Federal officials believe they are nearing an end to the investigation into the case of a pizza delivery man who was killed when a bomb strapped around his neck was detonated more than three years ago.

U.S. Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan made that announcement at a press conference this afternoon, following a three-hour meeting this morning with federal and state law enforcement who had been investigating the case.

"We now believe we have a much better understanding of what happened on Aug. 28, 2003," she said. "I'm very encouraged by the information that has been collected."

Brian Wells, 46, was working as a delivery man for Mama Mia's Pizza-Ria when he received an order about 1:30 p.m. on Aug. 28, 2003, for an address near a television tower. He left with two pizzas before showing up to rob a bank just outside of Erie, with a bomb locked around his neck.

It detonated shortly after the bank robbery, after state police stopped Mr. Wells and handcuffed him.

Ms. Buchanan refused to answer any questions about the case during her news conference and walked away from the podium when asked.

Brother seeks answers

John Wells, Brian Wells' brother, was not aware that federal officials were nearing the end of the investigation.

"We won't be satisfied until everyone is held responsible for their actions that day."

Included in that everyone, he continued, are members of law enforcement who didn't call a bomb squad for 32 minutes after his brother had been taken into custody by the state police.

Mr. Wells is unsure why the investigation into his brother's death has taken such a long time. The federal grand jury, he said, was seated just a month after his brother was killed.

Since that time, several theories of what could have happened that day have been advanced, including that Brian Wells was taken hostage and used by his kidnappers to rob the bank. But others have speculated that Brian Wells may have been involved in the robbery attempt and could have thought the bomb was a fake.

John Wells dismissed that idea.

"Everyone knows Brian was an innocent victim," he said.

Mr. Wells also complained that he has not been kept abreast of any developments in the investigation, and instead gets his updates from members of the media when they call him.

For more information on the case, please go to www.brianwells.net.