Three Men Arrested in Lamb of God Guitar Theft
On May 4, Lamb of God's Willie Adler posted a message and photos, revealing thieves had stolen two of the band's instruments: his "warbird" guitar and a hand-painted bass. Now, three men have been arrested in connection with the theft.
William Widener (left, aged 62), Justin Petersen (middle, aged 34) and Michael Blakeslee (right, 51) have been charged with theft and trafficking in stolen property, reports AZ Family. The theft occurred on May 2 in Phoenix, Arizona between midnight and 4:30AM, per Sgt. Vince Lewis of the Phoenix Police Department, and the men arrested are said to have taken the instruments from Lamb of God's trailer.
The report states that one of the instruments went up for sale through an online application while one of the men unsuccessfully attempted to pawn the other.
Widener and Blakeslee were arrested before 10:30PM on May 8 while Peterson was taken in the following day. The instruments, however, have yet to be recovered.
Hatebreed's Jamey Jasta has seen the news, posting a screenshot of the arrest article (seen below) while adding, "The bad news is you’re going to jail, the good news is you’ve been cast to star in the next Rob Zombie film!"
Lamb of God frontman Randy Blythe then weighed in in the comments, stating, "Well, I must say that their, ahem, 'aesthetic' doesn’t really surprise me- just kinda makes me sad. But on the 100% serious tip- these men are innocent until proven guilty, & I hope they are given due process and a fair trial. Then, whatever happens after, I hope they get some help. That one Alfalfa looking dude needs a sandwich, about a week’s worth of sleep, and a multivitamin. Jesus. #drugskill #dontdodrugskids."
Lamb of God are in the midst of a tour supporting Slayer on another North American leg of their ongoing farewell tour. Additional support comes from Amon Amarth and Cannibal Corpse and a list of remaining tour dates can be seen directly below.
Slayer, Lamb of God, Amon Amarth + Cannibal Corpse Tour Dates
May 16 - Noblesville, Ind. @ Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center
May 17 - Bonner Springs, Kansas @ Providence Medical Center Amphitheater
May 19 - Clarkston, Mich. @ DTE Energy Music Center
May 20 - Youngstown, Ohio @ Covel Centre
May 22 - Ottawa, Ontario @ Canadian Tire Centre
May 24 - Camden, N.J. @ BB&T Pavilion
May 25 - Mansfield, Mass. @ Xfinity Center
See Lamb of God in 50 Metal Songs That Defined 2009