October 11th 2024.
The news of a founding member of the experimental rock band Mr. Bungle being found guilty of first-degree murder has shocked the music world. Theobald "Theo" Lengyel, 55, was convicted on Friday after a jury in Santa Cruz deliberated for a day. The victim, Alice "Alyx" Kamakaokalani Herrmann, was Lengyel's girlfriend and was tragically killed on December 4, 2023, in her home in Capitola, California. The trial, which began in September 2024, revealed the chilling details of the night Herrmann lost her life.
Herrmann's remains were found in a wooded area of Tilden Regional Park in Berkeley in January, leading to Lengyel's arrest. She was reported missing the previous month after failing to show up to a family gathering in Hawaii. During the trial, prosecutors played an audio recording that Herrmann had unintentionally captured on her phone. The recording captured the sound of Lengyel strangling her while she begged for her life. It was a heartbreaking and horrific piece of evidence that left the jury with no doubt of Lengyel's guilt.
According to District Attorney's Office Inspector Steven Ryan, the audio file was not discovered until September 2024, a month after the trial began. In the recording, Lengyel can be heard playing the piano before an argument breaks out between him and Herrmann. She repeatedly tells him that she cannot go out to play pool because she has work in Berkeley the next day. Lengyel becomes increasingly angry and threatens her, saying, "I could mash your f---ing brain." The argument turns physical, and Herrmann can be heard gasping for air and pleading for her life.
Lengyel, who played saxophone, clarinet, and keyboards in Mr. Bungle, left the band in 1996 after recording several albums with them. He did not participate in their recent reunion tours, which began in 2020. The band, formed in 1985 by high school friends in Northern California, gained popularity in the 1990s for their unique blend of funk, heavy metal, electronic, and jazz music. However, Lengyel's departure was not on good terms, as mentioned by bassist Trevor Dunn in a 2005 Q&A.
The verdict of first-degree murder means that Lengyel faces life in prison. His sentencing is set for November, and the music community is left reeling from this tragic and senseless crime. It is a reminder that even those we may admire and idolize can be capable of unspeakable acts. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of Alice Herrmann, whose life was taken far too soon. May justice be served, and may she rest in peace.
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