Tim Lambesis, As I Lay Dying Singer, Accused of Murder-for-Hire Plot

[Phil]

http://www.nbcsandiego.com/blogs/sounddiego/Local-Musician-Accused-of-Murder-for-Hire-Plot-206520101.html

 

Officials said they learned last Thursday that Lambesis had solicited someone to kill his wife, who is an Encinitas resident, and that they immediately began an investigation.

 

A search of court records has determined that Lambesis' wife, Meggan, field for divorce in North County last September.

 

SoundDiego contributor Tim Pyles of FM 94/9 was shocked by the news.

 

?He?s not the idealistic young Christian kid he once was, apparently,? Pyles said. ?Beause that?s what [As I Lay Dying] are: a straight-edged Christian metal band. He was a nice guy. I?ve had him on my show a couple times over the years. I just spoke to him via Facebook the last couple months about having him come on to talk about his latest record.?

 

Pyles said he wouldn?t be the only one disturbed by the news.

 

?I?m bummed,? Pyles said. ?There?s a lot of people who look up to him. He?s just broken a lot of hearts if it?s true.?

 

One of the only Christian metal bands I had no problem supporting and really enjoying. This is such a shame if it's true, because metal music will have lost one of it's best acts.

 

Just awful.

[Ba Ba Bluey]

Yikes. This does blow.

[Phil]

http://www.blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=189737

 

According to The San Diego Union-Tribune, AS I LAY DYING frontman Tim Lambesis, who is accused of trying to hire a hitman to kill his estranged wife, pleaded not guilty earlier today (Thursday, May 9) to a felony charge of solicitation of murder and was ordered held on $3 million bail. He faces nine years in state prison if convicted.

 

At Lambesis' arraignment in Vista Superior Court in Vista, California, Deputy District Attorney Claudia Grasso said that the musician told someone at a gym that he wanted his wife dead. He allegedly met with an undercover agent posing as a hitman, who asked Lambesis if he wanted his wife gone, and Lambesis replied, "Yes, that's what I want." Lambesis then gave the agent an envelope containing $1,000 in cash with detailed instructions ? including pictures of his wife, her address and the code to get through a gate and dates when the "hit" could take place; when he had his children, saying that would be his alibi on how to kill his estranged wife.

 

Defense attorney Anthony Salerno said afterward that he believed his client may have been the victim of a setup. "Law enforcement was fed something by someone who effectively orchestrated the whole thing ... [Tim] did not intend to harm anybody," said the lawyer, who added that someone may have given false information about Lambesis to authorities in order to "save his own skin." "If I had to hang a tag on it, I'd call it a scumbag snitch setup," he said.