Suspect, murdered Redlands couple had bad blood over tree on property line, neighbor says

Neighbor charged with Redlands couple's murders

The San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office has charged Michael Spakrs with killing his two neighbors, Stephanie and Daniel Menard, at a Redlands nudist ranch.

REDLANDS, Calif. - San Bernardino County District Attorney Jason Anderson today filed two counts of murder with special circumstances against Michael Sparks in the deaths of Daniel and Stephanie Menard in Redlands. A neighbor said the couple and the suspect recently had arguments over a tree on the line between their properties.

Tammie Wilkerson has only lived here at the Olive Dell Ranch Nudist Resort since May. She said the Menards were her friends, and Sparks was her next-door neighbor.

"I'm glad it's special circumstances, cause that carries the death penalty," said Wilkerson.

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DA Anderson said that even though the case remains under investigation, one thing is clear: "You find two people under the home of the suspect, that is appropriate for multiple victims in terms of special circumstances. We have a saying, and I don't say it lightly, but I want to say it clearly: you don't get a free murder. And in this case, we believe that we can go forward and prove that Mr. Sparks is responsible for both, so that's why the special allegation."

DA announces charges against IE murder suspect

The San Bernardino County District Attorney's Office announced charges against Michael Sparks, the man accused of killing his neighbors at the Olive Dell Nudist Ranch in Redlands.

To Tammie Wilkerson, "He's either going to have to plead guilty and take the death penalty, or he's going to have to plead not guilty, and maybe we'll get some closure."

Wilkerson wants a trial, so the community can learn why the murders happened; why the couple was found buried under the house. She said there was bad blood over a tree.

She called Sparks, "Sparky," saying that "Sparky had a tree that he planted close to the property line, and the tree was growing limbs. The limbs were growing over into Dan and Stephanie's. They asked him to trim the tree. He never would, so they did. And that made him mad."

So, as her next door neighbor prepares for arraignment Wednesday in a San Bernardino courtroom for the deaths of her friends, she yearns for closure.

"We're not happy," Wilkerson said. "We're sad. We're horrified and we want to see justice done."