Mystery after California musician Larry Petree and wife Betty found dead on desert dirt road
BAKERSFIELD, CALIFORNIA: A beloved local musician and his wife were found dead on a road in the middle of the Mojave Desert. The mysterious death of the elderly couple has left family members wondering what happened to them.
The bodies of Larry Petree and his wife Betty were found east of California City near Proctor Boulevard and 150th Street on Sunday, August 21, according to the Kern County Sheriff's Office’s statement. While the body of the longtime musician was found located in the front seat of their vehicle, his wife’s body was leaning up against one of the car's rear tires, according to a report by KGET.
ALSO READ
How did Gord Lewis die? Teenage Head guitarist's son Jonathan charged with murder
How did Skilyr Hicks die? Former 'America's Got Talent' contestant found dead at 23
Kern County Sheriff’s Office, who did not immediately identify Petree’s body, said criminal activity is not suspected in this early stage of the investigation. According to reports, the Kern County couple is believed to have been stranded in the middle of the desert after running out of gas.
The circumstances around the mysterious death of the elderly couple, who had been married for 60 years, are still unclear, leaving family members including Laurie Sanders, Larry's cousin, puzzled by the situation. "What were they doing out there?" she asked, per The Californian. "They don't travel that far away from home."
Larry Petree, 88, was a beloved musician of the Bakersfield Sound era in the 1950s and played pedal steel guitar. The musician gave his last musical performance with local band The Soda Crackers at the Bakersfield Music Hall of Fame benefit concert on July 30. Heartbroken by the news of the couple’s death, the band has paid tribute to the dead couple. "We had the honor of having Larry as our steel guitarist at our first ever show in Bakersfield and had the even greater honor of playing with him for his last show a few weeks ago," the band wrote Monday on Facebook.
Kim Hays, a friend of the couple, said, “He always had a smile on his face. He was just a sweetheart of a guy and he was always there to help other people. I just can’t believe they’re gone and in such a bizarre fashion.”
Hays also mentioned recent changes in Larry's behavior. He revealed Larry was a punctual man but appeared to be disoriented of late. Hays added he once helped the musician find a gig he was searching for, KGET reported.
Sanders also recalled a recent incident in which Larry did not show up for a show after he became disoriented while searching for the venue, according to The Californian. However, Kern County Sheriff’s Office said the office will release the cause of Larry Petree and Betty’s death at “a later date.”