Bakersfield 3 Trial: Prosecution begins closing argument
May 2—Deputy District Attorney Eric Smith began his closing argument Monday in the Bakersfield 3 murder trial by focusing on the defendant's alleged pattern of behavior.
Matthew Queen is charged with 35 counts, including first-degree murder, torture and kidnapping in the death of Micah Holsonbake, a member of the Bakersfield 3. Queen also faces 20 counts of weapons allegations, assault and intent to terrorize charges. Baylee Despot, Queen's ex-girlfriend who's considered one of the Bakersfield 3, is also charged in the death of Holsonbake, but she has been missing since April 2018. James Kulstad, who's also considered one of the Bakersfield 3, was killed in an unrelated drive-by shooting around the time Holsonbake and Despot were reported missing in 2018.
During his closing argument, Smith reviewed the manufacturing and possession of weapons charges Queen faces and detailed to the jury the various guns that authorities seized from Queen, all which were operable and several of which were considered "ghost guns," referring to unserialized, privately made firearms.
Queen also is charged with assault against three people in separate incidents: Megan Farmer, Caleb Seiler and Shane Buchanan.
Smith described the method Queen allegedly interacted with each individual: He sought to extract information through violent means.
With Farmer, Queen sought to understand whether his ex-girlfriend was cheating on him and threatened her with a gun, Smith alleged. With Seiler, he zip tied him to a chair, pistol-whipped him and shocked him with a dog-collar, Smith said.
With Buchanan, Queen drove to his room at the Red Roof Inn and also threatened him with a gun, Smith said, referring to previous testimony during the trial.
The prosecution was scheduled to continue its closing arguments after the court recessed for lunch.
