Justin A. Lowe, former guitarist for the Minnesota-based metal band After the Burial, has died at age 32.
Lowe is suspected to have fallen to his death, with his body discovered early Tuesday and his identity confirmed on Wednesday (July 22). His body was found by a hiker beneath the Arcola High Bridge (also known as the Soo Line High Bridge), which connects Stillwater, Minn., and Somerset, Wis. RiverTowns.net was the first site to report the news.
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Foul play is not suspected, according to St. Croix County Chief Deputy Scott Knudson. Speaking to RiverTowns.net, Knudson says Lowe’s cause of death was “consistent with a fall.”
Lowe’s vehicle was found in a parking lot on the bridge’s Minnesota side. Authorities had been searching for it since Lowe was reported missing on July 18 in Washington County, Minn.
In June, Lowe posted a lengthy message to his Facebook page saying he was leaving After the Burial due to an alleged conspiracy against him. On June 25, the band responded with the following message, concluding, “Mental illness is a very serious matter and we are treating it as such.”
To our fans, friends and family, and everyone else who has reached out in light of Justin’s recent statement. We…
Posted by After The Burial on Thursday, June 25, 2015
Lowe’s message has since been taken down.
Lowe was an original member of After the Burial, which formed in 2004 in Minneapolis. Their last full-length album was 2013’s Wolves Within.
The St. Croix County Sheriff’s Office confirmed the report about Lowe’s death to Billboard. We have also reached out to a representative for After the Burial for comment.
UPDATE: An earlier version of this story incorrectly ID’d Justin Lowe in the photo.