Neighbor Charged With Murder in Connection With Disappearance of Elderly Couple

Daniel and Stephanie Menard, in their 70s, were last seen at a nudist RV camp near Redlands, Calif., on Aug. 24, 2024. Redlands Police Department

Redlands police in Southern California are searching for the bodies of Daniel and Stephanie Menard at the home of their next-door neighbor at the Olive Dell Ranch nudist park on Aug. 30 after a suspect was arrested in connection with the disappearance.

“We’re confident that the Menards are deceased, and we believe they are on the property the suspect lived,” police spokesman Carl Baker told The Epoch Times Friday.

Michael Royce Sparks, 62, was arrested for murder and booked into the West Valley Detention Center Thursday night, the Redlands Police Department announced.

Michael Royce Sparks, 62, was arrested for murder in connection with the disappearance of Daniel and Stephanie Menard. Courtesy of Redlands Police

According to court records, Stephanie Menard filed three restraining orders in June in San Bernardino County. Police were not able to confirm whether the orders were connected to the case.

Police were at the suspect’s house Friday preparing to search for the bodies of the couple, according to an update posted on Facebook, but damage done to the home is complicating the efforts.

A police SWAT team used a battering ram owned by the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department to break down and ultimately destroy part of the house Thursday afternoon.

“Due to extensive damage, the structure will need to be made safe before searchers can enter,” police wrote in the post, adding that detectives were not able to contact the owner and breached the home to conduct a search using remote video equipment. No one was located at the residence.

The Menards, both in their 70s and permanent residents of the park, were last seen Aug. 24 and were reported missing the next day by a friend.

Police found their vehicle down the road from their home with the keys in the ignition. They also found Stephanie Menard’s purse inside their home, along with both of their cell phones. The TV and air conditioning were still running.

The couple’s dog, a small white Shih Tzu named Cuddles, was also missing, according to police.

Police used a helicopter and drones to search nearby ravines and park grounds this week before focusing on the suspect’s home on Thursday.

The Menards' dog Cuddles was also missing, according to Redlands Police. Redlands Police Department

Neighbors and family described the Menards as a sweet couple who attended church.

A woman named Mikayla Gibbs posted in the Facebook group “Moreno Valley Matters,” asking residents to be on the lookout for the missing couple. According to Gibbs, the Menards are a ”sweet couple.”

Stacey Menard of Maine, a relative of Daniel Menard, said she spoke with other family members about the disappearance. She said they had not heard from the couple this week.

“We’re all praying they’re found safe,” Stacey Menard told The Epoch Times.