Deadly Games!

Explosive neck collars seem to be a popular device of horror stories, they instil an urgent obedience in the poor characters with them attached to their necks... Sadly, these contraptions and methods are not just an horrific device of fiction. The twisted games of the SAW films, the Fallout: Dead Money story of an elaborate robbery cartographer by a stranger; these events are closer to real life than most would realise.
On August 28th, 2003, what started as an average day, ended in one of the most bizarre criminal acts in history. Mama Mia's Pizzaria in Erie, Pennsylvania, USA got a standard order for two pizzas, to be delivered not far from the building. Filling this order was  Brian Douglas Wells’, their pizza delivery man for nearly 30 years. Wells' set off with the pizzas to a featureless building, next to the abandoned WSEE-TV Transmitter tower. Nobody knows what happened next, but an hour later he was stood in a bank 2 miles away, with an improvised shotgun in his hands and an explosive device around his neck.

The unique explosive device was a complex triple-banded collar with a 3-digit combination dial and 4 locks, each lock having a key in a different location. Attached to the collar was a metal box containing pipebombs, controlled by an electrical detonator. Brian was tasked with following a 9 page list of hand written rules, to disarm his explosive collar before it killed him. At 14:20, Brian Wells attempted his first task.

Standing in the PNC Bank with a strange device attached to his body and instructions to get quarter of a million dollars from the bank teller, Brian handed the teller a note and a bag, who then filled the bag with $8,702. Brian realised he was short, but pressed for time he told the bank teller he would return for the rest of the money later. As Brian left in his car, a bank employee rang 911: "We just have been robbed. . . . We have a bank robbery at PNC Bank. The guy just walked out with - I don't know how much cash is in the bag. He had a bomb or something wrapped around his neck."
The police swiftly moved in and arrested Brian Wells, handcuffing him in a nearby car park. Once the police realised the collar housed explosives, they called in bomb squad. Sat on the floor with 20 minutes left to live, Brian pleaded to deaf ears as the bomb squad drove to the location.

"I don't have a lot of time."
"It's gonna go off."
"He pulled a key out and started a timer. I heard the thing ticking when he did it."
"Can you at least take these freakin handcuffs off so I can hold this thing up? It's killing my neck."
"I didn't do it."

Sadly with heavy traffic and not much time left, the collar exploded, punching a fatal "post-card" sized hole in Brian's chest. The elaborate event had ended in tragedy.

No one knew what had lead to those events, who had put the device on Wells or even truly why they had done it. The investigation hit a dead end and the whole event remained an enigma. It wasn't until 2008 when the truth came crashing down, leading to the prosecution of Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong, 58, and Kenneth Barnes, 53. A third conspirator,  Floyd Stockton, 60, was granted immunity in exchange for testifying against Marjorie and Kenneth.
It turned out that Brian Wells was in on the scheme. Brian had met Kenneth Barnes through Jessica Hoopsick, one of the prostitutes he visited, then was drawn into an elaborate scheme of robbery and murder.
Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong's father had left her as the inheritor of his fortunes, unwilling to wait for his death Marjorie decided to speed things up. Her plan was to gain $125,000 to hire a hitman to kill her father, to gain the money to do this she would rob a bank. To rob the bank she would build a complex bomb collar and a homemade shotgun, then attach it to a pizza delivery man and give him a bunch of tasks to disarm it... because you know, that's the shortest way to kill your father.

Sadly for Brian Wells, what he hadn't realised was that the bomb wasn't a fake as he was lead to believe. He was never meant to survive; killing Brian was all part of Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong's plan to cut off all loose ends.

The story wasn't over though. After everything had gone wrong, Brian was dead and no money was received, Marjorie became determined not to go to jail for murder... so she hatched another brilliant plan. She went home, deciding the best way to eliminate the possibility of being traced to the crime was to kill off anyone that might talk. She stepped into her house, greeted her boyfriend, then proceeded to hack him to pieces and store the body in her refrigerator. Obviously it wasn't the best plan, as soon she was incarcerated for his murder.

