45 years for collar bomb planner

[Robb]

Source: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

ERIE -- For his role in the "incredibly bizarre and the sadly tragic" death of the Erie pizza bomber, Kenneth Barnes yesterday was sentenced to 45 years in prison.

U.S. District Judge Sean J. McLaughlin imposed a sentence that was significantly higher than the top of the recommended guideline range of nearly 34 years because Mr. Barnes was intimately involved in planning the Aug. 28, 2003, incident. He said Mr. Barnes provided information on what components to use in the collar bomb that was affixed to the neck of pizza deliveryman Brian Wells before he entered a PNC Bank on Peach Street to rob it.

"To me, the callousness and complete lack of regard by this defendant is, in a word, chilling," the judge said in pronouncing sentence.

It is essentially a life term for Mr. Barnes, who is 55 and has heart disease, diabetes and hypertension. He pleaded guilty to two counts -- conspiracy to commit armed bank robbery and abetting the use of the collar bomb -- in September.



Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08339/932606-54.stm

[hlthe2b]

1. I have long wondered about this heinous crime...

I had to re-read that poorly written article four times to make any sense of it....Apparently it was the daughter of the pizza delivery man who set up this plot? What, if anything, has happened to her is not mentioned, though it suggests she has been "indicted" (for something)...

Geebus and the poor guy--even in death--attributed to such a vile crime-- is essentially only referred to as the Pizza Deliver Guy.

[LisaL]

3. No you got it all wrong.

The daughter of the pizza delivery man, assuming he has any, was not involved in any way, shape or form.

[hlthe2b]

5. From the article:

In the spring of that year, a co-defendant in the case, Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong, spoke to Mr. Barnes about killing her father because she was angry at him for spending her inheritance. Mr. Barnes told the woman he'd need $200,000 to do it, and they began planning the bank robbery.

Several people were involved, though only Mr. Barnes and Ms. Diehl-Armstrong were charged. No other indictments are expected.

So, WHO is Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong and WHO is HER Father, then? I understand this may be unrealted to the pizza delivery man, but this poorly written article leaves it as one big confusing jumble.

[sam sarrha]

4. his name is Brian Wells, >>Links> i think they just don't want to give his family the workers deat

death benefits... i used to deliver pizza, we worried about worse all the time, anything looked too shady we turned around. but we did deliver pizza to some really weird places

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brian_Douglas_Wells

this is such a strange case..
http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080907/NEWS02/809070410/-1/NEWS30&template=news30


http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/9120093/




http://www.amw.com/fugitives/brief.cfm?id=27382

[sam sarrha]

2. there should'a been a Terrorism charge,& kidnapping just in case some other dunb fuck thinks

about doing something like this, even a harmless copycat, i wanna see 3 life sentences for crap like this.. this sort of terrorism isn't uncommon in Columbia. we don't need them moving here cause they cant sell drugs in a bad economy, too many god damned psychopaths in Columbia.. not to mention Eastern Europe

[Javaman]

6. I know it would be cruel and unusual punishment, but...

they should take away this assholes meds as well.

"It is essentially a life term for Mr. Barnes, who is 55 and has heart disease, diabetes and hypertension. "

[nc4bo]

7. He'll be getting better health care than me and my family. nt

[Lydia Leftcoast]

8. So why wasn't this a murder charge?

Was it a plea bargain?

:shrug: