The San Bernardino County Prosecutor’s Office has filed murder charges against a man suspected of killing an elderly couple at a nudist ranch in Colton, California, authorities said.
Michael Royce Sparks has been charged with murder in the case.
San Bernardino Dist. Atty. Jason Anderson said so during an afternoon press conference 62-year-old Michael Royce Sparks had been charged in the murders of Daniel Menard, 79, and his wife, Stephanie Menard, 73. He said his office also filed separate charges that Sparks committed multiple murders.
Redlands Police Chief Rachel Tolber said Sparks became a suspect last Thursday when one of his family members told a police chief that Sparks had been involved in the disappearance of Menards. According to Tolber, the relative said Sparks had confessed to killing two people and threatened to commit suicide.
Tolber said officers responded to Sparks’ home, which is next door to Menard’s house, and began searching for him. During the search, Tolber said, officers discovered that Sparks had barricaded himself in a homemade bunker under the home and was armed with a rifle. At some point, Sparks tried to use the rifle to injure himself, she said, but the weapon misfired.
Sparks was then arrested on suspicion of murder and booked into the West Valley Detention Center.
After Sparks’ arrest, police found the remains of two people believed to be the missing couple, Tolber said. Investigators conducted a full search of the property Sunday, she said, and they do not believe there are other victims.
The Menards were reported missing Aug. 25 after missing a church service, according to neighbors and police. Their car was found unlocked down the road from their home, and Stephanie’s purse was found in their home along with her and Daniel’s cell phones, authorities said.
The destroyed house of Michael Royce Sparks, where human remains were found, in Colton.
(KTLA)
Tolber did not comment on a possible motive, but resident Tammie Wilkerson, who lives next door to Sparks, told KCAL that Sparks hated the couple.
“It’s such a stupid reason,” she said. “They had a tree on the property line, and Dan [Menard] used to go trim the limbs. And he hated it.”
Sparks is expected to be arraigned on Wednesday.
Staff writers Libor Jany and Summer Lin contributed to this report