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The cause of death of an elderly California couple whose remains were found in a concrete bunker underneath their neighbor’s home has now been revealed.
Husband and wife, Daniel Menard, 79, and Stephanie Menard, 73, died from blunt force trauma injuries to the head, and their deaths were ruled as homicide, the San Bernardino County Coroner’s Office told ABC7.
The couple’s 62-year-old neighbor Michael Royce Sparks, of Redlands, has been charged with their murders.
The Menards were last seen alive on August 24 at their home on the Olive Dell Ranch nudist resort.
When they failed to show up for church, the alarm was raised.
After receiving a tip that the couple’s neighbor Sparks could be involved, officers descended on the resort and an hours-long standoff between the suspect and law enforcement ensued, authorities said.
Redlands Police spokesperson Carl Baker told CBS News that Sparks tried to kill himself but “his rifle misfired.”
He was ultimately taken into custody.
Search teams later found “human remains” and “bags of evidence” at the property, Redland Police said.
The Menards small white Shih Tzu dog Cuddles is also still missing.
Sparks is now charged with two counts of murder as well as a special circumstance allegation for multiple murders of the couple. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges and is being held without bail.
Investigators have not yet said whether or not they believed the murders were premeditated.
Tammie Wilkerson, another neighbor at the ranch told CBS News that the suspect had “an ongoing dispute” with the Menards.
She said: “He didn’t like them. He hated them, and he told me many times… It’s 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.”
Sparks is set to appear in court again on October 18, said Redland Police and Detective Bureau.
