A 74-year-old man already charged in a 2023 killing now faces three additional murder charges linked to cases spanning more than three decades, according to California prosecutors. Dwight William Rhone, a San Diego resident, was arraigned on June 10 and pleaded not guilty to all charges, the San Diego County District Attorney's Office announced.
Rhone is accused of murdering four men in separate incidents dating back to 1993. The first victim, Heriberto Ruiz, was found strangled in an alley near the 3500 block of Acacia Street in December 1993.
In September 2002, Ronald Johnken was discovered dead in Chollas Creek near 3300 National Avenue, having died from blunt-force trauma to the head. More recently, in October 2023, Bernardo Moreno was killed by a gunshot wound to the base of the skull and found in burned debris near the Interstate 5 and State Route 905 interchange.
The investigation took a dramatic turn in December 2025 when law enforcement agencies, including the FBI, executed a search warrant at one of Rhone's former residences on Newton Avenue in the Southcrest neighborhood. During the dig, investigators uncovered the remains of Michael Brown, leading to the additional charges.
District Attorney Summer Stephan described the case as "horrific" and emphasized the gravity of the situation.
Prosecutors are also seeking information about two other individuals who may be connected to Rhone: Danice Galloway, born December 15, 1955, whose body was found in an alley at 3700 Main Street in San Diego on May 1, 1989, and Antenogenes Gomez Velasquez, born July 16, 1981, last seen in 2021 and known to have lived at 3456 Newton Avenue in San Diego.
Rhone is being held without bail and is scheduled to appear in court again on March 24. The investigation remains ongoing, with detectives assessing additional missing persons cases and unidentified remains that may be linked to Rhone.
Stephan stated, "Our commitment to holding violent offenders accountable remains as strong today as it was on the day these crimes were committed. Victims deserve justice, and their families deserve answers."
The FBI defines serial murder as the unlawful killing of two or more victims by the same offender in separate events, distinguishing it from mass murder, which involves multiple killings in a single incident. Anyone with information is urged to contact San Diego police at 619-531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.