DECAPITATED's Attorney Responds To Kidnapping Charges: 'There Is Another Side To This'

An attorney for the Polish extreme metal band DECAPITATED has claimed their innocence in the alleged kidnapping a woman after their concert in Spokane on August 31.

Spokane Police Department spokeswoman Cpl. Teresa Fuller told The Spokesman-Review that a woman reported the alleged kidnapping by the musicians to police just before 2 a.m. on September 1. The woman is believed to have attended DECAPITATED's concert with THY ART IS MURDER at The Pin concert venue in downtown Spokane as part of the two bands' "Double Homicide" tour.

The DECAPITATED bandmembers — identified as 27-year-old Michal M. Lysejko, 35-year-old Waclaw J. Kieltyka, 31-year-old Rafal T. Piotrowski and 30-year-old Hubert E. Wiecek — were arrested early Saturday following their concert at The Observatory in Santa Ana, California. They are in the Los Angeles County Jail awaiting extradition to Spokane. Fuller said additional charges are possible.

"A patrol officer responded and assisted the victim. The report was then sent to the Special Victim's Unit for follow up," Spokane police said in a statement. "Based on the information they developed during the subsequent investigation, and with assistance from the LA County SO, the four males were taken into custody for 1st Degree Kidnapping in Santa Ana this morning."

Santa Ana police Sgt. Javier Aceves told The Orange County Register: "After they finished playing [at The Observatory], they were kind of hanging out. There was nothing dramatic."

Defense attorney Steve Graham, who was hired by the band on Thursday after they became aware of the investigation, told The Spokesman-Review: "There is another side to this. We have witnesses that can testify to the fact that the accuser came to visit band of her own free will and left on good terms."

Graham said he told police that the band members had offered to surrender but never heard anything back. "I made it clear that I could get the guys up here ASAP and they would cooperate," he said.

DECAPITATED's next two shows have been scrapped as a result of the band's arrests.

"Unfortunately DECAPITATED will be unable to make tonight's performance as scheduled," the Mesa, Arizona venue Club Red said about Saturday's gig.

"Sorry everyone — due to DECAPITATED's legal problems, tomorrow's show has been cancelled," the El Paso, Texas venue Tricky Falls, where the band was scheduled to play Sunday, added shortly after the arrests.

DECAPITATED has been touring North America in support of its seventh album, "Anticult", which was released on July 7 via Nuclear Blast.