“Cold Case Reopened: Utah Nursing Home Resident Arrested for Shocking Murder of 16-Year-Old Girl After Nearly 50 Years”
The police identified two brothers, William and Gideon Castro, as possible matches. They had both attended McKinley High School in the ’70s and had even been interviewed after Dawn’s murder.
At the time, Gideon Castro told police he had met Dawn at a school dance in 1976, the same year he graduated. When asked about the last time he saw her, Castro told authorities that he spoke with her briefly at a carnival in February 1977.
Honolulu Police DepartmentA sketch of the suspect’s car.
In 2023, investigators secretly obtained DNA from the adult children of both Castro brothers. Tests quickly excluded William as the perpetrator, leading investigators to focus on Gideon. When they obtained Gideon’s DNA and tested it against the semen from the shorts, they found it was a match.
With a positive DNA match, authorities arrested the now 66-year-old Gideon Castro at a nursing home in Utah. He has been charged with second-degree murder and is awaiting extradition to Honolulu.
“I want to thank all the individuals and agencies that made today’s arrest possible,” Thoemmes said during the press conference announcing the news. “Thank you all for your dedication and commitment to the tireless pursuit of justice for Dawn and the Momohara family.”
After reading about Dawn Momohara, the 16-year-old girl who was murdered in Hawaii in 1977, go inside the story of Kristin Smart, a college student who was killed by her classmate in 1996. Then, learn about the disappearance of Natalee Holloway while on a graduation trip in Aruba.
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