In a shocking revelation, an elderly couple from California, who mysteriously disappeared from a nudist resort, were found to have been brutally murdered, allegedly by a neighbor who harbored a deep-seated grudge against them.
The couple's crime? Trimming a tree that stood on their shared property line.
According to The New York Post, the victims, identified as Daniel Menard, 79, and his wife, Stephanie Menard, 73, were subjected to fatal blunt-force trauma to the head. The autopsies confirmed the cause of death, leading to their deaths being officially classified as homicides. The couple, along with their Shih Tzu, Cuddles, disappeared from their residence at the Olive Dell Ranch nudist resort in Colton on August 24.
The investigation quickly led the police to their neighbor, Michael Royce Sparks, who was reportedly harboring a deep resentment against the couple. Tammie Wilkerson, another resident of the nudist ranch, recounted, He hated them, and he told me many times. She further elaborated on the seemingly trivial reason behind Sparks' animosity, stating, They had a tree that was on their property line, and Dan used to go trim the limbs and he hated that. That formed his hatred towards them.
Sparks, however, did not surrender easily. Last month, his refusal to cooperate with the police resulted in an hours-long standoff that concluded with armored vehicles demolishing his home. Sparks was discovered hiding in a homemade concrete bunker beneath the ruins of his house, where he attempted to take his own life to avoid arrest. But the rifle misfired, revealed police spokesperson Carl Baker.
In the same concrete bunker, the police discovered the remains of the missing couple along with bags of evidence. The whereabouts of their dog, Cuddles, remain unknown. Sparks, 62, was subsequently arrested and charged with two counts of murder and two special circumstance allegations related to their deaths.
Despite pleading not guilty, Sparks is currently being held without bail at the San Bernardino West Valley Detention Center, with a court appearance scheduled for October 18.
The tragic incident has left friends and acquaintances of the Menards in shock and grief. I just want them back, lamented Sandy Marinelli, a close friend of the couple. They dont deserve this. Theyre just good people. They go to church. They dont deserve any of this. This senseless act of violence underscores the need for communities to foster understanding and respect among neighbors, to prevent such tragedies from recurring.
Login