Naman Shrestha
Investigation Discovery’s ‘The Bakersfield 3: A Tale of Murder and Motherhood’ is a three-part documentary series that chronicles the two disappearance cases and a murder case that haunted the community of Bakersfield, California, in the spring of 2018. One of the two individuals who went missing was Baylee Cheyanne Parrent-Despot. As the complicated investigation progressed and the case unraveled, it turned out that she was not only a victim but also a possible suspect in the murder of a banker named Micah Holsonbake. In the documentary, her early life and the events leading up to her disappearance were also covered in detail, thanks to the exclusive interview with her mother.
Baylee Despot Battled Addiction After Her Divorce
Born on June 3, 1997, to Jane Parrent, Baylee Cheyanne Parrent-Despot was raised in Bakersfield, California, alongside her loving and supportive sister, Katelyn Parrent. Being an animal lover, she was almost always in the company of a pet. The ambitious and determined girl dreamed of joining the military and becoming an airline stewardess. About a year after graduating from Baylee’s High School in 2015, Baylee tied the knot with her then-boyfriend in Vegas on August 3, 2016, without informing any of her family members, including her mother. Given the volatile nature of their relationship, she severed ties with her partner for good in the spring of 2017 and moved back in with her mother.
As she got involved with the wrong crowd, Baylee started using recreational drugs regularly and even got arrested for drunk and disorderly conduct in July 2017. After the charge against her was dismissed, she was reportedly drugged and sexually assaulted by multiple men in an apartment complex. By then, she had gotten acquainted with Micah Holsonbake, a banker who helped her get out of her abusive relationship with her then-boyfriend. The sexual assault had taken a toll on her physically as well as mentally, leading her down a dark path. In September, she reportedly overdosed but recovered from the incident. In the following months, Baylee got into a relationship with Matthew Richard Queen.
Baylee Despot Was Allegedly Involved in the Murder of Micah Holsonbake With Her Boyfriend
In December 2017, the couple was arrested on felony weapon charges as they had 5-6 illegal firearms, including an AR-15 style rifle and a 9mm rifle, in the car they were driving. As she pleaded guilty to the reduced misdemeanor charges, she was sentenced to three years’ probation and a fine. Once they were released from jail, Baylee moved in with Matt. Things went from bad to worse as she and her boyfriend got into a fight with Micah Holsonbake in March 2018. As per the authorities, Baylee, Matt, and Micah were allegedly planning to carry out an unspecified crime together.
However, the plan went sideways, and the couple decided to get rid of Micah, according to the investigators’ theory. In order to do so, Baylee and Matt used the garage of their associate, Matthew Vandecasteele, who allowed them to borrow his garage. In the garage, Matt and Baylee allegedly committed the murder and dismembered the body before disposing of the remains throughout Kern County. Not long after the killing, Baylee Despot went missing in the last week of April 2018. At the time, she was allegedly pregnant with Matt’s child. On April 23, her mother met her outside her boyfriend’s house in Bakersfield, California, unaware that it would be her last meeting with her daughter. During the meeting, Baylee was in a hurry to get back inside, as per Jane Parrent’s accounts.
Baylee Despot is a Missing Person With an Arrest Warrant Out For Her
The authorities soon connected Baylee Despot and her boyfriend, Matthew Richard Queen, to the murder of Micah Holsonbake. Even though she was missing at the time, she was charged with murder, torture, and conspiracy to commit murder, along with Matthew, in May 2020. As her accomplice and boyfriend stood trial for killing Micah in April 2022, he took the stand and told a different story of what transpired on the fateful night. He claimed that he and Micah were hanging out in Matt’s house when the latter got angry over a joke and pointed a gun at him.
He alleged that at that time, Baylee entered the room. As soon as he pointed the gun at her, Matt tackled him, and a physical struggle between them ensued. Meanwhile, she approached them with a 40-pound dumbbell and allegedly dropped it on Micah’s head, killing him. The defendant then told the courtroom that he and Baylee took the deceased to Vandecasteele’s detached garage and dismembered his body, before disposing of the remains. Eventually, he was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to several years in prison. As for Baylee, her whereabouts and the details about her disappearances are still blurry and unknown.
There is a possibility of her being on the run to stay away from the authorities after her possible involvement in the murder of Micah. The police also haven’t eliminated the possibility of her meeting her demise. According to her mother, Matthew Queen likely has something to do with Baylee’s sudden disappearance, as she was contemplating breaking up with him around the time she went missing. Despite all the theories floating around about her, nobody has been charged with her disappearance. Although she is still listed as a missing person, the warrant for her arrest is still active.
Read More: Isakin Drabbad AKA Skara Cannibal: What Happened to the Killer?
