Ex-Turnstile Guitarist Could Face Life in Jail After Upgraded Attempted Murder Charge

Former Turnstile guitarist Brady Ebert could potentially be facing a life sentence after the Montgomery County grand jury upgraded the charges on Ebert to include attempted first-degree murder.

According to The Baltimore Banner, the 33-year-old Ebert was indicted Thursday (April 30) and the attempted first-degree murder was among the charges levied against him. He had previously been facing a second-degree murder charge which could carry up to a 30-year sentence, but the first-degree charge could sentence him to life in relation to the March 29 incident in which Ebert struck singer Brendan Yates' father with a vehicle.

Why Is Brady Ebert Being Charged?

According to the Montgomery County Police Department report, "A suspect intentionally struck a victim with a vehicle following a dispute with neighbors. The victim sustained injuries." It was Yates' 79-year-old father William Yates who was allegedly struck by a vehicle that Ebert was supposedly driving.

The incident left the elder Yates with "severe trauma to both of his legs." The report claimed that detectives were told by family members that Ebert arrived at the elder Yates' home, "yelled obscenities" and honked his car horn, later coming back and striking William in the driveway with his vehicle.

The band later issued a statement to Rolling Stone that read as follows:

Turnstile cut ties with Brady Ebert in 2022 in response to a consistent pattern of harmful behavior affecting himself, the band, and the community. After exhausting every available resource to support his access to help and recovery, a boundary ultimately had to be set when healthy communication was no longer possible and he began threatening violence.

In the years since, his baseless tirades have continued in public. We never addressed it. We chose to protect his privacy and the circumstances around his departure, even when he did nothing to be deserving of that protection. Over the past few months, his threats only escalated further.

This past week, that violence led to a physical attack when Brady went to the house of Brendan’s parents and used his vehicle to run over Brendan’s father, causing severe physical trauma. We are grateful that Mr. Yates survived, has successfully undergone surgery, and we’re hoping for the best possible outcome in his recovery.

We have no language left for Brady.

Please respect our privacy in this time.

What Other Charges Does Brady Ebert Face?

In addition to the first-degree murder charge, Ebert is also charged with attempted second-degree murder, first-degree assault and two counts of second-degree assault.

He has been held at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility without bail.

According to MD Code, Criminal Law, § 2-205, a person who attempts to commit murder in the first degree is guilty of a felony and on conviction is subject to imprisonment not exceeding life.

What Is Brady Ebert's History With Turnstile?

Ebert was the co-founding lead guitarist and backing vocalist for the group. He remained with the band from 2010 through 2022. He appeared on three albums including the critically hailed 2018 set Time & Space and the Grammy nominated 2021 album, Glow On.

In August 2022, it was revealed that the band had parted ways with Ebert.

What Else Is Being Said About the Case?

According to The Baltimore Banner, Ebert has claimed that the surveillance video from the incident will exonerate him. "This is pure self-defense," said the musician. "They're the attackers."

The surveillance video in question comes from a neighbor. According to the Montgomery County Police, Ebert allegedly drove down Timberlake Drive loudly honking his horn as he approached Yates who backed out of the way to avoid getting hit. Yates then allegedly threw a rock at Ebert's car, while his daughter Erin allegedly pleaded with Ebert to stop. But the musician is accused of backing up, putting his car in drive and then striking the elder Yates with his vehicle.

READ MORE: Police Release New Details in Brady Ebert Attempted Murder Charge

The elder Yates told investigators at the hospital that Ebert had been harassing his family ever since the band cut ties with the musician in 2022.

Ebert will next appear in court on May 8 for a scheduling conference.

Below, see Turnstile in our list of last year's best rock and metal albums.