A chilling new documentary collection is to put naked the mysterious real-life story of The Bakersfield 3 – three associates who both went lacking or had been murdered inside a month of one another in spring of 2018.
Over the course of simply 34 days, James Kulstad was shot useless, whereas Micah Holsonbake and Baylee Despot went lacking in Bakersfield, California.
At first, it was thought that the circumstances had been tragic but unconnected occasions, till a string of coincidences unearthed by the victims’ moms revealed that these three circumstances had been entangled with each other.
Hellbent on looking for the reality of what occurred to their youngsters, the moms got here collectively to seek out solutions.
Investigation Discovery’s new three-part docuseries – titled The Bakersfield 3 – charts their journey as they navigate via a labyrinth of clues, useless ends, and sudden revelations to seek out out what actually occurred – and the way precisely they had been linked.
Forward of the docuseries’ premiere, DailyMail.com takes a more in-depth have a look at the victims and their circumstances.
Who’re The Bakersfield 3?
Micah Holsonbake was the primary out of The Bakersfield 3 to vanish. He was reported lacking by his mother and father, Cheryl and Lance, on April 4, 2018.
The Bakersfield Three are made up of Baylee Despot, James Kulstad, and Micah Holsonbake
Their mother and father, Cheryl, Di, and Jane Parrent, have banded collectively in a bid to seek out solutions
Days later, James Kulstad was shot useless on April 8, 2018. And lastly, on April 25, 2018, Baylee Despot was reported lacking by her mom.
Earlier than his disappearance, Holsonbake’s life had derailed following a divorce and shedding his job.
Round this time, he had began utilizing pharmaceuticals and he additionally began hanging out with a person named Matt Queen, who he constructed weapons with in his storage.
‘He simply had such quick access to them, and I believe when issues weren’t going nicely in his relationship that he started leaning on these issues, like many individuals do,’ Micah’s mom Cheryl shared of his drug use.
‘Micah advised us to get some more money collectively he was serving to somebody in his storage put weapons collectively.
‘We had hassle at first connecting the drug use to the gun constructing. That is when anyone stated that Micah was attempting to promote to help his behavior.
‘We received data from them about Matt Queen…’
Cheryl described her son as being ‘erratic’ and ‘paranoid’ throughout this time.
Micah was the primary out of The Bakersfield Three to vanish. He was reported lacking by his mother and father on April 4, 2018
Mother Cheryl realized her son had been spending time with Matt Queen earlier than he went lacking
Despot was reported lacking by her mom, Jane Parrent, on April 24, 2018.
On the time of her disappearance, she had been in a relationship with Queen and the pair had been dwelling collectively, alongside along with his mom, ex-wife, and kids.
Talking within the documentary, mother Jane stated: ‘I believe he moved her over there so he may maintain her shut.
‘He did not need her speaking to anyone as a result of she would inform me, “Mother I am unable to speak about the remainder, you might want to cease asking me about it.”
‘I by no means actually received to speak to her a lot after that. She could not come and see me; she’d barely speak to me. He received her in his grasp and did not let her go.’
Twenty-four hours earlier than her disappearance, Despot had a court docket look with Queen for gun prices in opposition to them from the earlier December.
Within the listening to, Despot pleaded no contest and was given a positive and probation whereas Queen confronted a jury trial and a jail sentence if discovered responsible.
That night, she was on account of see her mother for dinner.
Despot was reported lacking by her mom, Jane Parrent, on April 24, 2018
Mother Jane revealed her daughter had been courting Matt Queen on the time she went lacking
‘Once I texted her, she did say “mother I am unable to come to dinner, court docket went actual dangerous,”‘ Jane revealed.
‘I even went over there that night time with a pie as an excuse to see Baylee and met Queen’s oldest son, who answered the door,’ she continued.
‘The son stated that she wasn’t there.’
When she tried to get in touch along with her daughter over the cellphone, she received no response.
‘Even when we had an argument, she would name me,’ Jane stated. ‘I used to be texting, I used to be calling, I wasn’t getting something. Every little thing went silent.’
Kulstad was 38 when somebody fired into his automobile as he drove down a cul-de-sac in Bakersfield on April 8.
