Tim Lambesis, lead singer for metal band As I Lay Dying, was arrested Tuesday, on charges that he tried to hire someone to kill his estranged wife. Lambesis was detained near San Diego, where he'd allegedly approached an undercover detective about the contract killing. Lambesis’ wife, Meggan, filed for divorce in September 2012. Due to it being an ongoing investigation, the San Diego County Sheriff’s Department hasn’t yet released any details about how Lambesis allegedly wanted his wife killed, or how they found out about his plan.
As I Lay Dying is ostensibly a Christian metal group, though Lambesis told Noisecreep earlier this year that the band would rather “be judged on the music” rather than its “personal beliefs.” The group’s sixth album, Awakened, came out last year, hit No. 11 on the Billboard 200, and in recent weeks, the group had been touring Asia. A North American tour with Killswitch Engage was due to start May 30 in Oklahoma City, though obviously those plans seem likely to change.
Lambesis also recently raised $78,000 from fans to fund his Schwarzenegger-mocking side project, Austrian Death Machine.
Lambesis should be arraigned Wednesday or Thursday.