The cause of death for an elderly California couple who disappeared from a nudist resort has been revealed.
Daniel Menard, 79, and his wife Stephanie, 73, both died from ‘blunt force trauma to the head’, according to the San Bernardino County Coroner. Both deaths have been ruled as homicides.
The findings come two weeks after the couple’s remains were found in a concrete bunker underneath their neighbor’s home at the Olive Dell Ranch nudist resort in Colton, California.
The couples neighbor, Michael Sparks, 62, has since been charged with two counts of murder and two special circumstance allegations in connection with their deaths.
Daniel Menard, 79, and his wife, Stephanie Menard, 73, both died from ‘blunt force trauma to the head’, the San Bernardino County Coroner revealed
The couples neighbor, Michael Sparks, 62, was charged with two counts of murder and two special circumstance allegations in connection with their deaths
The couple’s remains were found in a concrete bunker underneath their neighbor’s home at the Olive Dell Ranch nudist resort in Colton, California
A family member told officers that Sparks had admitted to killing two people prior to his arrest, the Redlands Police Chief Rachel Tolber says.
‘It was while our teams were on site that the police dispatcher received information from an individual identified as a family member indicating that [Sparks] was involved in the disappearance and had admitted to killing two people and was threatening suicide,’ said Tolber.
The motive for the killings remains unclear but onlookers have said there was some tension between Sparks and the Menards.
Neighbor, Tammie Wilkerson, said Sparks had an ongoing dispute with the Menards.
‘He didnt like them. He hated them, and he told me many times,’ Wilkerson told CBS News.
‘Its 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.’
The couple was last seen on Saturday, August 24, at their home at nudist resort before a close friend reported the couple missing the following day after the pair failed to show up to church
The motive for the killings remains unclear, but neighbors said there was some tension between Sparks and the Menards
The couple was last seen on Saturday, August 24, at their home before a close friend reported the couple missing the following day after the pair failed to show up to church.
Days after a search for the couple ensued a tip led officers to Sparks’ home.
‘We suspect that there may have been foul play,’ Redlands spokesperson Carl Baker told ABC7.com.
While we were here, knocking on doors and canvassing the area, we got information that a person who is potentially involved in the disappearance of the couple was here.’
An hours-long standoff would follow, leveling Sparks’ home in an attempt to coax him out of the building - eventually revealing his homemade bunker.
‘He did have a rifle and he did attempt to kill himself when police discovered him, but the rifle misfired,’ Baker said.
The following morning police dogs found human remains, later determined to be the Menards, along with ‘bags of evidence’.
Sparks has pleaded not guilty and is expected to appear in court again on October 18.