As I Lay Dying frontman Tim Lambesis will serve six years in prison for his role in the murder-for-hire plot against his estranged wife, Meggan.
His bandmates, guitarists Nick Hipa, Phil Sgrosso and bassist Josh Gilbert were present for the hearing. There were more than three dozen supporters of Meggan who arrived, adorned in small yellow felt hearts pinned to their shirts.
Update: Lambesis gave his first, and probably last interview right before being sentenced. Read highlights here.
According to Radio.com, Meggan's family spoke during the hearing saying Lambesis showed no remorse and only cared about money during the proceedings:
Mike Murphy, Meggan’s father, was the first to speak to the court. As Lambesis watched intently, Murphy explained that some people talk about being a Christian, but Meggan lives a Christian life and that his daughter has influenced other people to adopt children, too. Murphy went on to claim the family still fears assassination: “We know that prison is a great alibi for someone who wants to complete the deed.”
After meeting with Lambesis’ attorney regarding a civil suit, the singer reportedly showed no remorse. “He was only worried about the money. Tim is only sorry he got caught.” He closed by calling for the maximum sentence of nine years.
Meggan’s mother spoke next, claiming that Lambesis had been “abusive” and that he had regarded her daughter’s life “as was a mere inconvenience to this narcissistic child.”
When Meggan finally spoke, Lambesis turned in his seat to listen but didn’t look into her face. The wife and mother of three adopted children, Meggan said Lambesis’ behavior changed in the prior months. He had bullied her. He had become “dangerous.” Reading a prepared statement, she claimed her life “felt as fragile as a piece of paper that could float away at any moment.”Meggan explained to the court that Lambesis texted her the day before his arrest asking for his children’s social security numbers: “He was tying up loose ends,” she said. She now believes he was fantasizing about killing her in advance, quoting a favorite line from the Arnold Schwarzenegger’s film Total Recall where he shoots his wife and says, “Consider that a divorce.” Meggan closed by requesting the maximum sentence and a lifetime restraining order.
Tim Lambesis' defense attorney tried to again blame steroids for Lambesis' erratic behavior. He claimed Lambesis put on 40 pounds and "morphed" into a different person. Lambesis also had a moment to speak, but struggled. He wept before finally looking at his wife and saying he couldn't previously apologize due to the restraining order but saying “I do feel deep remorse. I want to thank you… for your prayers… which proves you still have the heart that you do.”
The judge took little pity saying plenty of people use steroids and haven't tried to kill their wife and blamed it on “something twisted inside a character” to consider murder. The judge then sentenced Lambesis to six years with 48 days credit for custody already served.
According to AltPress:
In a defense memo to the judge that became public after sentencing, attorneys Thomas Warwick and Karen Oakman requested Lambesis be given probation. The memo also revealed the final terms of the family court case. Tim acquiesced to Meggan’s requests, which included losing his children permanently, agreeing to a 10-year restraining order, giving her full ownership of his life insurance policy, taking full responsibility for any tax liabilities, turning over any cash that was seized from his home and surrendering the almost $250,000 remaining in trust accounts. Tim’s parents, Nick and Vicki, also gave into Meggan’s demand that they give up all rights as grandparents.
Update: Prior to entering prision, Lambesis gave a lengthy interview discussing his maritial problems, motivations for steroid use, how the hitman hiring went down and his future in music. There is a lot covered and it's absolutely worth a read. Read highlights here.
Lambesis' bandmates have since moved on to a new project, Wovenwar. In a cryptic post on the official As I Lay Dying website, Lambesis said he planned on making more music in the future:
“In terms of music, Tim doesn’t want to pursue performing live music full time regardless of what length his sentence ends up being. His sentence certainly won’t be forever, but even so, touring full time doesn’t seem healthy or practical given his new outlook and goals. Creating new music is the part Tim loves most and he will always continue to release albums.”
Lambesis was arrested last May by an undercover cop pretending to be a hitman, hired to murder Lambesis' wife. Lambesis handed over an envelope with $1000 deposit, photos of his wife and times when she would be home without the children.
Previous coverage can be found here.
