After nearly 50 years, the brutal murder of 16-year-old Dawn Momohara has been solved, thanks to groundbreaking advancements in DNA technology. The case, which had gone cold for decades, took a shocking turn with the recent arrest of 66-year-old Gideon Castro, a nursing home resident in Utah. Castro has been charged with the second-degree murder of Momohara, a sophomore at McKinley High School in Honolulu who was found murdered in March 1977.
The Discovery of Dawn Momohara’s Body
On March 21, 1977, Dawn Momohara’s body was discovered in the English building of McKinley High School in Honolulu. The teen had been strangled with an orange cloth and sexually assaulted. Her partially undressed body was found lying lifeless on the floor, a horrific scene that left the local community in shock.
The night before, Dawn had gone missing after she had been reportedly seen making plans to meet friends at a shopping mall. Her mother later confirmed that Dawn had received a phone call from an unnamed man earlier in the evening. Dawn’s failure to return home sparked a frantic search, but it wasn’t until the following morning that her body was discovered on school grounds.
The Case Goes Cold
The investigation into Dawn’s murder quickly became an intense effort by the Honolulu Police Department. Two witnesses came forward, stating they had seen a suspicious vehicle parked near the school on the night of March 20, 1977. Despite this lead, the police were unable to make any progress in the case. A full canvassing of neighborhoods and interviews with individuals who may have had connections to the area yielded no new suspects. As time passed, the case went cold.
Over the years, law enforcement officers continued to revisit the case, but it remained unsolved. As Lt. Deena Thoemmes of the Honolulu Police Department put it, “Despite following up on numerous leads and interviewing multiple individuals, investigators were unable to identify a suspect at that time.”
Breakthrough with DNA Testing
In 2019, investigators reopened the case, this time bringing in DNA technology to help uncover new evidence. They were able to obtain a DNA profile from a semen sample found on Dawn’s shorts, a breakthrough that would eventually lead to the identification of the suspect.
Detectives focused their attention on two brothers, William and Gideon Castro, who had both attended McKinley High School in the 1970s. Both brothers had been interviewed by the police shortly after Dawn’s death. Gideon Castro, who had been a senior at the time of the murder, had told police he knew Dawn from a school dance in 1976. When questioned about his interactions with her in the months before the murder, he mentioned meeting her at a carnival in February 1977.
In 2023, investigators secretly obtained DNA samples from the adult children of both Castro brothers. The DNA tests excluded William as a match, narrowing the focus to Gideon Castro. Further testing confirmed that the DNA found on Dawn’s shorts matched Gideon’s, leading to his arrest.
Gideon Castro’s Arrest and Upcoming Extradition
Gideon Castro, now 66 years old, was living in a nursing home in Utah when the police arrived to arrest him. He has been charged with second-degree murder and is awaiting extradition to Honolulu to face trial for the crime.
Lt. Thoemmes expressed her gratitude during a press conference announcing Castro’s arrest, stating, “I want to thank all the individuals and agencies that made today’s arrest possible. Thank you all for your dedication and commitment to the tireless pursuit of justice for Dawn and the Momohara family.”
This arrest marks the end of nearly five decades of uncertainty and provides a sense of justice for Dawn Momohara’s family, who have waited for answers for nearly half a century.
