After three days of investigating the Southcrest property where human remains were found, San Diego police and federal agents cleared late Thursday afternoon.
They dug up much of the backyard where the man they call a “person of interest,” Dwight Rhone, once lived but said little about what they found.
You could say the discovery of human bones and three days of crime scene specialists have been more than unnerving to the neighbors of Newton Street. Perhaps none so disturbed as Pedro, who actually lives the next street over.
“It was chaos,” Pedro said. “Just afraid because there was a lot of cops, and it’s weird. First time seeing the FBI and all that.”
From NBC 7’s vantage point, there were more than a half-dozen holes in the Newton Street backyard where investigators dug for clues. Before leaving Thursday, the holes were filled. NBC 7 discovered they were not the only ones.
The investigation led police outside the property boundaries to another location. It’s about 100 yards from the house and sits under the Interstate 15 overpass. It appears they dug out a 10-foot circle, then filled it back in with soft dirt. But what were they looking for, and what did they find?
Multiple sources familiar with the investigation say this went from remains being found to the bones of “multiple people.” NBC 7’s Dana Williams reports that although law enforcement have left the neighborhood, many questions remain.
“They were digging. They were over there, then they came to this site,” Pedro said.
Pedro took a picture of investigators giving their full attention to something found there, but it’s not recognizable from the photo.
“They were passing it around to the FBI. It was the FBI,” Pedro said.
Like the dig outside the Newton Street property, there is more to this mystery. On Tuesday, a San Diego police cold case/missing persons investigation brought local, state and federal law enforcement. Investigators say they found human remains on the property.
They named 74-year-old Dwight Rhone, who was once a tenant there, a person of interest in the investigation. He is currently incarcerated and charged with murder. NBC 7 has learned he has a long criminal history involving serious crimes.
“I would see people getting connected to the house and picking up stuff, or I would smell some tree burning,” neighbor Robert Pichardo said.
Dwight Rhone has dozens of criminal cases against him, dating all the way back to 1963. NBC 7’s Shelby Bremer details Rhone’s criminal history.
Pichardo lives next door. He saw Rhone often but never engaged him. Despite the inconvenience this week, he was glad to see police there.
“That’s great news to a lot of people. You never know if there is more people. I’m not sure, so hopefully they investigate more of the area,” Pichardo said.
Three days of digging and intense examination, and just like that, they’re gone. Still, there seems so much more to know.
San Diego police are deferring questions to the District Attorney. In an email, a spokesperson for the department tells NBC 7 the DA’s office cannot provide any information.