Cristian Pity Alvarez: why was the Argentinian rock star accused of murder?
A lot of rockers are known for not exactly living life by the rule book, but in many ways, sex and drugs are a whole different ballpark to actually taking the law into your own hands, at which point things can head south down a markedly more sinister route. For the Argentinian rock star Cristian Pity Alvarez, musical fame may have been all about the high life, but one particular incident saw everything come crashing down.
The frontman of bands including Viejas Locas and Intoxicados, Pity Alvarez had enjoyed a popular career throughout both bands to a wide demographic of Argentine audiences, but in the early part of the 2010s, began to struggle with drug misuse and associated episodes of mental health issues and violence.
Ultimately, this culminated in tragic circumstances when, in July 2018, Pity Alvarez was accused of murder. His victim, Cristian Diaz, was shot four times following an altercation with Pity Alvarez, which he claimed was in self-defence. Following the incident, the rock star then handed himself into the police a few hours later, where he confessed to the crime and was charged.
However, before giving over to the force of the law, Pity Alvarez had disposed of the gun he had used to murder Diaz, which was found in a sewer a week later. For his part, lawyers argued that Pity Alvarez’s judgement had been impaired by his drug use, but finding this an insufficient reason to acquit him of the charge, judges ruled that the rockstar was guilty of the killing.
As of 2023, Pity Alvarez was still to be officially charged for the murder, having previously been placed on house arrest and being made to undertake an extensive rehabilitation programme on account of his drug use. At the time, he was still considered not to be in a fit state to face potential jail time due to his health conditions, but it was deemed that Pity Alvarez was accountable for his actions and the crime as he was aware of what he was doing.
The whole chilling tale just goes to show that the rapture of rock and roll has a way of catching up when things have strayed too far. Pity Alvarez may have believed he was invincible, but ultimately, the effects of his hedonistic lifestyle veered off down a trajectory so dangerous that he became more closely associated with murder than music.
The incident joins a long line of uncannily suspicious killings brought about by rockers or those heavily involved in the industry, such as record producer Phil Spector and the Sex Pistols’ Sid Vicious. Musical rapture may place you leagues above the rest in terms of acclaim and popularity, making stars feel as though they possess the power to do whatever they want, but as the Crickets famously once sang: “I fought the law, and the law won.”
Through this lens, it’s less of a tune than a warning to any rising icon who still thinks they can take matters into their own hands if things don’t go their way.
