Suspect in disappearance of Redlands couple charged with murder

UPDATE Sept. 5, 2024: A 62-year-old Redlands man faces murder charges in connection with the deaths of a missing couple, San Bernardino County District Attorney Jason Anderson announced Tuesday.

Michael Royce Sparks was arrested Aug. 29 following an extensive investigation by the Redlands Police Department and its Detective Bureau into the disappearance of Daniel Menard, 79, and Stephanie Menard, 73 in late August.

Sparks was charged with two counts of murder for the deaths of the Menards and is eligible for a sentence of life without parole if convicted, said authorities.

The Menards went missing from their home at 26000 block of Keissel Road on Aug. 24.

Redlands Police later discovered human remains believed to be the Menards in a bunker underneath Sparks' home.

Police find human remains inside bunker of suspect's home in case of couple who vanished from nudist community

Murder investigation of Daniel and Stephanie Menard "shocks" residents in the tight-knit community

AUGUST 30, 2024

REDLANDS, Calif. — Police found human remains inside a bunker beneath the home of the suspect in connection with the disappearance of a Redlands couple Daniel Menard, 79, and Stephanie Menard, 73.

Michael Royce Sparks was charged on Thursday with murder in relation to the disappearance of the Menards, who went missing from their home at 26000 block of Keissel Road on Aug. 24, said police.

A concrete bunker-like space, approximately 5 feet deep, was found under the suspect's property. Fire department personnel, certified in confined space operations, entered the area to remove bags of evidence on Friday, Aug. 30.

"At this time, I can confirm the presence of human remains under the house," Carl Baker, Redlands Police spokesperson, told reporters during a press briefing outside Olive Dell Ranch nudist resort on Friday.

Police believe the couple is deceased, though their bodies have not been positively identified.

The discovery came after police tore off the front of the suspect's house during a search operation on Thursday, Aug. 29. Aerial footage from KTLA shows the residence was destroyed during the raid by law enforcement. Baker explained this action was necessary due to concerns about officer safety.

"We did attempt to contact the suspect for a great deal of time," explained Baker. "We also broke out a window and entered with a drone. We were not able to get around in there and work."

The suspect was found Thursday night barricaded and armed with a rifle. Police said he attempted to kill himself but was unsuccessful when the weapon failed to fire.

The underground space extends to the back of the mobile home property and is large enough for a person to walk upright.

The suspect has not spoken with law enforcement since his arrest. Authorities believe he is the sole person responsible for the Menards' presumed deaths.

Police have not commented on a possible motive or any disagreements between the suspect and his neighbors, citing the ongoing investigation.

Neighbors say they want to know 'why?'

Neighbors in the tight-knit community of Olive Dell Ranch said they were shocked to hear of the alleged murder.

Chris Hernandez, who's lived in the nudist community for about eight months, said it doesn't make sense.  

"All we really want to know is 'why?' did this happen," said Hernandez, waiting for an update from police. "How did this slip past us?"

Hernandez said that when he heard the Menards were missing, he thought maybe their car had broken down and they had been picked up.

"I never expected this," said Hernandez, who has known both the victims and the suspect for about a year. During that time, he said, he had not noticed anything off between them. "Maybe it was something that happened behind closed doors, I don't know."

Hernandez describes Sparks as a "lone wolf" with a friendly demeanor, which he said makes what happened very confusing.

"I just want to hear what the police say. I just want some answers."

This is a developing story.

This story was originally published on Aug. 30 at 16:19 pm.