As I Lay Dying vocalist Tim Lambesis has pleaded guilty to charges of murder solicitation, after hiring an undercover agent to murder his estranged wife.
Having previously denied the charge, it came as somewhat of a shock when rumours of a plea bargain began to surface last week. The plea was entered at a Vista, California courthouse and Lambesis now faces up to nine years in prison and a $100 000 fine.
Lambesis was arrested in May 2013 for attempting to hire a hitman to kill his estranged wife Meggan Lambesis. Prosecutors said he met with a sheriff’s deputy posing as a hit man and handed over $1,000 along with his wife’s address and front door security code. According to Deputy District Attorney Claudia Grasso, Lambesis agreed to pay $20,000 upon completion of the job.
Details of Lambesis’ meetings with the undercover agent have been posted online via Radio.com:
“During our conversation he told me that he had picked out three dates that were good dates for him, for me to kill his wife. Those were the dates that he would have his children and therefore, he would not be a suspect in the case”.
The undercover officer tried to get Lambesis to use the word “kill” or “dead” during their conversation, which he said was recorded, but Lambesis resisted. However he continued to say repeatedly that, “I want her gone. I want her never ever, ever to come back.” Then “as he was leaving, we got about fifteen or twenty feet away from each other and he turned back to me and he goes, “Just to clarify, just so you know, I do want her dead.’”
In September, a defense attorney said Lambesis’ use of steroids had clouded his judgement.
The remaining members of As I Lay Dying have not yet commented on the plea.
A sentencing hearing has been set for May 2.
