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The Bakersfield 3 case is a haunting true crime saga that unfolded in Bakersfield, California, in 2018, involving the disappearance and death of three young adults: Micah Holsonbake, Baylee Despot, and James Kulstad.
Within 34 days, Holsonbake vanished, Kulstad was shot dead, and Despot disappeared, leaving their mothers—Cheryl Holsonbake, Jane Parrent, and Diane Byrne—to seek answers.
The whole case will be featured in the upcoming true-crime documentary series titled The Bakersfield 3, which is set to premiere on May 11, 2025, on Investigation Discovery, directed by Amy Berg, offering a visual retelling of this complex case.
A podcast covering the same case, titled The Bakersfield Three by Casefile Presents and hosted by Olivia LaVoice, was released on November 7, 2023. It’s available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube, and features police interrogations, jailhouse calls, and trial audio.
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Key details of the Bakersfield 3 case
1. The trio’s disappearances and death
As reported by KGET, In spring 2018, Micah Holsonbake, Baylee Despot, and James Kulstad, all in their 20s and connected through mutual friends, faced tragic fates. Holsonbake was last seen on March 23, 2018, near Kern Medical.
On April 8, Kulstad was shot dead in his car in southwest Bakersfield. Despot vanished on April 25, last seen near Palm Avenue. Their mothers noted their shared social circles, and suspected that the cases were linked.
The podcast reveals a web of drugs and criminal activity tying the 'Bakersfield 3' together, though the police was initially unsure if the incidents were connected.
2. Micah Holsonbake’s murder and remains
As reported by BakersfieldNow, Micah Holsonbake’s case turned grim when a severed arm was found in the Kern River in August 2018, identified as his via DNA.
In August 2021, his skull was discovered near the river, and in 2023, a vertebra in Maricopa was confirmed as his, according to BakersfieldNow. Prosecutors alleged that Matthew Queen and Baylee Despot killed Holsonbake in March 2018 over a missing gun, dismembering and scattering his remains afterwards.
However, only partial remains of Holsonbake have been recovered so far, marking a devastating blow to his family.
3. Matthew Queen’s conviction
As reported by KGET, Matthew Queen, Baylee Despot’s ex-boyfriend, was charged in 2020 with Holsonbake’s murder.
In 2022, a jury convicted him of second-degree murder, kidnapping, and other charges, sentencing him to 30 years to life for murder, plus 56 years for other charges, reported by BakersfieldNow. Queen testified that Despot killed Holsonbake by dropping a 40-pound dumbbell on his head during a struggle in his garage, after which they dismembered the body.
He denied direct responsibility for the killing but admitted to disposing of remains, a claim prosecutors disputed.
4. Baylee Despot’s role and disappearance
As reported by The Charley Project, Baylee Despot, charged alongside Queen for Holsonbake’s murder, has remained missing since April 25, 2018.
As per 23ABC News Bakersfield, prosecutors alleged she and Queen zip-tied Holsonbake in Matthew Vandecasteele’s garage to interrogate him about a gun, with Despot retrieving a knife. An active arrest warrant exists for her on charges of murder, kidnapping, torture, and conspiracy.
Her mother, Jane Parrent, believes Despot may have acted under duress or could be a victim herself, as her whereabouts remain unknown.
5. The mothers’ advocacy
As reported by KGET, Cheryl Holsonbake, Jane Parrent, and Diane Byrne formed the Bakersfield 3 Charity, a nonprofit to support families of missing or murdered individuals.
They donated $17,000 to the Kern County Sheriff’s Office for a sonar search system and host victim resource events. Their collaboration began after noticing their children’s shared connections in the wake of the Bakersfield 3 case, driving them to investigate independently.
The podcast highlights their resilience, with Cheryl noting that helping others, through activities like counseling families on Micah’s birthday, aids their healing.
Watch Bakersfield 3 releasing on Investigation Discovery on May 11, 2025.
