Suspect in disappearance of couple from Southern California nudist ranch faces murder charges

The man accused of killing a couple who went missing from a nudist ranch in Southern California is facing murder charges, the San Bernardino County District Attorney announced Tuesday.

Daniel Menard, 79, and his wife, Stephanie Menard, 73, were last seen on Aug. 24 at the Olive Dell Ranch Nudist Resort in Redlands. As friends grew concerned over their disappearance in the following days, Redlands police dispatched search efforts throughout the community where they lived — focusing in on one individual in particular as they followed up on a tip.

On Aug. 29, police found Michael Sparks, 62, underneath his home in a makeshift basement and arrested him following a wide-scale search of his home and the ranch, where he lived next-door to the Menards.

Five days later, on Tuesday, San Bernardino County DA Jason Anderson said two murder charges were filed against Sparks with a special allegation of multiple murders. 

He would not say whether prosecutors believe the killings were premeditated. 

Friends of the couple grew worried when the Menards weren't ready to go to church on a Sunday, Aug. 25. Some of their possessions, including their cellphones and Stephanie Menard's purse, were found at their home, said Sandy Marinelli, one of their friends. Their unlocked car was discovered just down the street from their house, and friends said they did not usually get around on foot.

"I just want them back," Marinelli said a few days after they were last seen. "They don't deserve this... They're just good people. They go to church. They don't deserve any of this."  

Loved ones of the couple reported them missing and an investigation soon followed.

"I want to say that, from the beginning of this case, what we were impressed by were the community members, the friends and loved ones who were so concerned about the Menards — that came forward to indicate that things weren't right," Anderson told reporters during a news conference Tuesday afternoon.

Investigators dispatched search efforts, sending in K-9 units and a sheriff's department helicopter to the Olive Dell Ranch. Rolling hills and dirt trails run through the property, which is described online as an RV park and family-friendly nudist resort. Redlands Police Chief Rachel Tolber said investigators carried out an "extensive search" of the hills and canyon areas surrounding the ranch.

Then, on Aug. 28, they returned to Olive Dell to speak again with neighbors.

"It was while our teams were on-site that the police dispatchers received information from an individual identified as a family member indicating that the suspect, Michael Sparks, was involved in the disappearance and had admitted to killing two people and was threatening suicide," Tolber said.

She said police "immediately" locked down the property before narrowing the search down to Sparks' home. That day, police described him as a person of interest and did not identify him. 

"He does live here," Carl Baker, a spokesman for the Redlands Police Department, told reporters as he spoke from the Redlands neighborhood. "We believe he's here on site."

After hours of trying to reach Sparks, police obtained a search warrant and used a drone to enter the property, Tolber said. SWAT officers used armored vehicles to tear down the walls, and Tolber said remote cameras were used to search the home without putting investigators in danger. They had been informed that Sparks was armed, she said.

Finally, they found him inside what DA Anderson described as a "homemade basement-type area" underneath the home.

He allegedly tried to shoot himself when officers got to him.

"He did have a rifle and he did attempt to kill himself when police discovered him, but the rifle misfired," Baker said the day after Sparks' arrest.

Human remains were also discovered under the home, according to police, although they have not been identified. Still, police have said that investigators believe the remains belong to the missing couple. 

"At this time, I can confirm the presence of human remains under the house," Baker said. "We have a representative from the Coroner's Office here who [is] evaluating the remains, but obviously, we are not going to be able to identify those at this time."

On Tuesday, Tolber declined to comment on the condition of the bodies or a possible cause of death as the coroner's investigation remains ongoing. She also would not say whether police have identified a suspected motive in the killings.

Prosecutors are pursuing murder charges against Sparks as the Menards are presumed dead, given evidence that has been collected and the circumstances surrounding their disappearance, Anderson said.

"Well, we know they're dead, and we know there's two victims," he said, explaining the charges.

He described the case as unusual in how it unfolded over just a few days.

"When you look at the circumstances of an elderly couple who —  it clearly was a sign of trouble that they were not where they were expected to be by their loved ones on a Sunday," Anderson said, "and then you find their remains underneath a house in the same community. Double murder of elderly people by a 62-year-old defendant — that's pretty unique."

After Sparks was arrested, one of his other neighbors at Olive Dell, Tammie Wilkerson, said he had an ongoing dispute with the Menards.

"He didn't like them. He hated them, and he told me many times," Wilkerson said. "It's such a stupid reason. 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."