San Diego-based Christian metalcore band As I Lay Dying's lead singer, Tim Lambesis, has been arrested on Oceanside on suspicion he tried to hire an undercover detective to kill his wife.
Lambesis in a 2012 press photo (via Facebook)
Lambesis, 32, was taken into custody at a retail establishment Tuesday, reports the Associated Press.San Diego County Sheriff's Department spokeswoman Jan Caldwell said they received information Thursday that Lambesis "was looking for someone to carry out the killing," according to Reuters.
"We acted quickly on [the information]. I believe that we averted a great tragedy," notes Caldwell.
As I Lay Dying has won several awards for their work. The band was founded in 2000, and Lambesis has said that while all the members are Christian, and their songs are written through a Christian perspective, the music is not "preachy." MTV notes that in 2007, Lambesis discussed the themes of the band's popular album "An Ocean Between Us":
"It's about the whole idea of fulfillment — if you do these things and take these steps, you will be happy — and how really, wealth, the prestige of being in a band, all that stuff is ultimately meaningless."
On his Tumblr in 2012, Lambesis explained lyrics to a current song and how they reflected a discovery of truth in contrast to what he'd believed in childhood, and how his study of religion informed his thinking.
"Lambesis' wife, Meggan, filed papers in San Diego Superior Court in September 2012 seeking a dissolution of marriage, according to an online court database," adds Reuters.
The band had just returned from China on the heels of an Asian tour. More tour dates are slated for the band for the summer months.
As I Lay Dying's record label, Metal Blade, has yet to comment on the case, and authorities in San Diego County have not provided further details about the arrest or alleged crime. Lambesis is expected to be arraigned Wednesday or Thursday.
