Human remains found underneath home of suspect in Redlands nudist ranch couple's disappearance
A cadaver dog detected at least one body underneath the suspect's home.
REDLANDS, Calif. -- Human remains were found underneath the home of the suspect arrested in connection with the disappearance of a missing Redlands couple, authorities confirmed Friday.
Michael Royce Sparks, 62, was arrested on suspicion of murder overnight after authorities swarmed the neighborhood and locked down the area surrounding the Olive Dell Ranch nudist resort Thursday. Sparks was booked at the West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga.
During a news conference Friday morning, Carl Baker with city of Redlands said Sparks surrendered voluntarily after he was found underneath his home, which was tore down by a police armored vehicle with a hydraulic battering ram.
The human remains have not yet been identified but Baker previously said the victims - Stephanie Menard, 73, and her husband, Daniel, 79 - are believed to be dead.
Baker said the remains were found in bags located in a concrete bunker underneath Sparks' home.
"We had a city crew with a camera that we use to evaluate sewer blockages. They were able to run that camera into that space and verify the presence of the evidence," said Baker.
"There were no tunnels that we can tell," he added. "There is a space about five feet deep...and it goes back maybe to the back of the property, which is a mobile home."
Cadaver dogs from the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department were brought in to search the property Friday morning.
Authorities said a cadaver dog had detected at least one body underneath the home, near the area where Sparks was taken into custody.
"He did have a rifle and he did attempt to kill himself when police discovered him," said Baker of the moment Sparks was found. "The weapon misfired...it didn't go off."
Officials were assessing whether the structure was safe to enter after it sustained significant damage during Thursday's operation.
The motive for the alleged killings remains unclear, but authorities said the suspect and victims were neighbors.
Tammie Wilkerson, who also lives in the community, called the situation bizarre.
"I don't know, people just don't dig tunnels under their house and behind their house," she said. "If I had known, I would have told the cops right away, 'Hey, that guy had tunnels.'"
Wilkerson told Eyewitness News she drove Sparks to Home Depot several times to buy the concrete.
"I couldn't imagine someone would buy bags and bags of cement, almost every other day," she said. "I asked him one time, because everyone called him Sparky, and I said, 'Sparky, what are you doing with all the cement?' and he's like, 'I've got someone projects I'm doing,' and I'm like 'ok.'"
Wilkerson said she was aware of tension between Sparks and the Menards.
"When I first moved here, he told me how much he hated them, and he hated Dan specifically because Dan would cut the tree ... trim the tree down," she said.
Others, however, said they never had any problems with Sparks.
"Always cordial, always respectful, never aggressive, never mean, just a very sweet person," said Christopher Hernandez.
What happened to Stephanie and Daniel Menard?
The Menards had last been seen Saturday morning leaving their home at the Olive Dell ranch in the 26000 block of Keissel Road, according to the Redlands Police Department. A friend reported them missing the next day.
The couple's vehicle was found unlocked down the road from their home Sunday. Stephanie's purse was found inside the home and both of their cellphones were also found at their home. Their dog, a small white shih tzu named Cuddles, was also missing. Baker could not provide more information about the fate of the dog.
"There's no way that Stephanie or Dan could have walked away from that car," friend Tammie Wilkerson told Eyewitness News Tuesday. "She has a cane. It was at home, her purse, their cellphones - things they would never have left at home."
Daniel Menard suffered from dementia and is diabetic, police say.
Friends say the couple, who is part of a possible lawsuit against the ranch, was being harassed and feared that may have had something to do with their disappearance.
The couple was said to be very active in their church and in the Olive Dell community.
"They're very sweet people. There's not a mean bone in their body at all, which makes this very confusing," Wilkerson said.
Anyone with information is asked to contact Redlands police at (909)798-7681 or Detective Thomas Williams at twilliams@redlandspolice.org. Please reference case No. 240032075
