A founding member of the experimental rock band Mr. Bungle was discovered responsible Friday of first-degree homicide within the killing of his girlfriend after prosecutors in California discovered an audio file the sufferer recorded on her telephone as she fought for her life.
A jury in Santa Cruz deliberated for a day earlier than discovering Theobald “Theo” Lengyel responsible of first-degree homicide within the killing of his girlfriend Alice “Alyx” Kamakaokalani Herrmann on the evening of December 4, 2023, inside her Capitola house, KSBW-TV reported.
Lengyel faces life in jail and is about to be sentenced in November.
Lengyel, 55, was arrested in January after investigators discovered Herrmann’s stays in a wooded space of Tilden Regional Park in Berkeley.
Herrmann was reported lacking the earlier month after she did not present as much as a household gathering in Hawaii.
On October 1, prosecutors performed an audio recorded on Herrmann’s telephone begging for her life as her boyfriend strangled her to demise, KRON-TV reported.
It’s unclear if Herrmann, 61, deliberately recorded the audio or if the app inadvertently recorded it.
District Legal professional’s Workplace Inspector Steven Ryan testified that investigators didn’t uncover the chilling audio file till September 22, 2024, a month after Lengyel’s homicide trial started.
The recording begins with Lengyel enjoying piano earlier than rising offended at Herrmann as a result of she would not wish to exit to play pool.
Herrmann repeatedly says she doesn’t wish to go as a result of she has to work in Berkeley the subsequent day.
A couple of minutes into their argument, Lengyel could be heard threatening his girlfriend stating, “I may mash your f—ing mind.”
In response to prosecutors, the verbal argument escalated right into a bodily altercation. Herrmann may then be heard pleading for her life, gasping for air.
Lengyel left Mr. Bungle in 1996 after enjoying saxophone, clarinet and keyboards on a number of recordings, together with the band’s self-titled 1991 debut album and “Disco Volante” in 1995.
He didn’t take part in any of the band’s current reunion excursions, which started in 2020.
Mr. Bungle was shaped in Northern California’s Humboldt County in 1985 by highschool buddies together with guitarist Trey Spruance, bassist Trevor Dunn and vocalist Mike Patton, who went on to carry out with Religion No Extra.
Mr. Bungle experimented with funk, heavy metallic, digital, jazz and different musical kinds, gaining reputation through the various rock increase of the Nineties.
In a 2005 Q&A, Dunn mentioned Lengyel left the band on dangerous phrases, SF Gate reported.
