-evidence "key."

Lock/key devices using round keys are also not uncommon, see the front or side of many personal computers for suck locks (used as mechanical security, and sometimes as electrical "lockouts").

I can't really make out details of construction from the photos, but an strongly inclined that the Wells was a victim, not a perp or willing part of a team effort.

In hindsight, given that the charge appears to have been directed, it's too bad no "armor" was put between the device and his chest. Did the LEOs put a vest over top of the device, to mitigate its abaility to injure "bystanders?"

[stlnative]

Common american switch locks

The 4 prong key is what is making them unique (none of these are 4 prong keyed)

[Cboldt]

The key with the black handle -- that's not a 4-prong?

[stlnative]

Have you ever seen a 4 prong keyed switch lock?

[TigersEye]

I wanna know why the FBI or the Erie cops are still considering that Wells did this to himself - are they trying to make him look bad because they would not listen to him when was pleading for their help and the freaken bomb went off.

I think, as investigators, they are just considering it still possible. Until proven otherwise they have to. I don't think they could have done anything more than they did. Time was too short, the situation too strange and volatile and the device was too complex and arcane.