Overview
- San Diego police and federal agents finished a three-day excavation Thursday at 3443 Newton Avenue, where human remains were recovered under a warrant driven by a California Highway Patrol cold-case lead.
- Dwight William Rhone, 74, a former tenant who is already jailed in a separate 2023 homicide case, has been named a person of interest but has not been charged in connection with the newly found remains.
- The San Diego Police Department’s Cold Case/Missing Persons Unit and the District Attorney’s Office now lead the probe, with the FBI assisting in evidence collection and the Medical Examiner determining identities and cause of death.
- On-scene work included multiple backyard digs, canopies, protective gear and a search of a nearby site; investigators filled the excavation areas before leaving the property.
- Law enforcement sources told NBC News that multiple sets of remains were located, while officials have not publicly confirmed a number; current residents were temporarily displaced and a press briefing is expected.