Los Angeles, Ca
Remains found at Redlands nudist resort identified as missing elderly couple
Authorities confirmed the bodies that were found beneath a murder suspect’s Redlands home belonged to missing couple Stephanie Menard, 73, and Daniel Menard, 79.
The San Bernardino County Coroner’s office confirmed the news on Thursday after the couple’s next-door neighbor, Michael Sparks, 62, was arrested and charged with the couple’s murder.
The Menards were first reported missing on Aug. 24 when their friends said they failed to show up for church.
Inside the couple’s home, located at the Olive Dell Ranch Nudist Resort, their personal items such as cell phones and purses were found. Their abandoned vehicle was parked just down the road from their house with the keys still inside. Their dog, a small white Shih Tzu, was also missing.
On Aug. 29, authorities descended on the nudist ranch and began searching for Sparks who was believed to be hiding on property grounds.
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Daniel Menard and Stephanie Menard are seen in an image provided by the Redlands Police Department. -
Michael Sparks is seen in an image provided by the Redlands Police Department. -
The home of Daniel Menard and Stephanie Menard at the Olive Dell Ranch Nudist Resort in Redlands. (KTLA) -
The missing couple’s vehicle was found abandoned and unlocked down the road from their home in Redlands. (KTLA) -
The home of Daniel Menard and Stephanie Menard at the Olive Dell Ranch Nudist Resort in Redlands. (KTLA) -
The home of the missing couple’s next-door neighbor, Michael Sparks, was raided and destroyed by SWAT Team members and law enforcement on August 29, 2024. (KTLA) -
The home of the missing couple’s next-door neighbor, Michael Sparks, was raided and destroyed by SWAT Team members and law enforcement on August 29, 2024. (KTLA) -
A SWAT Team’s armored vehicle arrived to execute a search warrant at the suspect’s home on August 29, 2024. (KTLA) -
The home of Daniel Menard and Stephanie Menard at the Olive Dell Ranch Nudist Resort in Redlands. (KTLA)
After police were tipped off about where the couple’s bodies might be located, authorities surrounded Sparks’ home. He had barricaded himself with a rifle inside, prompting police to use a drone and then a battering ram to tear through and destroy the house.
Sparks was eventually found hiding in a cement bunker beneath his home, in the same location where a cadaver dog alerted officers to bags stuffed with human remains.
Authorities said Sparks attempted to take his own life moments before he was captured, but his rifle misfired. He eventually surrendered and was taken into custody.
Neighbors told KTLA that the suspect and the elderly couple had been neighbors for years and had an ongoing feud. One of the disputes reportedly involved a tree between their properties.
“He was mad because Dan cut some tree limbs on a tree that belonged to him and he has held a grudge ever since then,” said Tammie Wilkerson, a neighbor. “I know he didn’t like the Menards. He said it many times that he hated them. But I never thought he would do something like this.”
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Michael Sparks is seen in an image provided by the Redlands Police Department. -
What’s left of Michael Sparks’, 62, home, after being accused of killing his elderly Redlands neighbors. (KTLA) -
The home of the missing couple’s next-door neighbor, Michael Sparks, was raided and destroyed by SWAT Team members and law enforcement on August 29, 2024. (KTLA) -
What’s left of Michael Sparks’, 62, home, after being accused of killing his elderly Redlands neighbors. (KTLA) -
A SWAT Team’s armored vehicle arrived to execute a search warrant at the suspect’s home on August 29, 2024. (KTLA) -
The home of the missing couple’s next-door neighbor, Michael Sparks, was raided and destroyed by SWAT Team members and law enforcement on August 29, 2024. (KTLA)
Details on how the couple was killed or a possible motive behind their murder remains under investigation.
San Bernardino County District Attorney Jason Anderson and Redlands Chief of Police Rachel Tolber thanked the community for their assistance on the case.
“You have a community that, for all intents and purposes that we’ve seen throughout the week, is a tight-knit community,” Anderson said. “Obviously, people were very concerned about the Menards. There have been vigils that have been held there.”
“I’m very thankful for all of the partners, including our community, that were able to come together to see the investigation through to fruition,” Tolber added.
Sparks was charged with two felony counts of murder. He remains in custody and is expected to appear in court later this week.
The future of voice to text is here.
I’ve been testing a variety of tools that make taking notes, transcribing audio, and even voice typing faster and easier than ever.
