Two Murder Counts Filed in East Bakersfield Double-Homicide Case

Two murder charges filed; not-guilty plea entered

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — Kenneth Calloway Macklin Jr., 59, was charged Thursday with two counts of murder in connection with the May 25 shooting deaths of two men on Eucalyptus Drive in east Bakersfield, KGET reported from his court appearance.

A not-guilty plea was entered on Macklin's behalf. KGET reported that he is being held without bail and is due back in court September 30. The public report does not include a case number, preliminary-hearing date or allegation explaining the prosecution's theory for each count.

The filed counts are accusations. A plea is not evidence, pretrial detention is not punishment, and Macklin is presumed innocent unless prosecutors prove the charges beyond a reasonable doubt.

Two men were found dead May 25

KCSO said deputies responded to the 5700 block of Eucalyptus Drive at approximately 10:15 p.m. May 25 after receiving a report of two shooting victims. Deputies found two men dead on the property, and homicide detectives assumed the investigation.

The Kern County Coroner's Office identified one of the men as 61-year-old Bakersfield resident Marcelino Rodriguez. The second man's identity was not included in the official accounts and local reporting reviewed for this update.

The reviewed public updates do not identify the second man, announce a motive, describe the relationship between the victims and Macklin or explain the sequence that led to the shooting. Those unknowns must not be filled with neighborhood rumor or online speculation.

What the charges do—and do not—establish

The murder charges establish what prosecutors allege; they do not establish who fired a weapon, whether another person participated, what motive the government claims or how Macklin is allegedly connected to the sedan investigators previously described.

No preliminary-hearing result, probable-cause ruling, trial verdict or sentence has been reported. Prosecutors must support each count with admissible evidence, and the defense may challenge the evidence and the government's theory in court.

Those distinctions matter in a homicide case. Responsible reporting can identify a major charging milestone without turning an accusation into a verdict or importing details from Macklin's past into the unresolved case.

The earlier sedan appeal and the continuing investigation

On September 7, KCSO asked for information about the occupants of a dark gray or black four-door sedan that detectives said left the property after the shooting. That appeal did not include a make, model, license plate, direction of travel or an allegation that every occupant committed a crime.

Neither Thursday's charging report nor Wednesday's arrest announcement states whether Macklin was linked to that sedan, whether additional people are being sought or whether the earlier public appeal has been withdrawn. The investigation should not be described as solved unless authorities or court records establish that status.

Anyone with firsthand information can contact KCSO at 661-861-3110. Anonymous tips can be submitted to Kern Secret Witness at 661-322-4040. Residents should preserve original recordings and timestamps and should not confront or publicly accuse people based on a similar-looking vehicle.

About the image

The accompanying image is an authentic December 2025 photograph of the south side of the County of Kern Civic Center Justice Building in Bakersfield. It provides local justice-system context but does not depict Macklin, either victim, the Eucalyptus Drive property, the arrest, a hearing or evidence.

Photographer Xnatedawgx released the image under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license through Wikimedia Commons. Its use does not imply endorsement by the photographer, Kern County, KCSO or Wikimedia Commons.