The search for Stephanie Menard, 73, and her husband, Daniel Menard, 79, continues as they remain missing from their home at the Olive Dell nudist resort in San Bernardino County since Saturday. According to the Redlands Police Department, the couple was last seen in the 26000 block of Keissel Road at around 10:00 A.M. The search has intensified as Daniel is reported to be suffering from dementia and is diabetic, putting a sharper urgency on the efforts to locate them. Their small white shih tzu, Cuddles, is also missing, as reported by the Redlands Police Department's Facebook post.
ABC7 reports that after being reported missing, the couple's unlocked vehicle was discovered down the road from their residence, raising questions about their whereabouts. Friends and neighbors have started to thoroughly comb the Reche Canyon area searching for the pair, even employing search dogs and a helicopter according to a statement obtained by CBS News Los Angeles.
Concern for the couple's safety has grown in the community, especially against the backdrop of recent unusual crimes in the area. "Dan was funny and he was sweet. It just plagues me. I can't believe somebody would do something like this to them," Tammie Wilkerson told CBS News Los Angeles, expressing her disbelief and distress over the incident. Friends have described the Menards as inseparable from their community and church, and find their disappearance particularly troubling.
The couple had been experiencing harassment which may be connected to their involvement in a potential lawsuit against the ranch, as reported by their friend Tammie Wilkerson who told ABC7. Despite these circumstances, there has been no indication by the police of any foul play involved in the couple's disappearance. "We did have search dogs from Riverside Sheriff's Office and a helicopter from the San Bernardino County Sheriff's Office," said Carl Baker, spokesperson for the City of Redlands, in a statement to CBS News Los Angeles.
Authorities and the community alike are calling for anyone with information regarding the Menards to come forward. The Redlands Police Department has urged the public to contact them at (909) 798-7681 or Detective Thomas Williams at [email protected] with any leads that could help to safely locate the couple and their dog, as noted in their Facebook post.
