Man allegedly admitted to killing neighbors at nudist resort over a hot dog
REDLANDS, Calif. (Gray News) – The man who is accused of killing a couple at a nudist resort reportedly did so over a hot dog, according to local reports.
Michael Royce Sparks, 62, was charged in September with two counts of murder with special circumstances in the deaths of Stephanie Menard, 73, and her husband Daniel Menard, 79.
The couple had been reported missing in the desert community of Redlands and were last seen at their home on Aug. 24, 2024. They lived at Olive Dell Ranch, which is described on its website as a residential RV park and nudist resort.
Officials said they found the couple’s remains in bags in a concrete bunker underneath Sparks’ home.
According to the Press-Enterprise, in a court hearing Monday, a detective testified that Sparks admitted to another inmate that he killed his neighbors. He allegedly said the final straw was over a hot dog.
Redlands police detective Thomas Williams testified that Sparks told the other inmate that Daniel Menard had given him a hot dog, which he felt was a jab at him.
“He said Mr. Sparks felt that the hot dog was a jab at him, making him feel like he was worth only a dollar hot dog, and that’s what set him off that day,” the detective said in court, according to the Press-Enterprise.
Sparks is accused of brutally beating the couple with a rake, a hoe and a hammer.