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Nearly 50 years after 16-year-old Dawn Momohara was found brutally murdered at McKinley High School in Honolulu, a breakthrough in DNA testing has led to the arrest of a former schoolmate.
Gideon Castro, now 66, was charged with second-degree murder after advanced forensic techniques linked him to evidence from the 1977 crime scene.
The arrest brings a long-awaited turn in a case that haunted Hawaii’s close-knit community for decades, CNN reports on Sunday.
Susie Chun Oakland, then a sophomore, arrived to find her school shrouded in fear. A teacher had discovered the body of 16-year-old Momohara on the second floor of the English building.
Dawn was partially clothed, with an orange cloth tightly wrapped around her neck, according to police. Evidence suggested she had been sexually assaulted and strangled.
“It was our first experience with a crime like that. It was very sad that someone actually died that way,” recalled Chun Oakland, now a program coordinator at an Oahu senior centre serving kūpuna (elderly).
“People were afraid. In our state, we take care of each other, you know. We grow up looking out for one another.”
The close-knit community was shaken, and long after the tragic discovery on March 21, 1977, the case went cold—until a breakthrough decades later.
Arrest Nearly Five Decades Later
Authorities announced the arrest of 66-year-old Castro, a McKinley High School graduate who had once told police he knew Dawn.
Castro was apprehended at a nursing home in Utah, where he now resides.
DNA evidence unavailable in the 1970s finally connected him to the crime, according to Honolulu Police Department Lt. Deena Thoemmes.
A sketch of a person of interest in the killing of Dawn Momohara released by the Honolulu Police Department in 1977 | CNN
Castro has been charged with second-degree murder. It’s unclear whether he has obtained legal representation.
“I’m happy for her family that this case was resolved,” said Chun Oakland, who also served as a state legislator.
“I’m sad there are so many other cases that are not. It’s a mix of emotions. But I’m glad we have people and professionals, as well as the community, that have not given up.”
Dawn’s Disappearance
The last time Dawn’s mother heard from her daughter was the day before her body was found. That Sunday morning, Dawn received a call from an unknown male. Later, she told her mother she was heading to a shopping centre with friends.
When she failed to return home, her family and friends began searching for her, driving around the school campus, according to reports from the time. Hours later, her body was discovered outside a classroom. Dawn, described by classmates as quiet and shy, had vanished under unclear circumstances, leaving the community reeling.
Trail of Cold Leads
In the days following Dawn’s murder, investigators interviewed her friends, family, and acquaintances. Sketches of a man and a car seen near the English building on the night of her disappearance were released, but the trail went cold.
Among those questioned were Castro and his brother, who were schoolmates of Dawn.
Castro, who graduated in 1976, told police he had met Dawn at a school dance and had last seen her briefly at a carnival in 1977, where they spoke for about 15 minutes.
Despite numerous interviews and leads, investigators were unable to identify a suspect at the time.
Breakthrough
In 2019, 42 years after the murder, cold case detectives revisited the evidence.
Modern DNA testing revealed a partial DNA profile of an unidentified male from evidence collected on Dawn’s shorts and underwear.
By 2023, investigators had identified Castro and his brother as potential suspects. Detectives travelled to the mainland to surreptitiously obtain DNA samples from their children. While the DNA profile from Castro’s brother’s child ruled him out, samples from Castro’s son confirmed a match to the DNA found on Dawn’s clothing.
Earlier this month, detectives collected a direct DNA sample from Castro in Utah, which further corroborated the match.
He was arrested last Tuesday at 7.40am.
Last Wednesday, CBS News reported that Thoemmes said Castro will be extradited back to Honolulu.
“On behalf of the Honolulu Police Department, I want to thank all the individuals and agencies that made today’s arrest possible,” the lieutenant said.
“Thank you for all your dedication and commitment to the tireless pursuit of justice for Dawn and the Momohara family.”
Community Reflects
Chun Oakland, who vividly remembers the day Dawn’s body was found, said she learnt of the arrest through staff and members of the senior centre where she works.
Reflecting on the tragedy, she lamented the loss of a young life filled with potential.
“It’s just caring for one another. That should guide us in our life and how we live it,” she said.
“I don’t know (Dawn’s) family, but I hope for her relatives, at least, there’s closure.”
