Justice Served: Bay Area Rocker Sentenced for Killing Girlfriend
A Bay Area musician and former finance tech worker has been sentenced to 25 years to life in prison after being convicted of first-degree murder for killing his girlfriend and abandoning her body in a Berkeley park.
Theo Lengyel, 54, was found guilty of strangling Alice “Alyx” Herrmann, a professor and neuroscientist, to death in December 2023. Her body was discovered in Tilden Regional Park, located in the Berkeley hills after she had been reported missing. Herrmann was last seen in December when she failed to join a family trip to Hawaii.
Lengyel was a member of the experimental rock band Mr. Bungle, which was formed in 1985 by musicians from Eureka, California. After leaving the band in 1996, he worked in programming for investment banks in San Francisco, a job he reportedly disliked. His trial took place at the Santa Cruz Superior Court, where he was convicted of first-degree murder on October 10.
During the trial, a chilling piece of evidence emerged in the form of an iPhone recording. The audio appeared to capture Herrmann’s final moments as Lengyel confronted her.
In the recording, Lengyel is heard threatening Herrmann, saying, “I could mash your f—king brain,” when she declined to go play pool with him. Herrmann is heard gasping for air and pleading with Lengyel to stop. She asks him to stop 53 times, making the audio a key piece of evidence in the case.
Witnesses during the trial, including Lengyel’s ex-wife, testified about his violent and abusive behaviour, particularly when he was under the influence of alcohol. Lengyel, who played multiple instruments, including the saxophone, clarinet, and keyboard, left Mr. Bungle on bad terms, according to the band’s bassist, Trevor Dunn.
The case has left many shaken, as it highlighted not only a tragic loss of life but also the disturbing behaviour of a man who once had a career in music and finance. The sentencing closes a painful chapter for Herrmann’s family, who continue to mourn the loss of their loved one.