Former Mr. Bungle member found guilty of first-degree murder, faces life in prison

Theo Lengyel and Alyx Herrmann — (Image credit: El Cerrito Police Department)

Former Mr. Bungle member Theobald 'Theo' Lengyel has been found guilty of the murder of his girlfriend, Alice 'Alyx' Herrmann, and faces the prospect of life in prison when sentenced next month.

A jury in Santa Cruz, California took just one day to find the 55-year-old guilty of the murder, which took place on the night of December 4, 2023.

On September 22, one month into the murder trial, state prosecutors discovered an audio recording on Herrmann's iPhone documenting her violent death. According to evidence given at the trial, the recording found Lengyel initiating an argument with his partner which escalated into a physical altercation. Herrmann could be heard pleading for her life on the sound file.

It is not known if Herrmann intentionally recorded her own death using the app, or if the app was accidentally triggered.

Lengyel, played keyboards, saxophone and clarinet in Mr. Bungle from their formation in 1986 until 1995, and appears on on their early demos, their 1991 self-titled debut and 1995's Disco Volante.

Lengyel and Hermann were previously married, but filed for divorce in 2017 following a domestic violence incident. At that time, Hermann filed a restraining order against her former partner. The police investigation of her murder focussed on Lengyel when investigators in El Cerrito discovered her red 2007 Toyota Highlander parked in front of her boyfriend's home.

Herrmann was a software engineer who worked at a number of San Francisco-area companies.

“She's very talented, loves music, very active outdoors,” brother her Eric Herrmann told SFGate back in December when she was initially reported missing, “especially ocean outrigger canoeing where she competed internationally.”

Lengyel faces life in prison and is set to be sentenced next month.

A music writer since 1993, formerly Editor of Kerrang! and Planet Rock magazine (RIP), Paul Brannigan is a Contributing Editor to Louder. Having previously written books on Lemmy, Dave Grohl (the Sunday Times best-seller This Is A Call) and Metallica (Birth School Metallica Death, co-authored with Ian Winwood), his Eddie Van Halen biography (Eruption in the UK, Unchained in the US) emerged in 2021. He has written for Rolling Stone, Mojo and Q, hung out with Fugazi at Dischord House, flown on Ozzy Osbourne's private jet, played Angus Young's Gibson SG, and interviewed everyone from Aerosmith and Beastie Boys to Young Gods and ZZ Top. Born in the North of Ireland, Brannigan lives in North London and supports The Arsenal.