Notorious Bakersfield

Send Robert a Text! Fort Cook, once an ambitious private resort envisioned as a celebrity haven, became a focal point of intrigue, rumors, and ultimately tragedy. The tale of its owner, Ronnie Cook—a musician turned entrepreneur—unfolds against a backdrop of mystique, scandal, and a shocking murder that shattered its idyllic façade. Support the show

Send Robert a Text! The mystery of Trout’s iconic neon sign has captivated Bakersfield for nearly seven years, a symbol of the city’s rich honky-tonk history and the famed Bakersfield Sound. From its rise as a beloved music hotspot to its unceremonious closure in 2017, Trout’s embodied the spirit of a bygone era. When its legendary sign disappeared, rumors swirled, and efforts to uncover its where...

Send Robert a Text! Christmas Eve morning in 1979, a young man went on a crime spree that included kidnapping, rape and murder.  Support the show

Send Robert a Text! At the heart of this story is a young Bakersfield man whose path from a rebellious childhood to a hardened criminal would forever stain his family’s name back home in Bakersfield. Support the show

Send Robert a Text!  The Kern County witch hunts of the 1980s involved a wave of child molestation and satanic ritual abuse accusations, leading to dozens of arrests and convictions based on coerced and unreliable testimony. Jackie and Jack Cummings, swept into the hysteria, fled to protect their family, enduring life on the run while fighting to clear their names. The Witches’ Defense recounts th...

Send Robert a Text! In April 1982, a husband and wife who managed a motel in Mojave were murdered. This is their story.  Support the show

Send Robert a Text! This is the second documented murder that has occurred at this iconic downtown Bakersfield hotel.  Support the show

Send Robert a Text! Yoli Espinoza was killed in her downtown Bakersfield apartment in 2003. One of her killers was a 14-year-old boy.  Support the show

Send Robert a Text! In the mid-1920s showman Hayward Thompson brought his roadshow to Bakersfield for the citizens to marvel.  Support the show

Send Robert a Text! Construction was completed on Bakersfield's Centennial Garden Arena in 1998. It was the city's new pride and joy. Less than a year after opening, it was the site of a terrible accident. Purchase the 2024 Halloween Driving Tour here:  https://2024halloween.supercast.com/   Support the show

Send Robert a Text! In the late 1980s, two Bakersfield women accused a Bakersfield physician of drugging and raping them. This is that story. Visit this link to purchase the all-new 2024 Halloween Tour: https://2024halloween.supercast.com/ Support the show

Send Robert a Text! Patty Saldana, a single mother to a teenage daughter, invited a boyfriend to stay in her house temporarily. It ended tragically.   Support the show

Send Robert a Text! The Bakersfield Californian described the Summer of 1947 as "the Sumer of the flying saucers". A nationwide flying saucer craze was occurring, and even Bakersfield got caught up in it.  Support the show

Send Robert a Text! For this episode, I'm stepping away from the usual Notorious Bakersfield tradition of covering stories from Bakersfield's distant past. Instead, today's episode highlights a more recent figure—someone many of us remember with fondness. I'm talking about Marques "The Dancing Cowboy" Morrison. For the past fifteen years, Marques was a familiar sight...

Send Robert a Text! Joe and Dorothy Parrott were slain in their home in August 2008. Their murders went unsolved for months. This is their story. Support the show

Send Robert a Text! This episode covers the brutal 1931 murder of Anna Garcia. Anna's homicide was shockingly brutal, with grotesque details that resemble a modern-day horror movie. Support the show

Send Robert a Text! The identities of two homicide victims remained a mystery for 13 years. This is their story.  Support the show

Send Robert a Text! This episode follows up on last week's episode, "Bakersfield's Mass Murder." That episode covered the Harper family killings, where five members of the same family were murdered in 2003. If you haven't listened to that episode yet, I encourage you to do so. For this episode, I interview Mark Safarik, a former FBI Special Agent. He assisted the Bakersfie...

Send Robert a Text! Bakersfield had never witnessed a crime of such magnitude in its history. A crime so shocking and heinous, it left the entire city reeling. In the summer of 2003, five members of a single family were found slain in their central Bakersfield home. The victims ranged from an elderly grandmother to a six-week-old infant. Within hours of the gruesome discovery, Bakersfield was thru...

Send Robert a Text! Authorities at first ruled Nettie Crowder's death a suicide. But soon neighbors began to gossip... Support the show

Send Robert a Text! In 2010, Frank Adams went missing under very suspicious circumstances. This is his story.  Support the show

Send Robert a Text! In October 1991, 19-year-old Chad Flitcraft was murdered while cruising Chester Ave. with his friends. This is that story.  Support the show

Send Robert a Text! In May 2003 a motorist found a toddler wandering the street of East Bakersfield alone. A frantic search was launched to find his family.  Support the show

Send Robert a Text! In 1947, a doctor employed by the County of Kern shot and seriously wounded an attorney. Th lurid details of this crime fascinated the Bakersfield community.  Support the show

Send Robert a Text! When a couple was attacked by two chimpanzees in Havilah, the news media consistently referred to the location as "near Bakersfield". Even though the attack didn't happen here, Bakersfield will forever be linked to this 2005 attack of the killer chimps.  Support the show