Culprit was formed in Seattle, Washington in 1981 when two local bands by the name of Orpheus and Amethyst merged. Guitarist John DeVol, bassist Scott Earl, and drummer Bud Burrill played in Orpheus while vocalist Jeff L’Heureux and guitarist Kjartan Kristoffersen were in Amethyst.  Seems to me both of those names were better than Culprit, but that's just my lame a$$ opinion.  They got their first taste of 'success' in 1982 when their song “Players” was included on Shrapnel Records’ U.S. Metal, Vol. 2 compilation.  (It's too bad they didn't use the song Guilty As Charged or Ambush or Ice in the Back instead of Players, as any one of those are superior tunes.)  In 1983, Culprit released their first and only album, 'Guilty as Charged'.  Eduardo Rivadavia of Allmusic gave the album four and a half stars, calling it “a lost gem of American metal from the 1980s, and well worth seeking out for fans of other bands from the period.”  I would have to agree. 

SPOILER ALERT:  The band broke up in late 1984 due to a lack of management and no major record deal.