Theo Lengyel Found Guilty of First-Degree Murder

Theobald 'Theo' Lengyel, a former member of the band Mr. Bungle, has been found guilty of first-degree murder for the death of his girlfriend, Alice 'Alyx' Kamakaokalani Herrmann, in December 2023. The conviction came after a jury in Santa Cruz deliberated for just one day, largely influenced by an audio recording from the victim's phone that captured her final moments as Lengyel strangled her. Herrmann's remains were discovered in Tilden Regional Park, Berkeley, after she was reported missing. Lengyel, who transitioned from music to a career in financial technology, did not dispute that he killed Herrmann but argued that it did not constitute first-degree murder. The recording, inadvertently captured, included Lengyel issuing threats and Herrmann pleading for her life. Lengyel is set to be sentenced in November 2024 and faces life imprisonment.