Justin Lowe, Ex-After The Burial Guitarist, Found Dead At 32 After Being Reported Missing
Justin Lowe, the former guitarist for the Minnesota-based metal band After the Burial, has been found dead at the age of 32 after being reported missing.
Lowe is believed to have fallen to his death, after his body was found on Tuesday, July 22, and identified on Wednesday, July 22. His body was discovered by a hiker early Tuesday morning beneath the Arcola High Bridge, which connects Stillwater, Minnesota, and the town of Somerset, Wisconsin, as reported by RiverTowns.net.
St. Croix County Chief Deputy Scott Knudson said Lowe had been reported missing on July 18 in Washington County, Minnesota. Knduson said Lowe’s injuries were consistent with a fall, and no foul play is currently suspected.
.@aftertheburial‘s Justin Lowe has been found dead http://t.co/xuKV4eNcqB
— Metal Hammer (@MetalHammer) July 22, 2015
Lowe’s vehicle was found on the Minnesota side of the bridge, which became the focus of the police search following the missing person’s report. Authorities from St. Croix and Washington counties, along with members of the U.S. Coast Guard and National Parks services, all deployed in the search for the former guitarist.
Lowe, of Vadnais Heights, Minnesota, officially quit After the Burial in June, and apparently wrote a lengthy post explaining why on his Facebook page. The post, which is somewhat disturbing, linking a possible conspiracy to a series of dramatic events, has since been taken down from Facebook, but can be read in its entirety on LoudWire.
Not long after, the band posted a message in response to Lowe’s decision to quit, noting that he was suffering from mental illness.
“Our dear friend, our brother onstage and off, has fallen into a very broken state of mind. A state that, despite our continued efforts, we have been powerless to get him out of.
The context of his words and the thoughts he expressed came with as much surprise to us as it did to anyone, including his family and closest friends. These are thoughts he has kept hidden from everyone very well until now, and it’s so very unfortunate he felt he couldn’t reach out and talk to someone about the things that were affecting him before it got to this point.
Justin is ill, and right now he needs more than ever to be shown that the world is not against him. He needs support and love from everyone, and to know that we only want what’s best for him. We will continue to support him and his family as best we can through this tough time.”
the metal community reacts to the passing of After The Burial guitarist Justin Lowe – http://t.co/ccp3b8EpWf pic.twitter.com/UareRpEzDz
— Lambgoat (@lambgoat) July 23, 2015
Dan Carle, one of Lowe’s former band members, issued a statement, via Facebook, following his death.
“Our lives are forever changed today,” he wrote. “I’m so very sorry Justin may you rest easy now my friend. Our thoughts belong with him and his family.”
The heavy-metal band, which was formed in 2004 by a group of high school teens, seems to have a large national following. Since then, they have released four albums, including the 2013 album Wolves Within. The group is scheduled to play at the Skyway Theatre in Minneapolis on July 31 as part of the Summer Slaughter Tour.
Justin Lowe’s official cause of death has not been released at this time.
[Photo via Twitter]
