UPDATE: Double murder north of Redding leads to local man’s arrest

December 31, 2021 Trevor Montgomery

UPDATED: Friday, Dec. 31, 1:27 p.m., With additional details from the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office.

Originally published: Friday, Dec. 31, 11:30 a.m.

REDDING, Calif., — Although details are still emerging after a double homicide in an unincorporated area just north of Redding early this morning, Friday, Dec. 31, the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed the deadly incident led to the arrest of a man now charged with the victims’ murders.

Officials have said the alleged suspect lives in a travel trailer on the Old Oasis Road property where the murders occurred and that the man knew both victims; however, no details as to what may have led to the double-homicide were immediately available.

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Shasta County sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to a private residence in the 18000 block of Old Oasis Road just before 5 a.m., after receiving the report of two deceased adults found inside the home, Shasta County Sheriffs – Major Crimes Unit Detective Sergeant Chris Edwards has since said of the double-murder and arrest.

“The two deceased were discovered by family members who arrived home from being out of state,” Edwards explained; saying that when deputies arrived at the home, they discovered the bodies of a man and woman who had sustained “injuries consistent with homicide.”

Officials remain active at the scene of a double murder that left a Redding man and woman dead this morning. KRCR7 News photo

Early reports indicated that the alleged suspect, 28-year-old Colton Wayne Rhone, was found inside a travel trailer on the property; however, he initially refused deputies’ commands to exit the home and was non-compliant with officials.

Rhone was eventually taken into custody, but the full circumstances of his apprehension were not immediately known.

Although no details of how the victims were killed has been released, Edwards said Rhone later admitted to Major Crimes Unit investigators that he had committed the murders, at which time he was arrested.

After his arrest, Rhone was booked into the Shasta County Jail in Redding on suspicion of two counts of murder. He remains in custody in lieu of $2 million bail or bond and his arraignment has been scheduled for Wednesday, Jan. 5.

Colton Rhone, 28, has been arrested for the murder of a man and woman whose bodies were discovered inside their residence by family members when they returned home from being out of state for the holidays. Shasta County Sheriff’s Office photo

Anyone with information about this ongoing investigation is encouraged to contact the Major Crimes Unit at (530) 245-6135 or by email. Callers can refer to incident file number 21S041622 and can remain anonymous.

As of this update, the sheriff’s investigation remained active and ongoing at the scene.

This is a developing story that will be updated as new information become

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Contact the writer: [email protected]

Trevor Montgomery, 50, moved in 2017 to the Intermountain area of Shasta County from Riverside County and runs Riverside County News Source (RCNS) and Shasta County News Source (SCNS).

Additionally, he writes or has written for several other news organizations; including Riverside County based newspapers Valley News, Valley Chronicle, Anza Valley Outlook, and Hemet & San Jacinto Chronicle; the Bonsall/Fallbrook Village News in San Diego County; and Mountain Echo in Shasta County. He is also a regular contributor to Thin Blue Line TV and Law Enforcement News Network and has had his stories featured on news stations throughout the Southern California and North State regions.

Trevor spent 10 years in the U.S. Army as an Orthopedic Specialist before joining the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department in 1998. He was medically retired after losing his leg, breaking his back, and suffering both spinal cord and brain injuries in an off-duty accident. (Click here to see segment of Discovery Channel documentary of Trevor’s accident.)

During his time with the sheriff’s department, Trevor worked at several different stations; including Robert Presley Detention Center, Southwest Station in Temecula, Hemet/Valle Vista Station, Ben Clark Public Safety Training Center, and Lake Elsinore Station; along with other locations.

Trevor’s assignments included Corrections, Patrol, DUI Enforcement, Boat and Personal Water-Craft based Lake Patrol, Off-Road Vehicle Enforcement, Problem Oriented Policing Team, and Personnel/Background Investigations. He finished his career while working as a Sex Crimes and Child Abuse Investigator and was a court-designated expert in child abuse and child sex-related crimes.

Trevor has been married for more than 30 years and was a foster parent to more than 60 children over 13 years. He is now an adoptive parent and his “fluid family” includes 13 children and 18 grandchildren.