EAGLE, Idaho — Ada County sheriff’s deputies were back out in Eagle on Monday serving a search warrant at the home of a man who was arrested for failing to report the death of his mother for more than a year.
Investigators have been searching the home on Sella Court since Thursday, neighbors tell KTVB.
William Rhoton, 65, was arrested last week after someone tipped off investigators that it had been years since they had last seen 93-year-old Barbara Rhoton.
She had reportedly passed away in May 2018. In court on Friday, an Ada County prosecutor said that investigators had talked with William Rhoton’s ex-wife. She said that he told her he came home and found his mom dead. The elder Rhoton reportedly suffered from dementia.
When he found her, he put her in temple clothes, wrapped her body in plastic and moved her into a bathroom in their garage, prosecutors said. Later, he moved the body into a medically sealed body bag, and placed the body in a Suburban and then parked it down the road on someone else’s property. That SUV sat there for more than a year.
The case started when the Social Security Administration received an anonymous tip that Barbara Rhoton had passed away. According to prosecutors, she received $2,200 every month in Social Security benefits and it was placed into a bank account she jointly owned with her son.
Investigators with the Ada County Sheriff's Office were sent to the home to perform a welfare check on her. They spoke with William Rhoton, who they described as "acting odd."
“He jumped from subject to subject and spoke very rapidly,” the prosecutor said.
Rhoton reportedly told deputies his mom was in Arizona visiting friends. Investigators asked him if he could video chat with her to verify her location, and he said he couldn’t.
Their investigation continued, and deputies eventually found Barbara Rhoton's body in a Chevy Suburban a mile and a half away from the home. According to prosecutors, her body was in that car since May of last year.
The cause of death is still being investigated. At this time, Rhoton has only been charged with failing to notify officials of a death.
Neighbors told KTVB on Monday they were shocked that this would happen in their own neighborhood. They said they’re not used to having law enforcement around and that the area is genuinely quiet. They described Rhoton as being nice and friendly but mostly kept to himself.
The Ada County Sheriff's Office said they're searching the property, but wouldn't say what they're looking for.
As of Monday night, Rhoton was still in custody at the Ada County Jail on a $300,000 bond. He will appear in court again on July 3 at 8:30 a.m.