Tim Lambesis will finally face the allegations that he hired a hit man to murder his estranged wife, today in a preliminary hearing in San Diego. Lambesis has pleaded not guilty to the charges of solicitation for murder, the AP says. If convicted, the As I Lay Dying lead singer could face up to nine years in prison.
Lambesis was released on bail that was set for $2 million but to which he only paid $160,000, following his imprisonment for the incident in May. Since then he has been under house arrest, wearing a GPS tracking device and ordered to stay away from ex-wife Meggan Lambesis and his three adopted children. The singer appeared in court June 26 when today’s trial date was set.
The prosecution is set to argue that Lambesis attempted to pay an undercover hit man $1000 to have his wife axed following a messy divorce. The defense is set to counteract the charges, saying that Lambesis was under the influence of steroids that affected his mind during the alleged exchange.
While Lambesis has made public comments regarding his arrest via social media, his bandmates have remained tight-lipped, stating they are letting the legal process take its course. The band was forced to pull out of a tour scheduled with Killswitch Engage due to Lambesis’s incarceration.
