DNA Testing Leads to New Murder Charge in Nearly 50-Year-Old Cold Case
Nearly Five Decades Later, Justice Served for 16-Year-Old Murder Victim
In a breakthrough that has brought closure to the Momohara family, nearly five decades after her brutal murder, a former classmate has been arrested and charged with her killing. Gideon Castro, 66, was taken into custody in a Utah nursing home, where he had been living, and is now facing a second-degree murder charge.
A Cold Case that Spanned Decades
On March 21, 1977, 16-year-old Dawn Momohara was found on the second floor of her Honolulu high school, partially clothed and with an orange cloth wound tightly around her neck. Her body was discovered by a janitor, and despite an extensive investigation, the case went cold. The police had received numerous tips and leads over the years, but no one was ever charged with her murder.
DNA Testing Unlocks New Leads
According to Deena Thoemmes, a lieutenant with the Honolulu Police Department’s homicide detail, the breakthrough came from advanced DNA testing. Officers had been processing several items recovered from the crime scene, including a pair of blue shorts and underwear, for DNA evidence. In 2020, they managed to obtain the DNA profile of an unidentified male from the sperm on Momohara’s shorts.
Matching the DNA Profile
With the assistance of the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations, detectives located Castro, and earlier this month, they matched the unidentified DNA profile to him. Thoemmes credited the arrest to the technological advancements that enabled the use of DNA samples in a way that wasn’t feasible in 1977.
A Complex Investigation
Thoemmes recalled that officers found Momohara lying on her back, partially clothed, with injuries and other evidence confirming that she was sexually assaulted and strangled. She had received a call from an unknown man the morning before her slaying, and later that day, she informed her mother that she would be visiting a shopping center with friends, which was the last time her mother heard from her.
Arrest and Charges
Castro, who was a classmate of Momohara’s, was arrested on Tuesday and is now in custody in Salt Lake County, awaiting extradition to Honolulu. He has been charged with second-degree murder. Thoemmes expressed her gratitude to all the individuals and agencies that made the arrest possible, including the FBI and police in the greater Salt Lake City area.
Conclusion
The arrest of Gideon Castro marks a major breakthrough in the nearly 50-year-old cold case of Dawn Momohara’s murder. The use of DNA testing has led to a sense of justice for the Momohara family and has brought closure to a tragedy that had gone unsolved for decades.
FAQs
* Who was Dawn Momohara?
+ Dawn Momohara was a 16-year-old high school student who was murdered in 1977.
* What was the circumstances of her murder?
+ Momohara was found on the second floor of her high school, partially clothed and with an orange cloth wound tightly around her neck. She had been sexually assaulted and strangled.
* Who was arrested and charged with her murder?
+ Gideon Castro, a former classmate of Momohara’s, was arrested and charged with second-degree murder.
* How was the arrest made possible?
+ The arrest was made possible through advanced DNA testing, which led to the identification of a DNA profile and the matching of it to Gideon Castro.
