Musician and Wife Found Dead in Car on Desert Road

Friends and family are mourning the loss of beloved local Californian musician Larry Petree and his wife of more than 60 years, Betty. The couple was found dead on Sunday, Aug. 21 on a desert road in California after their car seemingly broke down in the Mojave desert. Petree, 88, played pedal steel guitar and performed with local bands including The Soda Crackers.

Although details surrounding the couple’s death remain unclear at this time, the Kern County Sheriff’s Office confirmed in a statement that authorities discovered the bodies of an adult male and female east of California City near Proctor Boulevard and 150th Street on Sunday after they were dispatched to the scene at approximately 2:02 p.m. The sheriff’s office said the male victim was found sitting in the driver’s seat, and the adult female was discovered outside of the vehicle leaning against the rear tire. Per the sheriff’s office, “At this time there is no reason to suspect criminal activity,” and KGET reported that it appears the couple’s vehicle ran out of gas.

Authorities and family later identified the victims as Petree and his wife, though the circumstances surrounding their deaths remain a mystery. Laurie Sanders, Petree’s cousin, told The Bakersfield Californian on Tuesday, “At this moment, I’m not sure exactly what happened… What were they doing out there? They don’t travel that far away from home.”

Although Petree was described as being very punctual, those close to him noted that he showed some signs of disorientation. A friend told KGET that about three weeks ago, the musician appeared a bit disoriented when he performed at the Bakersfield Music Hall of Fame. Sanders told The Bakersfield Californian that her uncle “got lost on his way to his last gig a few weeks ago” when he became disoriented.

Born in Paden, Oklahoma in 1933, Petree moved with his family to Bakersfield as a child. After graduating from Bakersfield High School in 1951, he completed a tour of duty in the U.S. Army and went to work for the Kern County Fire Department. He was an avid musician throughout his life, playing pedal steel guitar, and played with numerous bands, including The Soda Crackers, which paid tribute to Petree and his wife on Facebook, writing, “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. We send our condolences to the Petree family and the greater Bakersfield Sound community.”