The story didn't exactly end with the same levels of near evil-genius it started with. What had baffled the media and police was simply just the moronic, botched plan of an insane women.

Dyatlov Pass

In 1959 on the 28th January, nine cross country skiers went out on an expedition. They were headed for the Otorten mountain range, which is in the Northern Urals in Russia. They were led by an Igor Dyatlov 23, whose name was later given to the area after the incident that took place some 50 years ago.
On February 2nd 1959 the team were crossing an area known to the local Mansi tribe as Kholat Syakhl, translated to mean the Mountain of Death. The group set up camp on that night and were never seen alive again.

The skiers were expected to complete their expedition by February 12th and it was prearranged that Igor Dyatlov would contact the sports club they belonged to on doing so. On receiving no word from Igor the club sent word to the authorities and a search party was organised.

On February 26th the search team found the groups tent partly covered by snow, the tents had been ripped open from the inside and most of the groups belongings were said to be still inside, footprints found around the camp showed that some of the skiers had left wearing only socks or barefoot, this combined with the amount of equipment left behind suggested they had left in a real hurry.

The search continued, some two km away the first two bodies were found, barefoot and only in their underwear, evidence of a fire was found, branches had been pulled from a nearby tree although firewood seemed readily available at ground level . Three more bodies were found back towards the tents location as though they had been heading back, it was reported the first five people found had all died of hypothermia although one did have a fractured skull it was not considered the cause of death.

After another two months searching the final four bodies were found near a ravine, they were well clothed but were said to have suffered traumatic deaths. one suffered a crushed skull, one was missing a tongue and the other two had multiple broken ribs, but strangely no external wounds were found on the bodies, there clothes however were said to have contained high levels of radiation. It was also later reported that the skin of the bodies was orange in colour and looked burnt and the hair on some had turned grey, but this was not in the original report.

In May 1959 the inquest into the death of the skiers concluded that due to the absence of a guilty party the groups death was the cause of a compelling unknown force. It was also reported that local Mansi tribes had seen strange glowing orbs in the sky over the mountain range on the night that the group died.

So why did the group leave the tent in such a hurry ? Were they scared by strange lights in the sky.  What caused the condition of the bodies, how accurate was the investigation were certain facts omitted ? Could there be a logical explanation for these events or was there a more sinister force at play. This was not the first incident in the so called Mountains of Death, according to folklore nine Mansi tribesmen died there in mysterious circumstances which is how the mountain got its name, nine skiers died in 1959 and in 1991 nine died in a plane crash. So my advice if you are going to visit the area only take seven or less friends.....

Overtoun Bridge

In Scotland in the borough of Dumbarton, lies the small village of Milton. In this villages exists the Overtoun bridge. The bridge is on the grounds of Overtoun House which is a 19th century manor. The house was commissioned to be built by James White in 1859 and was lived in by his family into the 1930s, it was then given to the people of Dumbarton. It has since been used as a hospital and youth hostel. Nothing out of the ordinary.

Now since 1950-60s something strange started to happen at the Overtoun bridge, dogs have started to throw themselves from the bridge falling to their death 40-50ft below in what appears to be some form of canine suicide.These weird events have been occurring at regular intervals up until current times. It is said that well over 50 dogs have leaped to their death.

A TV documentary was made looking at the possibilities or causes of why the dogs are reacting to the bridge in this strange manner. David Sands an animal expert came to the conclusion that it was the smell of mink that was attracting the dogs into leaping to their deaths. The sound of running water and optical illusions have also been mentioned as possible reasons.

In conclusion, is it likely that a dog would throw itself down a 40ft drop chasing after a good smell, or hearing running water would be confused enough to leap to its death. I don't think so, all these things could be present at many locations similar to Overtoun but what makes this bridge unique ? One dog was even reported to jump from the bridge, survive the fall and crawl back to the top with broken limbs and attempt to jump again. Is it some supernatural force, some unforeseen natural occurrence. Well I'm not sure but I do know if I was walking my dog here he would be firmly attached to me by his lead.