SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — After an extensive, days-long search at a Southcrest home, law enforcement agencies recovered the remains "of one human being," according to the San Diego County District Attorney's Office.
The DA's Office says the medical examiner is still working to identify who the person was, and the autopsy still needs to be conducted as well.
"The investigation is ongoing, and media will be updated when more information is available," the press release stated.
Personnel from the San Diego Police Department, FBI, CHP, and NCIS were part of the team that processed the crime scene at 3443 Newton Ave. from Tuesday morning to Thursday evening.
This is a developing story. Stay with ABC 10News as our team of journalists works to gather the latest information.
Below, you'll find links to 10News' comprehensive coverage on this investigation so far:
- Southcrest neighbors describe ongoing search at home where human remains were found
- Accused killer threatened to poke cellmate’s eyes out before raping him: court filing
- Brother speaks out on human remains person of interest's troubled past
- New look at search for human remains in Southcrest, person of interest's nephew speaks out
- Man named person of interest after human remains found has violent criminal history, court documents show
- Person of interest named after human remains found in Southcrest
SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — A multi-agency investigation entered its third day Thursday at a Southcrest home where human remains were found in the yard, with 74-year-old Dwight Rhone named as a person of interest in the ongoing case.
Investigators continued digging and searching areas of the home and backyard Thursday morning, with yellow markers marking specific locations throughout the yard as law enforcement officers methodically combed the scene.
The investigation has drawn significant attention from the community, with neighbors watching from their yards and people constantly driving by to observe the activity.
Miriam Diaz, who lives next door to the property, allowed ABC 10News reporter Laura Acevedo onto her yard to observe the investigation. Diaz said investigators first arrived Sunday evening.
"Last night they started," Diaz said in Spanish, referring to when the digging near her property line began.
Diaz and her family said they never saw or heard anything strange from the neighboring property until law enforcement arrived this week.
"We didn't hear noises, we didn't hear screams, nothing," she said during an interview in Spanish.
Her husband took pictures Thursday morning showing investigators working in the yard with the yellow markers visible throughout the scene. The neighbors noted that areas now being searched were previously overgrown with weeds several feet high.
As more details emerge about Rhone and his background, his estranged family members are speaking out about his lengthy criminal history. A nephew who now lives out of state described Rhone as troubled throughout most of his life.
"He's kind of like the black sheep of the family," said David Khalid Rhone, Dwight Rhone's nephew.
The family member explained that Rhone had a pattern of incarceration and brief periods of freedom.
"He'd be in prison for 5 years, out for 8 months, in prison for 6 years, out for a year," said Rhone.
The nephew said Rhone comes from a good family that tried to help him over the years, but they don't know where things went wrong. He said he has had no contact with Rhone for at least 20 years.
"That's not who we are as a family, and our name is important to us," he said.
The current property owner told 10News, he was the one who evicted Rhone from the home in 2023. He tells 10News he paid Rhone $2,500 to leave the property.
A new restraining order obtained by 10News was filed against Rhone in 2017 by the previous property owner, Ernie Monia. She was also the sister-in-law of Rhone but in the document she refers to him as her roommate of two years.
In the order, she says Rhone brought men and women into the home who appeared to be drunk or on drugs. Monia says when she confronted him, he became very angry, began hitting her bedroom door and broke it off.
Monia says in the order that Rhone has a history of bullying and being verbally abusive. Further in the document, she says he's repeatedly threatened to hurt her if she didn't comply with his demands or didn't give him money. She ends with Rhone's behavior is escalating and she's afraid he will become violent towards her.
Rhone remains only a person of interest in the investigation. Authorities have not yet provided updates on the identity of the remains found or the cause of death.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
