After several days of intense excavation and investigation, federal and state agencies concluded a targeted search effort at a Southcrest residence once associated with Dwight Rhone, a man embroiled in a grisly murder case. The San Diego County District Attorney's Office revealed that investigators unearthed what they believe to be the remains of an individual at the home on Newton Avenue. As cited by CBS 8, an autopsy is underway to ascertain the identity and details surrounding the death.
The investigation began on Tuesday, with the cooperation of multiple law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, the California Highway Patrol (CHP), and the San Diego Police Department (SDPD). According to NBC San Diego, this multi-agency effort was prompted by details that surfaced during the investigation of a separate homicide incident occurring in October 2023. Rhone, 74, already in custody for the prior incident, has been named as a person of interest regarding the discovered human remains. However, no new charges have been brought forward in connection with this discovery as of yet.
Investigators, who dug several holes in the yard and conducted searches beneath the house, departed from the property on Thursday. Residents of the house, having been temporarily displaced, were permitted to return but expressed their intentions to leave permanently, unsettled by the grim findings. "It's very uncomfortable knowing that we lived there with family, with kids, we had kids living there, and knowing that they found human remains in the house," Judith Santos Gonzalez, a tenant, told CBS 8.
As the San Diego County Medical Examiner works to identify the remains and the SDPD Cold Case/Missing Persons detectives continue investigating, the shadow of Rhone's past looms over the case. With a criminal history that spans decades, including convictions for human smuggling and armed robbery, and allegations of sodomy, Rhone's character and history come sharply into focus. According to CBS 8, his own nephew remarked on his uncle's personality by saying, "You've seen his rap sheet, right? You've seen his rap sheet, that's his personality."
Rhone is expected to appear in court next Wednesday for a readiness conference concerning the murder charges from the 2023 case.
