A California man beat his neighbors to death over the purchase of a hot dog which he took as the final insult in a long-simmering feud.
Michael Royce Sparks, 62, is on trial for allegedly murdering his elderly neighbors, Dan Menard, 79, and his wife, Stephanie, 73, in August. Police contend that Sparks beat his neighbors to death, mutilated them, and dismembered them, the Press-Telegram reported.
The Menards were Sparks' neighbors at the Olive Dell Ranch nudist resort in Redlands, California.
The newspaper reported that Sparks did not like the Menards and had conflicts with them over a generator they installed between their homes. In another incident, the Menards had trimmed branches from Sparks' tree that hung over onto the Menards property. But, in testimony June 16, the final straw was the hot dog.
Redlands police Detective Thomas Williams said that while incarcerated, Sparks talked to another inmate about what happened: "He said Mr. Sparks told him the incident started over a hot dog that Daniel Menard had purchased for 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 newspaper reported that after killing the couple, Sparks allegedly drowned the couple's Shih Tzu, Cuddles, in a sink and then threw the body in the woods hoping that coyotes would eat it.
