When you hear the name Diane Byrne Bakersfield CA, it’s usually tied to a headline about a tragedy that gripped Kern County for years. Honestly, the story of the "Bakersfield 3" is one of those things that sounds like a true-crime script, but for Diane, it was just her life. It was her nightmare. And then, it became her mission.
Most people in town knew her as "Di." She wasn't just some face on a missing person poster or a name in a legal filing. She was the woman who turned a mother's worst fear into a local movement that actually moved the needle on cold cases in the Central Valley. She was a dental professional for over 25 years. She was a modeling school owner. But mostly, she was a mother who spent her final years fighting a battle on two fronts: the cancer in her body and the mystery of her son's murder.
Why the Bakersfield 3 Changed Everything
If you’ve lived in Bakersfield for a while, you remember 2018. It was a weird, dark time. Within just a few weeks, three people—Micah Holsonbake, Baylee Despot, and James Kulstad—all vanished or were killed. James Kulstad was Diane’s son.
Basically, the police weren't connecting the dots fast enough for the families. So, Diane did what moms do. She teamed up with Cheryl Holsonbake and Jane Parrent. They didn't just sit around and wait for the phone to ring. They formed the Bakersfield 3, which eventually grew into the nonprofit Kern Families Against Crime.
The impact was massive.
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- They raised over $100,000.
- They funded search equipment.
- They basically forced the community to look at the "big circle of acquaintances" that linked these victims.
The Life of Diane Byrne Bakersfield CA Before the Headlines
Diane wasn't always a "crusader." She was a Bakersfield native through and through, but her life was a bit of a whirlwind before she settled back home. When she was just eight, she was in a car accident that took her mother's life. Doctors told her she'd never walk again.
She walked.
In fact, she did more than walk. She pursued modeling. She lived in New York. She lived in Alaska. She even lived in England as a newlywed with her husband, Robbie. When she finally came back to Bakersfield, she opened her own modeling school called Di-Stevens. It's kinda wild to think about that transition—from the runway to the world of dentistry, and eventually to the steps of the courthouse.
A Double Battle: Ovarian Cancer and the Search for Justice
In July 2022, Diane got hit with a diagnosis: ovarian cancer. For most people, that would be the end of their public work. But Diane Byrne was built different. She treated it like a "speed bump," as her family put it. She actually rang the bell in late 2023, signaling she’d beaten it.
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During that remission, she didn't just take it easy. She kept showing up for the nonprofit. She kept asking where the answers were for James. Sadly, the cancer came back with a vengeance.
Diane Byrne passed away on April 23, 2024. She was 68. The heartbreaking part? She died without knowing exactly who killed her son. James was shot and killed on April 8, 2018, and while the Bakersfield 3 cases have seen some arrests and convictions—like Matthew Queen—the specific closure for James's case was something Diane didn't get to see in this life.
The Promise Made on a Deathbed
There’s a detail from an April 2025 interview on The Tamron Hall Show that really sticks with you. Jane Parrent, another of the Bakersfield 3 moms, shared that she promised Diane on her deathbed that she wouldn't stop fighting for James.
That’s where the story stands now.
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Even though Diane is gone, Kern Families Against Crime is still active. The community didn't just forget. They hold vigils. They keep the social media pages updated. They keep the pressure on.
Key Takeaways from Diane's Legacy:
- Community Power: She proved that a small group of determined residents can out-investigate traditional systems when they have enough "mama gut" instinct.
- Resource Shifts: The money raised by her nonprofit helped purchase specific gear for local search and rescue that the county didn't have the budget for.
- Victim Advocacy: She shifted the narrative from "missing adults with complicated pasts" to "human beings who deserve justice."
If you’re looking to support the work she started, you can still find the Kern Families Against Crime nonprofit. They continue to work with the Kern Secret Witness program. Diane’s story isn’t just about a woman from Bakersfield; it’s a blueprint for how to handle the unthinkable.
To really honor what she did, the best next step is to stay informed about local cold cases and support the organizations that bridge the gap between families and law enforcement. Whether it's through the Bakersfield 3 social pages or donating to Kern Families Against Crime, that’s where the real work happens.