Gemma Bath

All issues they'd come across while playing detective.

Not only that, they also found the time to lend their support and love to other Bakersfield families trying to navigate the justice system.

Quite frankly, these women were and are incredible.

Their fierce determination, strength, love for their children and unconditional friendship is to be admired.

Alone, they admit they might have crumbled into their grief, but together they were unstoppable.

Tragically, Diane Byrne, mother of James, isn't with us anymore.

She died from ovarian cancer in 2024.

Reporter Olivia Lavoie covered the many twists and turns in these three overlapping cases alongside the mums.

Her podcast, The Bakersfield Three, tells their story in detail.

Olivia joins us now.

Olivia, thank you for joining us on True Crime Conversations.

You know Bakersfield well.

You've lived there.

You've worked there.

For those of us who've never been there, what's it like?

What's Bakersfield like as a place?

I want to start with Bailey Despot.

Can you tell us a bit about who she was and when she went missing?

Tell me about how you first, because Bailey was your in into this story, wasn't it?

And you were kind of in a courthouse flicking through documents and she was your way into this story.