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Woman accused in collar-bomb case ruled competent

ERIE - A judge said yesterday that the woman accused of masterminding an elaborate bank robbery in 2003 that ended in the death of a pizza deliveryman is competent to stand trial.

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ERIE - A judge said yesterday that the woman accused of masterminding an elaborate bank robbery in 2003 that ended in the death of a pizza deliveryman is competent to stand trial.

Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong, now 60, has maintained that she is innocent of the robbery in which Brian Wells, 46, had a bomb locked around his neck. He told police he had been forced at gunpoint to wear the collar bomb. It exploded and killed him before police could defuse it.

U.S. District Judge Sean McLaughlin ruled a year ago that Diehl-Armstrong was incompetent to stand trial due to mental illness. But he ruled yesterday that she had recovered to the point that she could understand the charges against her and assist a lawyer in her defense. - AP

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