If you have a smartphone, you’re already halfway there!
Google’s Pixel Recorder app is free and built into their smartphone. It’s excellent for transcribing meetings, lectures, and conversations – all in real time.
Apple’s Voice Memos App recently added transcriptions if you’re upgraded to iOS 18.
Samsung’s Voice recorder app now offers transcripts too – as long as you’re on their latest One UI 7 software. (Check Settings > About Phone > Software Information)
Got an older phone? Try Otter.AI. It works great for transcriptions across devices and you get 300 minutes a month free.
Don’t want to tie up your phone?
I’ve been testing AI-powered digital audio recorders from a startup named Plaud.
The Plaud Note is thin, records for hours, and can even clip to the back of your phone to record calls. Just make sure you know your local laws before using that feature.
The Plaud Pin can be clipped to your shirt or worn on your wrist for hands-free recording.
Both devices sync audio to a companion app that auto transcribes and summarizes.
You get five hours of transcription a month included, with options to pay for more.
Pricing for each gadget starts around $160 dollars.
Want to transcribe audio files on your computer?
My favorite Mac app is MacWhisper. You can even get it completely free – although paid versions are avaialble with more features and options.
On Windows, check out Vibe Transcribe, also free.
And for a web-based option, Whisper Web gets the job done.
Finally, if you want to type less and talk more… there’s an excellent AI voice-to-text app called Wispr Flow. It was previously Mac only but just became avaialble for Windows, too.
One you install it, you pick a hotkey. Then, instead of typing just press and hold down that key and dictate what you want to write.
Since it uses the power of AI, you can even stumble or ramble and it will clean up your words and get the punctionation right.
It’s a gamechanger for responding to emails fast! You get 2,000 words free each week with options to pay for more.
Enjoy your newfound time!
An alleged attack on a state prison officer by a 43-year-old inmate transferred from Los Angeles County is being investigated as attempted homicide, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation officials announced Tuesday.
The March 18 incident at Salinas Valley State Prison in Soledad reportedly unfolded just before 9 a.m. on what authorities describe as a “dayroom floor.”
The inmate, Anthony G. Ramirez, is believed to have pulled an improvised weapon from his waistband before attempting to attack custody staff member, according to a CDCR news release.
“Staff immediately responded, disarming Ramirez and placing him in handcuffs without incident,” the release detailed.
The 43-year-old, who was transferred to SVSP in 2008 after being sentenced to life with the possibility of parole for second-degree murder, with enhancements for the use of a firearm and causing great bodily injury or death, was placed in restrictive housing pending the investigation and possible felony prosecution by the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office.
Both Ramirez and the custody staff member were examined by medical personnel who noted no serious injuries.
Officials said that the California Correctional Peace Officers Association was notified of the incident and prison staff were offered peer support services and employee assistance programs.
Salinas Valley State Prison, opened in 1996, houses more than 2,400 minimum, medium, maximum and high-security inmates. The facility also offers vocational programs and academic classes and employs some 1,800 people.
A toxic algal bloom leaving an increasing number of marine mammals stranded along Southern California beaches shows no signs of subsiding and “will only get worse,” officials said Monday.
“This week, we saw more stranded dolphins (both alive and deceased) than we saw during the major domoic acid (DA) bloom in 2023,” Marine Mammal Care Center (MMCC) Los Angeles posted on Facebook.
Recent tests showed DA-producing algae levels have increased, and officials believe that trend will continue in the coming weeks. “We anticipate that it will only get worse,” the post read.
MMCC asked the public not to approach sick dolphins or sea lions on the beach because they can become aggressive upon awakening from a seizure.
“This is a safety issue for people and their pets as much as it is for the marine mammals,” officials said.
Beachgoers were also urged not to push stranded dolphins back into the water, saying it can reduce their chances of survival.
More information about domoic-acid poisoning can be found at https://marinemammalcare.org/domoic-acid/.
The volume of sick marine mammals has also had a financial impact on the MMCC.
“Our team is working heroically to respond to every call and to rescue every animal they can. Please share this post and give now at marinemammalcare.org/donate to give these marine mammals a second chance at life!” the MMCC stated.
Anyone who encounters a sick or stranded marine mammal can alert the nearest lifeguard and call 1-800-39-WHALE to make a report.
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