San Diego Man Linked to 1980 Jail Rape Named Person of Interest After Remains Found
Man Previously Convicted of Custodial Sodomy Named Person of Interest
On Wednesday, the San Diego County District Attorney’s Office named 74-year-old Dwight Rhone a person of interest after human remains were discovered a day earlier at his former home in the Southcrest neighborhood of San Diego, California.
Court records show that in 1980, while in jail awaiting extradition to Texas, Rhone raped his cellmate after issuing violent threats. According to a 2019 sentencing memorandum, Rhone told the victim, “I could poke your eyes out with the strength I have over you or I could crack my skull if I don't get enough thrill out of that.” Hours later, the records state, Rhone grabbed the victim by the throat, slammed his head against the cell wall, repeatedly punched him, and then forcibly sodomized him.
Documented Criminal History and Prior Conviction
Following the 1980 attack, Rhone was convicted of sodomy in a custodial setting and was ordered to register as a sex offender. Court documents indicate he has failed to register multiple times over the years. Records further show that Rhone has more than a dozen violent felony convictions, including multiple armed robberies, perjury, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
In a 2007 psychological evaluation cited in the records, Rhone described himself as a drug addict and stated, “I like to get high. I'm a junkie at heart, but I know I need help.” In a 2019 filing, Deputy District Attorney Zachary Wallace wrote that over a span of 50 years, Rhone committed numerous crimes and continued to offend even while in custody.
Alleged 2023 Murder of Bernardo Moreno
Rhone is currently accused of murdering Bernardo Moreno in 2023. According to court documents, prosecutors allege Rhone shot Moreno twice in the head and set his body on fire on the side of a freeway. The filings state that detectives identified Rhone as a suspect using cellphone data and DNA evidence.
Court records report that Rhone was angry at Moreno after Moreno stabbed Rhone’s dog during an attempt to break up a dog fight. A declaration in support of an arrest warrant states that, after the killing, Rhone attempted to use Moreno’s debit card to purchase a glass pipe at a smoke shop. The same filing says Rhone then robbed a woman at gunpoint in Carlsbad while carrying an empty plastic rotisserie chicken bag.
DNA Evidence and Jail Communications
According to the district attorney’s office, investigators recovered a gray and red Boston Red Sox cap and a Vons rotisserie chicken bag as evidence. DNA swabs taken from the bag were tested against a reference sample for Rhone, and the results were reported as a direct match.
Later in 2023, after Rhone was arrested again, the FBI began monitoring his jail calls. A court filing states that Rhone said he would “go to death row” for his dog and referenced the dogfight incident involving Moreno. Prosecutors also allege in court documents that Rhone sent letters from jail asking a friend to hide Moreno’s truck because “he was involved in a certain incident on a felony scale.”
Current Status of Southcrest Remains Case
Law enforcement officials have stated that Rhone has not been charged with any crime in connection with the human remains recently found at his former residence in Southcrest. Authorities have not released additional information about the remains or indicated whether more than one victim may be involved.
Rhone remains in county jail and is scheduled to appear in court next week in connection with the case involving the death of Bernardo Moreno.