Man charged with murder of California nudist ranch couple pleads not guilty

The Redlands man charged with the murder of his neighbors and whose remains were found under his home pleaded not guilty in court Monday.

Michael Royce Sparks, 62, the neighbor of Daniel Menard, 79, and his wife, Stephanie Menard, 73, is accused of killing the couple who disappeared from the Olive Dell Ranch nudist resort in San Bernardino County in late August.

According to police, the Menards were last seen at the Olive Dell Ranch around 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 24. They were reported missing the next day.

The couple's disappearance remained a mystery until Aug. 29, when police announced that the Menards' neighbor was a person of interest.

Police said investigators received a tip, prompting them to obtain a search warrant "to try and locate the suspect." 

"We suspect that there may have been foul play," Redlands Police Department spokesman Carl Baker said during a news conference.

The investigation accelerated that day as police dismantled Sparks' home with heavy equipment, looking for him. Later that night, around 9:30 p.m., Sparks was found underneath his home and surrendered to police.

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

The next morning, a cadaver dog was used to search for the couple's bodies at Sparks' residence. Baker said at a news conference that "the dog did alert, indicating the presence of a body somewhere underneath the house."

On Sept. 5, the San Bernardino County Sheriff-Coroner confirmed the identification of the two bodies found under Sparks' home as Stephanie Menard and Daniel Menard.

The Olive Dell Ranch is described online as a "family-friendly" nudist resort and RV park. A neighbor said there was an ongoing dispute between Sparks and the Menards.

"He didn't like them. He hated them, and he told me many times," neighbor Tammie 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."

Sparks' next court date is scheduled for Oct. 18 at 8:30 a.m.