A Southern California couple whose bodies were found beneath their neighbor's home after being reported missing died from “blunt force trauma to the head,” the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department said.
Daniel Menard, 79, and his wife, Stehanie Menard, 73, had been reported missing in late August from their home on a nudist ranch in Redlands, prompting a search by police and concern from friends and family.
Less than a week later, police received a tip that their neighbor, Michael Royce Sparks, 62, of Olive Dell Ranch, had admitted to murdering the couple and a family member and was threatening to harm himself. Police surrounded the home and arrested him on Aug. 29 and discovered the couple's bodies in a concrete bunker beneath the home.
Sparks was charged with two counts of murder on Sept. 3. The couple's cause of death was confirmed this week by the county coroner.
The Menards and their pet shih tzu, Cuddles, were reported missing by a friend after the couple failed to show up for a church service. Their car was found unlocked down the street from their home, and Stephanie Menard's purse and cellphones were found inside the house.
A neighbor told local television stations that Sparks hated the couple and that they fought over a tree between their properties. The Redlands Police Department had no comment when asked for an update on a possible motive Tuesday.
At a candlelight vigil for the couple, friends and neighbors gathered under an Olive Dell Ranch sign with candles, flowers and music to celebrate the Menards' lives.
“It’s disheartening, it’s uncomfortable,” one neighbor said of the killings. “In one week, we as a community of Olive Dell Ranch lost three members of our family.” He characterized Stephanie Menard, with whom he played bingo, as impulsive. “She knew what she wanted, she said what she wanted, but she always did it with love.”
Olive Dell Ranch is a residential RV park and “the ideal place to enjoy the nudist/naturist lifestyle, whether you visit for a day or an overnight stay,” according to its website.
