Murder of Elyse Pahler

Elyse Marie Pahler was a 15-year-old freshman at Arroyo Grande High School in Arroyo Grande, California, described as "a vivacious, curious teenager with a dramatic flair" who designed and sewed her own dresses. She was acquainted with three classmates, Royce Casey, Jacob Delashmutt, and Joseph Fiorella, who were self-professed "cult followers" of the band Slayer and had formed their own death metal band called Hatred. According to court documents, Fiorella studied Slayer's lyrics closely and later asked Delashmutt about the idea of sacrificing a virgin, with Pahler ultimately selected because he was "obsessed with her and obsessed with killing her."

On July 22, 1995, the three lured Pahler to a eucalyptus grove on Nipomo Mesa under the pretense of smoking marijuana. There they attacked and fatally stabbed her, then buried her body in a shallow grave.

Pahler's body was found after Casey confessed his role to a clergyman, who alerted police; Casey then led authorities to her remains. All three were charged with seven counts, including murder, conspiracy to commit murder, conspiracy to commit rape, and kidnapping. Court documents described the crime as "one of the most brutal and horrific murders in the history of San Luis Obispo County." At trial, a chief investigator for the District Attorney's office testified that the teenagers believed the sacrifice would make them "play harder, play faster" and could help them turn professional as musicians. Casey, Delashmutt, and Fiorella were each convicted and sentenced to 25 to 26 years to life in prison.

In 1996, Pahler's parents, David and Lisanne Pahler, filed a lawsuit against Slayer, later pursued in 2000, alleging that songs "Altar of Sacrifice" and "Dead Skin Mask" gave the killers instructions to harm their daughter. A judge dismissed the case, stating there was no legal basis to hold the band responsible. A second lawsuit alleging the band knowingly distributed harmful material to minors was also dismissed, with the judge finding the music was not obscene, indecent, or harmful to minors. In a Washington Post interview, Delashmutt said the music was "destructive" but was not the reason Pahler was killed, attributing the crime instead to Fiorella's obsession with her.

In later years, Casey was denied parole by Governor Gavin Newsom in 2021; a 2022 superior court decision granting him parole was later reversed by the California Court of Appeal. Delashmutt was released in July 2025, and Casey was released in August 2025.