“Fucked up” does not even begin to cover this story.

I’m not familiar with the Thai black metal band Surrender of Divinity, although I know Grim Kim is a fan; in any case, their 36-year-old vocalist, Samong Traisattha, was murdered last Wednesday, January 8, according to The Bangkok Post. The murderer is believed to be a fan named Prakarn Harnphanbusakorn, who Samong Traisattha’s widow, Jaruvan Surapol, says came to the house Wednesday night “to have some shirts screen-printed and to have a drink.” She went to put their child to bed; when she came back to the living room, she found her husband lying on the floor, dead, in a pool of his own blood, and Prakarn gone.

And this would obviously be horrible in and of itself no matter what, but the story has an even more unsettling twist: while the police continue to search for Prakarn, a Facebook user calling himself “Maleficent Meditation” is claiming credit for the murder, and authorities believe that it is, indeed, legitimate. The page includes some incredibly graphic photographs of Samong Traisattha’s corpse, a description of how Prakarn stabbed Samong thirty times while the vocalist begged for his life, and an explanation as to his motive for the murder:

“I have intended to end my life since I was 25. Because I’ll die eventually, I want to drag down those who tarnish Satanism with me. But I refrained from killing women and children…In my view, I have more respect for devoted Buddhists, Christians and Muslims than those who call themselves Satanists without knowing anything about it… If I did not kill him, I’m sure he would be murdered by someone else later… above all else, Satan is not a toy. Do not call yourself a Satanist if you do not believe in Satan!!!”

So, basically, this was a religious murder, no different from any other violent crime committed in the name of the believer’s supreme deity of choice. What an incredible waste of life.

Those of you who would like to see the explicit photos of Samong’s body can do so here and here… it should go without saying that they are NSFW, and not for the faint of heart.

[via Death Metal Underground… thanks to Turjo K. for the tip]