Who is Matthew Queen and where is he now? Details explored ahead of The Bakersfield 3 on ID

Matthew Queen is a native of Bakersfield, California, who was held responsible for multiple felony charges. It was on March 23, 2018, when a man named Micah Holsonbake went missing.

Authorities claimed that Matthew Queen was responsible for the torture and murder of Micah Holsonbake. The victim was part of a group named Bakersfield 3, which included Jason Kulstad and Baylee Despot.

Over the next couple of weeks, after Holsonbake was reported missing, his friend Kulstad was shot to death, while Despot went missing. Matthew Queen was found guilty of the torture and murder of Micah Holsonblake. He was sentenced to 30 years to life plus an additional 56 years in prison.

He is currently incarcerated at the Substance Abuse Treatment Facility and State Prison in Corcoran, California.

The complete investigation behind the disappearance of the Bakersfield 3 is documented in the titled The Bakersfield 3. The ID docuseries is set to make its release on May 11, 2025, at 8 pm EST.

What happened to the Bakersfield 3?

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As per turnto23.com, Micah Holsonbake, Jason Kulstad, and Baylee Despot were three friends from Bakersfield, California. It was on March 23, 2018, when Micah Holsonbake was last seen alive, as reported by Bakersfield Now.

As reported by turnto23, a week after the disappearance, Jason Kulstad was shot to death in his car in the Southwest of Bakersfield. The following week, the third member of Bakersfield, Baylee Despot, also went missing.

It was in August 2018 when authorities retrieved a severed arm from the Kern River, located near Hart Park. Upon a DNA test, it was confirmed that the hand belonged to Micah.

As reported by turnto23.com, in December 2018, the Bakersfield Police concluded that Micah Holsonbake was murdered. Three years later, in August 2021, her skull was retrieved from the Kern River of Pyles Boys Camp.

Police found Matthew Queen as the prime suspect

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As reported by turnto23, it was in 2019 when investigators suspected a man named Matthew Queen, who was the ex-boyfriend of Baylee Despot. It was in July 2019, after a two-hour-long investigation, that Queen was arrested.

As reported by Bakersfield Now, Queen was charged with first-degree murder. It was in May 2020 when the Kern County District Attorney announced a two-year-long investigation into Queen.

However, as reported by turnto23, Matthew Quuen's former girl, Baylee Despot, who was still missing, was also charged for her participation in the murder.

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As reported by turnto23, the court documents claimed that Micah Holsonbake contacted Matthew Queen based on the manufacturing of illegal weapons. The Police authorities claimed that both Matthew Queen and Micah Despot were responsible for Micah's abduction.

Reportedly, another man named Matthew Vandecasteele was charged in the abduction. Police claimed that Matthew provided his garage to hold the victim captive. As per the authorities, Micah Holsonbake was then tortured and killed afterwards.

As per turnto23, Matthew Vandecasteele agreed to take a plea deal. In exchange, he provided testimony against Matthew Queen in front of the jury.

In the court, the Queen was found guilty of the murder of Micah Holsonbake. His charge was shifted to second-degree murder.

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As reported by Bakersfield Now, Matthew Queen was sentenced to 30 years to life imprisonment plus 56 years. As reported by Bakersfield Now, he is currently incarcerated at the Substance Abuse Treatment Facility and State Prison in Corcoran, California.

As reported by turnto23, the mothers of the Bakersfield 3 started a nonprofit Bakersfield Charity, which donated $ 17,000 to the Kern County Sheriff's Office for a sonar search system.

As reported by Bakersfield Now, the Kern County Secret Witness program is offering a sum of $ 16,000 to anyone who could provide information that could lead them to find Baylee Despot.

Check our other articles to learn more details about The Bakersfield 3 on ID.

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