Autopsy finds a California couple killed at a nudist ranch died from blows to their heads

REDLANDS, California — A Southern California couple whose bodies were found beneath their neighbors’ home on a nudist ranch died of “blunt force trauma to the head,” an autopsy found.

The San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department on Tuesday announced the cause of death of Daniel Menard, 79, and his wife Stephanie, 73, Los Angeles Times reported.

The couple and their dog were last seen on August 24 and reported missing to Redlands police by a concerned friend. Five days after they went missing, searchers found their remains in bags in a concrete bunker beneath the home of their neighbor Michael Royce Sparks. Sparks, 62, was arrested on charges of manslaughter and pleaded not guilty at his September 9 arraignment.

Authorities have not released a motive for the killings, but a neighbor told local media that Sparks disliked the couple and that they had been arguing over a tree between their properties.

“(Sparks) didn’t like Menards,” neighbor Tammie Wilkerson told KTTV-TV. “He said he hated them a lot, but I never thought he would do something like that.”

The couple’s unlocked car was found near their Olive Dell Ranch home, and their phones and Stephanie Menard’s purse were still inside the house. Daniel Menard was described as a diabetic with dementia.

Olive Dell Ranch is a nudist resort in Colton, California that caters to families and couples. According to its website, it is “an ideal place to enjoy the nudist/naturist lifestyle, whether you are visiting for a day or an overnight stay.”