Mr. Bungle's founding and former member, Theor Lengyel, has been arrested for murdering his girlfriend, Alice "Alyx" Kamakaokalani Herrmann.
On Tuesday, January 2, the authorities booked Lengyel, 54, into the Santa Cruz County jail on a first-degree murder charge following the death of his 61-year-old girlfriend. Herrmann was last seen on December 3, and a missing person investigation was launched nine days later.
Theo Lengye Arrested on Murder Charge
Police Chief Andrew Dally confirmed the arrest to USA Today, saying his agency and the Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Office performed the arrest following an investigation that led the detectives to human remains found in the wooded area in the Tilden Regional Park.
While police did not disclose how the person died or where they killed, they ruled the unidentified human remains were of Lengye's girlfriend.
The Contra County Coroner's Office said the identification of the human remains and the confirmation of the cause of death remain pending.
Dally said the investigation made it clear that foul play was involved, with Lengyel as the suspect.
San Francisco Chronicle reported that officials found Herrmann's vehicle parked in front of Lengyel's residence, and the musician showed a lack of cooperation with the police during the probe.
"The diligent work of our investigators, in coordination with our law enforcement partners, has led to the apprehension of (Theobald) Lengel [sic] in connection with the tragic homicide of Alice Kamakaokalanil [sic]," Capitola police wrote in a statement, per Rolling Stone. "We extend our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the victim during this difficult time."
The motive for the murder is still unknown.
On the other hand, Lengyel was previously named in a domestic violence case filed by his then-wife before their divorce.
Theo Lengyel Left Mr. Bungle
Lengyel co-founded Mr. Bungle in Eureka, Calif., in 1985 and played the keyboard and saxophone in the band. He played alongside Jed Watts, Trevor Dunn, Mike Patton and Trey Spruance.
He played in the band's first two releases: the self-titled 1991 album and 1995 "Disco Volante."
In 1996, he left the group and was not on the best of terms.
"We unanimously decided to go on without him because he wasn't growing with the rest of the band and we were running out of things for him to do," Dunn said in 2005. "He got pissed off and I haven't heard from him since."
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