The jury recognizes the former member of the rock band Mr. Bungle found guilty of killing his girlfriend

SANTA CRUZ, CA – Founding member of the experimental rock band Mr. Bungle was found guilty Friday of first-degree murder in the death of his girlfriend after prosecutors in California found an audio file the victim recorded on his phone as he fought for his life.

A jury in Santa Cruz deliberated for one day before finding Theobald “Theo” Lengyel guilty of first-degree murder in the death of his girlfriend Alice “Alyx” Kamakaokalani Herrmann on the night of Dec. 4, 2023, at her Capitola home, KSBW reported. . Lengyel faces life in prison and is scheduled to be sentenced in November.

Lengyel, 55, was arrested in January after investigators found Herrmann’s remains in a wooded area of ​​Tilden Regional Park in Berkeley. Herrmann had been reported missing a month earlier after she failed to show up for a family gathering in Hawaii.

KRON-TV reported that on October 1, prosecutors played an audio recording recorded on Herrmann’s phone in which she pleaded for her life as her boyfriend strangled her.

It is unclear whether Herrmann, 61, recorded the audio intentionally or if the app inadvertently recorded it.

District Attorney’s Office Inspector Steven Ryan testified that investigators did not discover the horrific audio file until Sept. 22, 2024, a month after Lengyel’s murder trial began.

The recording begins with Lengyel playing the piano, then getting angry with Herrmann because he doesn’t want to go play pool. Herrmann repeatedly says he doesn’t want to go because he has to work in Berkeley the next day.

Minutes after their argument, Lengyel can be heard threatening his girlfriend, saying, “I could crush your f***ing brains.”

According to prosecutors, a verbal argument escalated into a physical altercation. Herrmann could then be heard begging for her life, gasping for air.

Lengyel left Mr. Bungle in 1996 after playing saxophone, clarinet and keyboards on several recordings, including the band’s 1991 debut album and 1995’s “Disco Volante”. He did not participate in any of the band’s recent tours, which began in 2020.

Mr. Team Bungle was formed in Northern California’s Humboldt County in 1985 by high school friends including guitarist Trey Spruance, bassist Trevor Dunn and vocalist Mike Patton, who later performed with Faith No More. Mr. Bungle experimented with funk, heavy metal, electronic, jazz and other musical styles, gaining popularity during the alternative rock boom in the 1990s.

In a 2005 Q&A, Dunn said Lengyel left the band on bad terms, SF Gate reported.