John Jefferson
Background: Redlands (Calif.) police raid a home in connection with the disappearance of Dan and Stephanie Menard (Redlands Police Dept.). Inset top: Michael Royce Sparks (Redlands Police Dept.). Inset bottom: Dan and Stephanie Menard with their dog, Cuddles (KABC).
The man accused of killing a married California couple in their 70s who went missing from their home at a nudist resort was reportedly discovered hiding under a house — along with human remains.
Daniel Menard, 79, and Stephanie Menard, 73, were last seen on Aug. 24, police have said. As Law&Crime previously reported, their car was found unlocked down the road from their home that same day. Stephanie Menard’s purse was found in the home, as well as both of the couple’s cellphones.
Also missing was their dog, Cuddles, a small white Shih Tzu.
The couple lived at the Olive Dell Ranch in San Bernardino, an RV park some 50 miles east of downtown Los Angeles that bills itself as a “favorite nudist resort for families and couples.” Neighbors say that the couple wouldn’t have up and left, with one friend telling local ABC affiliate KABC that “there’s no way that Stephanie or Dan could have walked away from that car.”
Police also noted that Daniel Menard has dementia and diabetes, and Stephanie Menard uses a cane to walk.
After carrying out a raid of a neighboring home — in which armed officers used heavy-duty equipment, including a battering ram, before moving in on the residence — police arrested Michael Royce Sparks, 62, on Friday. Court records confirm that Sparks has been charged with two counts of murder with special circumstances — a charge that makes Sparks eligible for the death penalty in the Golden State if convicted. Records also show that Sparks remained in custody as of Wednesday.
Sparks apparently wasn’t in the raided home at the time, but he was later found under a home, authorities said, according to The Associated Press. One day later, human remains were reportedly discovered in a concrete bunker underneath the home. A spokesperson for the San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office said the remains were believed to be those of the Menards but could not immediately confirm, the AP reported.
Authorities said they do not believe there are any other victims in the case.
Friends of the Menards said the couple is part of a lawsuit against the ranch and had been facing harassment, and worry that may be linked to their disappearance, KABC reported.
According to The Associated Press, Sparks was scheduled for a court appearance Wednesday. It was not immediately clear whether he had an attorney.
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