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Theobald “Theo” Lengyel, a founding member of the revered experimental rock band Mr. Bungle, was arrested today in Capitola in connection with the murder of his girlfriend, 61-year-old Alice “Alyx” Kamakaokalani Herrmann, according to a press release from the Capitola Police Department.

Lengyel was among the Eureka High School students who formed Mr. Bungle in 1985, along with lead singer Mike Patton, who went on to front ‘90s alt-metal band Faith No More, among many other musical projects over the years. 

Lengyel, who played horns and keyboards with Mr. Bungle, split with the band in 1996 due to “creative differences.” He sometimes used the name “Mylo Stone,” according to the Capitola Police Department.

Kamakaokalani was last seen nearly a month ago, and until today Lengyel was considered merely a “person of interest” in the case. A multi-agency law enforcement investigation led to the discovery of human remains in a public park in Berkeley, according to the CPD press release below. Positive identification is pending DNA analysis.

We’ve contacted the Santa Cruz Sheriff’s Office to request a booking photo and will update this post once it’s received.

Here’s the press release:

Capitola, CA - January 2, 2024

The Capitola Police Department, in collaboration with the Santa Cruz County District Attorney’s Office, El Cerrito Police Department, and the Department of Justice, has successfully apprehended Thoebald “Theo” Lengyel (54 years old) in connection with the homicide of his girlfriend, Alice “Alyx” Kamakaokalani Herrmann (61 years old), a Capitola resident.

The arrest of Thoebald Lengyel was executed earlier today with the help of the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office in Santa Cruz County, following an intensive and collaborative investigation by the Capitola Police Department, which took over as the lead agency in the case.

The joint efforts with the Santa Cruz County District Attorney’s Office and the El Cerrito Police Department have been instrumental in bringing this case to a resolution.

Alice Kamakaokalani was last seen on December 3, 2023, prompting a missing person investigation from law enforcement agencies. The Capitola Holice Department, in conjunction with the El Cerrito Police Department, initiated an investigation into her disappearance on December 12, 2023.

Detectives from the Capitola Police Department gathered evidence, conducted interviews, and collaborated with partner agencies to piece together the circumstances surrounding Alice Kamakaokalanis disappearance. As the investigation progressed, it became clear that foul play was involved, leading to the identification of Thoebald Lengyel as a suspect.

The investigation led investigators to recover human remains in a wooded area within Tilden Regional Park in Berkley. The identification of the human remains is pending DNA confirmation from the Contra County Coroner’s Office.

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CORRECTION: This post originally misspelled Lengyel’s first name. The Outpost apologizes for the error.