Human Remains of Multiple People Found at California Home

By Sam Stevenson

Associate News Editor

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Human remains of multiple people have been discovered at a California home.

Newsweek contacted the FBI via phone, the California Highway Patrol (CHP), the San Diego Police Department and the San Diego County Sheriff’s Office via email outside of normal business hours for comment.

Why It Matters

The discovery of human remains at a property in the Southcrest neighborhood of San Diego has triggered a multiagency investigation reexamining possible cold case and recent homicide links. It highlights ongoing concerns about unsolved deaths, the challenges of investigating cold cases, and public safety in the community.

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What To Know

On Tuesday, multiple law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, CHP and the San Diego Police Department, executed a search warrant at a property on Newton Avenue in Southcrest.

During the search, they uncovered human remains, with the precise number of individuals and their identities having not yet been disclosed.

The search at the Southcrest property stemmed from information uncovered by the CHP during a separate homicide investigation, prompting a coordinated inquiry involving the San Diego County District Attorney's Office, the FBI and the San Diego Police Department’s Cold Case/Missing Persons Unit.

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Who is Dwight William Rhone? 'Person of Interest' in Custody

Dwight William Rhone, 74, who once lived at the residence that was being searched, is already in custody on separate homicide charges.

Rhone has been named by law enforcement as "a person of interest connected to an ongoing investigation" at a residential premises in the Southcrest area, the San Diego County District Attorney's Office said, per NBC News.

Rhone is currently in custody, having been arrested on a homicide charge related to the October 2023 shooting death and subsequent burning of Bernardo Moreno, 54, NBC 7 Investigates has reported.

Prosecutors allege that Rhone fatally shot Moreno on Interstate 905 before setting his body on fire.

NBC San Diego reports Rhone is due in court in connection with the killing next week.

In addition, Rhone was recently sentenced to 37 months in federal prison in a sentencing hearing for an unrelated case, with court records indicating a criminal history spanning decades with 33 prior offenses from 1963 to 2021, as reported by NBC San Diego.

The property where the remains were found was previously listed as Rhone’s address in a 2022 name-change petition.

Forced eviction and a civil restraining order against Rhone in 2017 were previously documented in civil court records, providing further context to his connection with the home, per NBC San Diego.

The current occupants of the Newton Avenue residence, unrelated to Rhone, were temporarily displaced as the investigation and search were carried out.

Sisters Judith and Selena Estrada Gonzalez told NBC 7 that they were informed by authorities that the investigation did not pertain to them but involved previous residents and new developments in a cold case.

What People Are Saying

San Diego police said: "Detectives will be working with the San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office to determine the identity of the remains and the cause of death."

Current resident of the property Judith Estrada Gonzalez told NBC 7: "Two people came up to our door on a Sunday evening when we're just all relaxing, watching movies as a family. And they just come to our door to tell us that we have to leave. A search warrant was approved by a judge, and you have to leave because the search warrant was going to start Tuesday—today—morning."

The FBI said in a statement: "FBI San Diego assisted today, at the request of the California Highway Patrol, on a cold case homicide. The FBI worked closely with our law enforcement partners at the CHP and SDPD to execute a search warrant at 3443 Newton Avenue in San Diego in the recovery of human remains.

"Working through our Evidence Response Team, the FBI provided expertise through evidence collection and processing, including the use of forensic canines. As human remains were located on the property, SDPD has jurisdiction for any further investigative work."

What Happens Next

The San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office is now tasked with determining the identity of the victims and the cause of their deaths.

As of publication, no new charges have been filed regarding the recently discovered remains.

San Diego police have asked for anyone with further information about Rhone’s activities or other related crimes to reach out to the homicide unit at (619) 531-2293 or call Crime Stoppers anonymously at (888) 580-8477.

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