A couple in Southern California, Daniel Menard, 79, and Stephanie Menard, 73, were found dead under their neighbor’s home on a nudist ranch in Redlands. The autopsy revealed that the cause of death for both individuals was “blunt force trauma to the head,” as per the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department report on Tuesday, according to the Los Angeles Times.
The Menards, along with their dog, were last seen on August 24 and were reported missing by a concerned friend to the Redlands Police Department. Five days later, searchers discovered their bodies in bags in a concrete bunker beneath their neighbor Michael Royce Sparks’ home. Sparks, 62, was arrested on homicide charges and pleaded not guilty during his arraignment on September 9.
Although the motive for the killings has not been disclosed by authorities, a neighbor mentioned to local media that Sparks had animosity towards the couple. The neighbor, Tammie Wilkerson, told KTTV-TV that Sparks had expressed his hatred towards the Menards multiple times, although she never expected him to commit such a heinous act.
The couple’s unlocked car was found near their residence in Olive Dell Ranch, with both their phones and Stephanie Menard’s purse left inside their home. Daniel Menard was known to be diabetic and suffered from dementia.
Olive Dell Ranch, located in Colton, California, is characterized as a family and couples-friendly nudist resort. The resort promotes itself as an “ideal spot to enjoy the nudist/naturist lifestyle whether visiting for the day or an overnight stay,” according to its website.