Update (Feb. 26): Tim Lambesis, lead singer of the Christian heavy metal band As I Lay Dying, has pleaded guilty to one count of solicitation of murder, reports the Associated Press. An investigation began in last April regarding the alleged plans Lambesis had to hire someone to kill his estranged wife, and Lambesis faces a nine-year jail term and a $10,000 fine, according to The New York Times.
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Shortly after arriving back in the United States after a performance in China, Tim Lambesis, frontman for As I Lay Dying, a Christian heavy metal band, found himself in custody for an alleged murder-for-hire scheme.
According to Reuters, police said Lambesis "was arrested in California on Tuesday on charges that he sought the help of an undercover detective to have his estranged wife killed."
As I Lay Dying gained popularity as a Christian heavy metal band in 2007, when one of the band's top-selling releases, "An Ocean Between Us," debuted at No. 8 on the Billboard 200 list.
"In interviews, Lambesis has insisted that although the lyrics may seem harsh, the five band members are Christians and the songs include Christian themes of forgiveness and struggle," notes the Los Angeles Times. "He graduated from a San Diego-area Christian high school."
Recently, though, Lambesis told Noisecreep, "Religion has some influence on the things that we write about, just like all of our life experiences do, but as a band we want to be judged on the music rather than what our personal beliefs are."
Lambesis's band members have released the following statement:
As we post this, the legal process is taking its course and we have no more information than you do. There are many unanswered questions, and the situation will become clearer in the coming days and weeks. We'll keep you informed as best we can.
Our thoughts right now are with Tim, his family, and with everyone else affected by this terrible situation – and with our fans, whom we love and draw strength from.
Thank you for understanding, and as always, for your support of As I Lay Dying.
– Jordan, Nick, Phil, and Josh
