Tim Lambesis Trial Update: 'As I Lay Dying' Front Man Admits To Hiring Hitman To Kill Wife; Band Remains In Hiatus

On May last year, the Christian band "As I Lay Dying" front man Tim Lambesis was arrested after the San Diego County Sheriff's Department learned that he was behind the murder of his wife, Meggan Murphy Lambesis. The sheriff said that the 33-year old vocalist allegedly hired a hitman to kill Mrs. Murphy. Lambesis was released on a $2 million bail and went on tours with his band.

One year after, the Tim Lambesis Trial took a turn that only few have expected. The Christian band vocalist confessed that he did hire a hitman to kill his wife. According to his attorney, Thomas Warwick, Lambesis entered a guilty plea in a San Diego court for the accusation, earning himself a nine-year prison sentence.

Based on the document released by the media, as reported by Yahoo! Celebrity, "Lambesis gave the detective $1,000 in cash, a photo of his wife, her address and the security gate code, and suggested the killing be carried out on dates when he would be with his children and have an alibi."

"Basically told the undercover agent that his wife was making things very difficult for him and he wanted her gone," City News Service  Deputy District Attorney Claudia Grasso said.

With this shocking news, "As I Lay Dying" will remain on hiatus and without a vocalist for the months to come.

Doc Coyle, former guitarist of "God Forbid" and the band that "As I Lay Dying" toured with for many instances, was deeply saddened and shocked by the news.

"The band as a whole had a reputation as being the nicest band in metal," Coyle says. "They were very easy-going, very welcoming."

Still, he is hopeful that Lambesis will be able to redeem himself.

"I definitely believe in second chances, but it's hard to say how I'll move forward," Doc Coyle said.

For Dave Nassie, a guitarist who's played in No Use for a Name and California metal band Bleeding Through, he is thankful that he got to work with Lambesis.

"Everybody who's ever worked with him would be conflicted because it's just a terribly sad situation for so many people involved," Nassie says. "But fortunately, before it all happened, I was able to work with him and do something that was cool and everybody was in a good mood at the time when I was there. From a musical point of view, that's really important."