A 74-year-old man already in custody for a 2023 murder has been charged with three additional killings, with prosecutors now labeling him a suspected serial killer linked to at least four deaths spanning decades. Dwight William Rhone pleaded not guilty Wednesday to the newly filed murder charges, which include a special circumstances allegation of committing multiple murders.
If convicted, Rhone faces either life in prison without the possibility of parole or the death penalty, should prosecutors pursue capital punishment.
Rhone was initially arrested and charged with murder for allegedly shooting 54-year-old Bernardo Moreno in the head on Interstate 5, near state Route 905, and then setting Moreno's body on fire in October 2023. While that case was pending, Rhone was named a person of interest last year in an investigation into human remains found on a Southcrest property where Rhone previously was a tenant.
The San Diego County District Attorney's Office said Wednesday that the person found dead at the Newton Avenue property has been identified as Michael Brown. Brown's age and suspected cause of death have not been disclosed.
The new charges also tie Rhone to the December 1993 strangulation of Herierto Ruiz, who was found dead in an alley near the 3500 block of Acacia Street in Southcrest, and the September 2002 death of Ronald Johnken, who was found dead near 3300 National Avenue in Logan Heights from blunt force trauma to the head. Rhone remains in custody without bail, and his next court appearance is not scheduled until March 2027.
Prosecutors are also investigating Rhone's possible connection to additional deaths, including Danice Galloway, 33, who was found dead in an alley at 3700 Main Street on May 1, 1989, and Antenogenes Gomez Velasquez, who was last seen in 2021 and last known to live at 3456 Newton Avenue. The District Attorney's Office said they are looking into whether Rhone has more connections with missing people or unidentified deceased persons potentially associated with the defendant.
A quiet Southcrest neighborhood became the center of a major investigation when human remains were discovered at a home on Newton Avenue. Dozens of investigators from multiple agencies spent three days combing the property, as questions quickly mounted about what was found and who might be responsible.
Authorities now confirm the recovery of one set of remains, with an identification pending autopsy.
"Our commitment to holding violent offenders accountable remains as strong today as it was on the day these crimes were committed," San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan said in a statement. "The District Attorney's Office will never stop seeking the truth no matter how many years have passed.
Victims deserve justice and their families deserve answers."
Anyone with information is asked to contact the San Diego Police Homicide Unit at 619-531-2293 or Crime Stoppers at 888-580-8477.