Fans Show Support for Randy Blythe at Rally in Lamb of God’s Hometown of Richmond, Virginia

While Lamb of God singer Randy Blythe languishes in a jail in the Czech Republic facing manslaughter charges despite posting bail, his supporters came out in full effect in his hometown of Richmond, Va., on Sunday, July 8, staging a rally and vigil. Despite the love, Blythe remains imprisoned, as the prosecutor is protesting his release.

According to the Times Dispatch, around 100 fans turned up at Brown’s Island, while thousands signed in online, to hold a vigil for the singer, who arrested in Prague on June 27 over an incident in May 2010, where a fan died after sustaining head injuries after a supposed altercation onstage with Blythe. The fan, known as Daniel N., 19, reportedly took to the stage several times, with Blythe being accused of throwing the fan from the stage and causing his death.

Lamb of God guitarist Willie Adler, who attended the vigil, said, “This really brings it home. It’s nice to see all different walks of life here. It’s not just long-haired metal fans.” Adler kept relatively quiet about the situation since it’s such a delicate matter. “We’re not quite sure what’s happening now, so we don’t want to do anything to jeopardize it,” he said. “But we hope to know something, maybe in a week.”

Adler’s father-in-law Harry Hopkins was also on site, revealing more details about the actual arrest. He shared that the band was blindsided upon arriving in the Czech Republic. All five members of the group were met by armed forces and taken into custody at the airport. The U.S. embassy was able to free four members, except for Blythe. His bandmates were then instructed to leave the country ASAP.

“They’re very upset about that,” Hopkins said. “They would’ve wanted to stay with him.”

The event was staged by Tommy Streat, a friend of the singer. Fans were able to offer words of encouragement on a poster board and tape greetings via iPad.

Another new development is that the prosecutor has filed a complaint against Blythe’s release despite the fact that he posted bail. The Czech system allows the prosecutor and judge to negotiate release details even when bail is posted.

MediaFax.cz (courtesy of Brave Words) reports that the complaint is why the singer remains jailed. “The prosecutor filed a complaint against the man’s release on bail,” said Stepanka Zenklova, a spokesman for the Municipal Public Prosecutor’s office in Prague.