Multiple human remains were recently discovered at a residence in the Southcrest community of San Diego, Southern California. The photo shows police investigating at the scene. (Reuters)The discovery of multiple humans remains at a residence in the Southcrest community of San Diego, Southern California, has shocked residents and prompted a joint investigation by federal and local law enforcement agencies, re-examining potentially related cold cases and recent homicides.
According to Newsweek, the FBI, California Highway Patrol (CHP), San Diego Police Department, and other agencies conducted a search of a residence on Newton Avenue on the 2nd. Law enforcement officers discovered human remains inside, but the exact number and identities have not yet been released. This search stemmed from a lead obtained by the CHP in another homicide case, prompting multi-agency cooperation.
Although the police have not released the exact location of the remains, it is speculated that they may have been hidden in a concealed area of the house structure for a long time, such as under walls, under floors, in the soil of the yard, or in enclosed storage spaces, making them difficult for ordinary residents to detect. Furthermore, the investigation is believed to involve a cold case, meaning the death may have occurred many years or even longer; over time, the smell of decomposition would have dissipated, and if the remains were sealed in an airtight space, it would be almost impossible for tenants to detect them in their daily lives.
Law enforcement officials revealed that 74-year-old Dwight William Rhone, a former resident of the residence, is currently in custody for another homicide. According to NBC News, Rhone is accused of shooting and killing 54-year-old Bernardo Moreno on Highway 905 in October 2023 and then burning the body to destroy evidence. Court data shows he has had 33 prior convictions since 1963.
Further court records reveal a clear connection between the property and Rhone. According to a 2022 name change application, the residence where the remains were found was previously registered as Rhone’s address.
Earlier, in 2017, Rhone was forced to evict from a Newton Avenue home due to a civil restraining order. Documents show that the then-owner, Ernie Monia (Rhone’s sister-in-law, then 70 years old), had allowed Rhone to reside there, but he repeatedly violated regulations by allowing unfamiliar men and women to stay overnight, drinking alcohol or using drugs, verbally threatening Monia, and damaging property. Monia subsequently applied for a restraining order, and police carried out the eviction.
The Estrada Gonzalez sisters, who currently live in the house, said they moved in last year. Investigators told them that the case was unrelated to the current residents but rather involved new developments in a cold case concerning the previous residents. They pointed out that the investigators entered the backyard through a neighbor’s entrance before entering their house, searching for the area below the bedroom. “They told us that what we were looking for was under the house,” said one of the sisters, Judith.
An 18-year-old neighbor told NBC that she often saw police coming and going in the neighborhood, but she didn’t pay much attention at the time, only remembering that her parents repeatedly told her and her sister not to go near the house.
The FBI stated that its Evidence Response Team assisted in the evidence collection, including using police dogs to detect the remains. Since the remains were found on the property, the San Diego Police Department will handle the follow-up investigation.
The San Diego County Medical Examiner’s Office is investigating the identity of the deceased and the cause of death. No additional charges have been filed so far based on the new discovery of the remains. Police are appealing to the public for information regarding Rhone’s past behavior or other potentially related cases. Anyone with information is asked to contact the homicide unit at 619-531-2293 or anonymously call Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.
