  We herein estimate the effect of lattice defects on the line shape of
electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) signals from a single crystal of the S=10
single-molecule magnet Mn$_{12}$ with the external magnetic field along the
crystal c axis. A second-order perturbation treatment of an effective
single-spin Hamiltonian indicates that a small, random, static misorientation
of the magnetic symmetry axes in a crystalline lattice can lead to asymmetric
EPR peaks. Full spectra are simulated by calculating probability-distribution
functions for the resonant fields, employing distributions in the tilt angle of
the easy axis from the c axis, in the uniaxial anisotropy parameter, and in the
$g$-factor. We discuss conditions under which the asymmetry in the EPR spectra
becomes prominent. The direction and magnitude of the asymmetry provide
information on the specific energy levels involved with the EPR transition, the
EPR frequency, and the distribution in the tilt angle.