Whereas attempting to research his loss of life herself, his mom Di Byrne remembered how he had been associates with Holsonbake, who had gone lacking simply days earlier than.
Kulstad was shot on April 8, 2018 as he drove his automotive down a cul-de-sac in Bakersfield
His mother Di believes that his loss of life is in some way linked to The Bakersfield Three
She satisfied herself that her son was linked to the Bakersfield 3.
‘I knew that my son and James and Micah had been hanging out collectively as a result of Micah was an govt at Wells Fargo Financial institution,’ Di stated.
‘He and Micah met when James banked there. James had helped him transfer they usually had been hanging out, so I used to be capable of get Micah’s mother’s cellphone quantity.’
On the time of his homicide, Kulstad had been battling an dependancy to medicine which had begun nearly 11 years earlier.
‘In 2007, after a surgical procedure on his leg, he started an dependancy to prescription medication,’ Di defined.
‘Because the legal guidelines modified, the docs weren’t prescribing as many and James then graduated from the prescribed drugs to discovering what he may out on the streets.’
What occurred to the Bakersfield 3?
The moms solely started to get actual solutions on their youngsters in August 2018, when Holsonbake’s severed arm was discovered within the Kern River.
There was a zipper tie across the wrist, in addition to marks which had been in line with it being sawed off.
Three years later, on August 21, 2021, his cranium was present in Lake Ming, two miles from the place his arm was positioned.
In June 2022, it was decided that Holsonbake was tortured and killed in March of 2018.
Queen, 45, was sentenced to 30 years to life in jail, plus 56 years, for his function within the loss of life.
However, in a stunning twist within the story, prosecutors decided that Queen and lacking particular person Despot tortured and killed Holsonbake at Vandecasteele’s storage.
As a part of a plea deal, Vandecasteele testified throughout the trial.
He stated he by no means noticed Holsonbake on the night time in query, however Queen and Despot requested to make use of his storage and Despot had come into his house and helped herself to a knife.
Queen was sentenced to 30 years to life in jail, plus 56 years, for his function within the loss of life
In a stunning twist, Despot can be believed to be concerned in Holsonbake’s loss of life
The next day, Vandecasteele stated he went into his storage and located a big reddish stain on a shelf.
He stated Queen confirmed up and requested for assist disposing of one thing.
Whereas Queen did not specify what he wanted assist with, Vandecasteele stated that there was a big trunk at the back of his automotive.
Vandecasteele pled no contest to false imprisonment with violence, possession of a firearm by a felon and an accessary cost. He was sentenced to 4 years in jail.
Throughout his testimony, Queen accused Despot of Holsonbake’s loss of life.
He stated that stated Holsonbake had entered his storage and had turn into offended over a joke and pulled a gun on him.
Queen went on to assert that Despot entered the room and Holsonbake then pointed the gun at her.
After distracting Holsonbake, he claimed that Despot dropped a dumbbell on his head, killing him.
He added that they then tried to eliminate the physique and used Vandecasteele’s storage to dismember him.
Throughout the trial, Queen advised Holsonbake’s mother and father: ‘I can by no means make your loved ones complete once more, and I am sorry.
‘Not a day goes by that I do not take into consideration that day, and the way I ought to have achieved issues in another way.’
Despot disappeared shortly after Holsonbake was reported lacking.
Queen has all the time maintained that when Despot left his home that he didn’t know precisely the place she was going, all he knew was that she was leaving.
She has not been discovered. She stays charged with torture and homicide, amongst different offenses.
As for Kulstad, to this date there have been no arrests in reference to the taking pictures.
Within the documentary, Di voiced upset over not but having obtained solutions referring to her son’s homicide.
‘I all the time thought that James’s case of the three circumstances could be the one which was solved first and that hasn’t been the case,’ she stated.
‘I all the time felt, particularly with James’s case, that no one desires to speak. Lots of people had been scared of their life and did not wish to get caught up in one thing.
‘It is exhausting realizing there is a killer on the unfastened, pondering of the security of different individuals in our neighborhood.’
The Bakerfield 3 premieres on Sunday, Might 11, at 8/7c on ID.
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