Nudist Kills, Dismembers IE Neighbors After Hot Dog Dispute: Prosecutors

INLAND EMPIRE, CA — The man accused of brutally killing and dismembering a Redlands couple is in court this week, and his reason for the bizarre killing was humiliation by way of a hot dog purchase, prosecutors say.

Michael Sparks faces two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Daniel Menard, 79, and his wife, Stephanie Menard, 73. The couple, who were Sparks' neighbors, disappeared on Aug. 24 from their home at the Olive Dell Ranch nudist resort, 26520 Keissel Road, in Colton.

On Monday, Redlands Police Detective Thomas Williams testified that after Sparks was arrested in the killings, he was jailed and disclosed to a fellow inmate what happened, according to a report from The Press-Enterprise.

“[The inmate] said Mr. Sparks told him the incident started over a hot dog that Daniel Menard had purchased for him,” Williams told Deputy District Attorney Sean Han. “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.

While Sparks shared other complaints about the Menards, including tree trimming and complaining, the hot dog dig was what ultimately sent him over the edge that day, Williams told the court.

“[The inmate] said [Sparks] went outside and struck Mr. Menard in the head until his head caved in. Mrs. Menard came out yelling, ‘No! No!’ and then he began striking Mrs. Menard and Mr. Menard with a rake, a hoe and a hammer,” Williams testified.

The mystery of what happened to the couple's beloved dog was also disclosed, according to the PE's reporting. Sparks informed fellow inmates where he dismembered the Menards, and how he disposed of them, and shared that he drowned their Shih Tzu, Cuddles, in a sink.

Numerous neighbors of the Menards and Sparks spoke at Monday's preliminary hearing at San Bernardino County Justice Center. Each recounted their knowledge of the couple, Sparks and what happened when they realized the Menards were missing.

According to previous Patch reports, it was four days before the missing persons case became a manhunt. Sparks became a person of interest on Aug. 29 when a family member came forward telling authorities he was "suicidal, and may have been responsible for the couple's disappearance."

A few others shared disturbing text messages with the police, in which Sparks wrote that he "chopped up" his neighbors and was going to commit suicide. "Didn't know I had it in me. SNAPPED," he wrote in the message shared in court.

Read: Killings At IE Nudist Ranch: 'Very Unusual Case'

When efforts to find Sparks failed, a police tactical vehicle outfitted with a battering ram and video camera was used to push through his home.

Sparks was eventually discovered hiding in a "subterranean basement" beneath his Olive Dell ranch home, Redlands Police Chief Rachel Tolber told reporters at the time of Sparks' initial arrest.

Police found Sparks armed with a rifle and he attempted to kill himself before police took him into custody. His weapon misfired and no one was injured, according to Tolber.

A cadaver dog alerted investigators "to the presence of at least one body" in the area, according to Redlands police. Due to the home's extensive damage from the tactical vehicle, search efforts for the couple's remains were slowed by structural safety concerns.

It took three days to do it. Investigators focused their efforts on the basement. Bags of evidence were removed from the area, and officials with the coroner's office confirmed they contained human remains, according to the Redlands Police Department.

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Killings At IE Nudist Ranch: 'Very Unusual Case'