Honolulu: Nearly five decades after the murder of 16-year-old Dawn Momohara at McKinley High School in Honolulu, authorities have arrested a suspect. The breakthrough came after advancements in DNA testing, police said Tuesday.
Gideon Castro, 66, was taken into custody at a Utah nursing home. Castro, a McKinley High graduate, knew the victim and was charged with second-degree murder.
Discovery of Dawn’s Body
On March 21, 1977, a teacher found Dawn’s body on the second floor of the school’s English building. She was partially clothed, with an orange cloth wrapped tightly around her neck. Police said she had likely been sexually assaulted and strangled.
Her death shocked the close-knit Honolulu community, said former state legislator Susie Chun Oakland, who was a sophomore at the school during the tragedy.
“It was heartbreaking and terrifying for all of us,” Chun Oakland said.
Initial Investigation Yields No Suspects
The victim’s mother last spoke to her daughter the day before the killing. Dawn reportedly planned to visit a shopping center with friends. After she didn’t return that evening, family members searched for her near the school campus.
Detectives interviewed classmates, friends, and family but were unable to identify a suspect. Early witness descriptions led to sketches of a man and a car near the crime scene, but the leads went cold.
Castro, interviewed in 1977, told police he met Dawn at a dance in 1976 and later spoke with her briefly at a carnival. Despite numerous leads, investigators could not link him to the crime then.
Cold Case Breakthrough with DNA Analysis
In 2019, cold case detectives used modern DNA technology to analyze evidence collected from Dawn’s clothing. By 2020, investigators had isolated a partial male DNA profile.
In 2023, new information suggested Castro or his brother as possible suspects. Detectives traveled to obtain surreptitious DNA samples from the children of both men. One brother was cleared, and attention shifted to Castro.
Earlier this month, investigators secretly collected a DNA sample from Castro himself. The tests confirmed a match with DNA found on Dawn’s clothing.
Community Reacts to Arrest
Chun Oakland expressed mixed emotions about the case finally being resolved.
“I’m glad for Dawn’s family, though it brings sadness to know her life was taken so violently,” she said.
She hopes the development offers closure to Dawn’s relatives, adding, “It’s about caring for one another, something Dawn could have done as a kupuna today.”
Closure After Decades
Castro’s arrest marks a pivotal moment in Honolulu’s longest cold case investigation. Authorities said the case highlights the importance of continued advancements in forensic science.
