UPDATE on 10.05.2013: There have been new developments on the Tim Lambesis' case. Remember that he was arrested for allegedly seeking the help of an undercover detective to have his estranged wife killed. UT San Diego is now reporting that he has pleaded not guilty at his arraignment in Vista Superior Court to a single count of solicitation for murder. He faces up to nine years in prison if convicted.

During the arraignment, Judge Martin Staven set Lambesis' bail at $3 million. If he posts bail, the judge said, Lambesis will have to surrender his passport and wear a GPS device to monitor his whereabouts. Staven also ordered the defendant to stay away from his wife, Meggan Lambesis, and their three children. You can watch a video of the arraignment over here.

Several of Lambesis' family members and friends, including some of his bandmates, appeared at the hearing Thursday. Many of them submitted letters to the judge showing their support for the defendant.

Prosecutors said a recording exists of Lambesis giving the officer an envelope with cash, home gate codes and pictures of Meggan, alleging the musician told the officer to kill her while he was with their children in order to establish an alibi. Deputy District Attorney Claudia Grosso alleged that Lambesis had also engaged in extramarital affairs and emailed Meggan to state he had fallen out of love with her and stopped believing in God.

The alleged target of the plot, Lambesis' wife, told the judge she feared for her life and was unsure if there were additional hits put out on her. Lambesis' attorney disputed those claims, saying his client did not intend to harm anyone and calling the case the result of a "scumbag snitch setup."

A readiness hearing was set for June 10th and preliminary hearing for July 10th.

---

UPDATE on 09.05.2013: As I Lay Dying have finally released a statement concerning the recent situation involving their frontman Tim Lambesis who was arrested allegedly after seeking the help of an undercover detective to have his estranged wife killed.

The band commented on the matter: "To our fans, as we post this, the legal process is taking its course and we have no more information than you do. There are many unanswered questions, and the situation will become clearer in the coming days and weeks. We'll keep you informed as best we can.

Our thoughts right now are with Tim, his family, and with everyone else affected by this terrible situation - and with our fans, whom we love and draw strength from. Thank you for understanding, and as always, for your support of As I Lay Dying. Jordan, Nick, Phil, and Josh."

---

Original news, published on 08.05.2013

This all sounds like a crazy movie, but according to Reuters, As I Lay Dying frontman and co-founder of the band Tim Lambesis was arrested on Tuesday in California at an Oceanside business on charges that he sought the help of a hitman to murder his estranged wife, who resides in Encinitas. The band in recent days had been touring in Asia.

Police had previously learned Lambesis was looking for someone to carry out the killing, San Diego County Sheriff's Department spokeswoman Jan Caldwell said. "The information came to us late last week. We acted quickly on it. I believe that we averted a great tragedy," she said.

Lambesis' wife, Meggan, reportedly filed papers in San Diego Superior Court in September 2012 seeking a dissolution of marriage.

Tim Lambesis is now expected to appear in court for an arraignment on Wednesday or Thursday. Neither the band nor their label Metal Blade have made any comment as of now.

Source:	reuters.com
Band profile:	As I Lay Dying