Ex-Mr Bungle Member Theo Lengyel Arrested For Alleged Murder

Theobald “Theo” Lengyel, an early member of the American jazz-funk-metal outfit Mr Bungle, has been arrested in connection to the alleged murder of his girlfriend, 61-year-old Alice “Alyx” Kamakaokalani Herrmann, a resident in Capitola, California.

Herrmann disappeared last month, and family members reported her missing after a week without contact. Lengyel was named a “person of interest” in the investigation conducted by the Capitola Police Department. According to investigators, Lengyel was uncooperative with police and named a suspect.

As stated in a press release issued by the Capitola Police, Herrmann’s vehicle was eventually found at Lengyel’s home in El Cerrito. During the time she was ruled missing, Lengyel reportedly travelled between El Cerrito and Portland, Oregon.

Human remains that police believe belong to Herrmann were found at the Tilden Regional Park in Berkeley. DNA identification of the remains is pending.

“As the investigation progressed, it became clear that foul play was involved, leading to the identification of Theobald Lengyel as a suspect,” Andrew J. Dally, Chief of Police at the Capitola Police Department, said in a press release.

The press release continued, “The diligent work of our investigators, in coordination with our law enforcement partners, has led to the apprehension of Theobald Lengyel in connection with the tragic homicide of Alice Kamakaokalani.”

Lengyel was booked in the Santa Cruz County jail, the Capitola Police Department detailed on their Facebook page.

Lengyel was part of an early line-up of Mr Bungle and played saxophone, keyboards and clarinet for the band from 1985 until 1996.

During his tenure with the group, Lengyel appeared on their 1986 demo, The Raging Wrath Of The Easter Bunny, their studio albums Mr. Bungle (1991) and Disco Volante (1995), and additional material.

He isn’t a part of the current reunion line-up of Mr Bungle, which stars original members Mike Patton, Trey Spruance, and Trevor Dunn, as well as Scott Ian (Anthrax) and former Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo.

In 2005, Dunn revealed in a fan-driven Q&A that Lengyel departed the band on bad 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 wrote. “He got pissed off and I haven't heard from him since.”

Mr Bungle will return to Australia this March with generational punk icons Melvins, with the former playing down under for the first time in nearly 24 years. You can find more information about that tour here.

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