Theobald Lengyel sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for the murder of Capitola's Alice Herrmann

Santa Cruz County Superior Court Judge Nancy de la Peña sentenced Theobald Lengyel on Thursday to 25 years to life in prison for the December 2023 murder of his girlfriend, Capitola resident Alice “Alix” Herrmann, Lengyel's attorney Annrae Angel said Lookout said she would appeal on his behalf.

Lengyel spoke briefly to the court, apologizing and adding that Herrmann's death was a tragedy and “like a cloud without any silver lining.”

“I can’t say anything that would make a difference, I’m sorry,” he said. “There is no way to compensate for the light it would have shone in the future.”

Lengyel was convicted of first-degree murder in October after a week-long trial in which Santa Cruz County Assistant District Attorneys Conor McCormick and Emily Wang painted a picture of Lengyel as a serially violent person, using testimony from Lengyel's ex -Mrs. quoted. along with members of his family and other witnesses. During the trial, prosecutors also played a brutal three-hour audio recording of the night Lengyel appeared to strangle Herrmann in their Capitola home.

Lengyel, 55, a member of the rock band Mr. Bungle from 1985 to 1996, had pleaded not guilty. Angel did not dispute that Lengyel killed Herrmann, but argued that the murder was not premeditated. Herrmann, who was 61 when she died, had a doctorate. in neuroscience and was a member of the local canoeing group Outrigger Santa Cruz.

Members of the canoe group, Herrmann's family members and others flooded the courtroom Thursday for Lengyel's sentencing. Many sobbed quietly and wiped away tears. Several people provided victim impact statements. Outrigger Santa Cruz member Theresa Mulder recalled the pain of watching Herrmann's death being recorded.

“We sat on those benches and we heard him torturing her, we heard him taunting her, we heard her taking her last breath,” she told the courtroom. “We have heard a cruel and vicious breach of trust. She recorded that night for a reason. She wanted to be heard, and so we listened.”

Mulder pushed for justice so that Lengyel would “never harm another woman again.”

“For some women on our team, this betrayal has awakened painful memories of past trauma. For others, it has created a deep distrust of men. For many, this leaves us feeling unsafe in general,” she said. “Violence against women is designed to, any form of violence against each of us creates an underlying fear in each of us.”

Herrmann's longtime friend Betsy Marvit spoke about how special Hermann was to her.

“There was just so much humanity in this little person, and she was deeply kind,” she said. “She embraced life with curiosity and joy and was always trying new things. Her enthusiasm for life was contagious and she shared it generously with everyone she met.”

Marvit also urged the court to sentence Lengyel to life in prison, saying he should never have the option of release to protect others from harm.

“No family or community should have to endure what he did to us, and no matter what comes next for him, it will mean that this worthless, insecure, unstable piss stain of a man can ever be released,” she said.

Claire Carroll, a friend of Herrmann's from Hawaii, called her a “true gift that God has given us on this earth.”

“I cannot tell you how the impact of this malicious act has affected all of us,” she said through tears. “I traveled over 2,000 miles to be here today with everyone who loved her too.”

Herrmann's brother Eric, who was involved in the case from the beginning, addressed the court and said he had taken many weeks off work. Even a year later, the grief is still “overwhelming”. He told the court that they had to tell their 94-year-old father that Herrmann had died. Due to his advanced age and poor memory, her father thought the conversation was a “terrible dream,” meaning Eric had to tell him again.

“The whole thing was and is inexcusable. It was and is incomprehensible. It was and is unforgivable for me and my family,” he said. “I have asked the court to expel him from society. With his actions, he consciously and consciously renounced the right to participate in the world and enjoy freedom. Justice cannot undo the harm he caused, but it can bring us some peace.”

Hermann's daughter, Dorothy, said her mother had a profound impact on her life and that nothing could ever make up for the absence she feels now.

“She cannot be brought back to life. The unique memories and thoughts she had cannot be restored. Restitution is impossible and anything that can be done to the defendant to in my view balance the standard of justice in any way offers me no comfort.”

De la Peña spoke briefly, both calling Herrmann “an amazing person” and Lengyel “amazingly smart and terribly dangerous.” She also called the case “perhaps unlike anything she has seen in nearly 30 years as a public defender, five years on the county board and now nearly four years on this bench.”

After the verdict was announced, de la Peña acknowledged that it was probably not enough for Herrmann's relatives: “In a case like this there is no justice, but the court can impose the sentence, and that is the sentence that this court imposes. “

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