Nearly 50 years after the unsolved murder of Dawn Momohara, a former classmate, Gideon Castro, has been arrested thanks to advancements in DNA technology.
A suspect was arrested in his nursing home last week for the unsolved murder of a 16-year-old student nearly half a century ago. Momohara, discovered with an orange cloth wound tightly around her neck, was found on the second floor of the English building at McKinley High School in Honolulu on March 21, 1977. She was a sophomore at the school at the time.
Her former classmate, Gideon Castro, now 66, was living in a Utah nursing home when he was arrested Tuesday in the alleged homicide, according to the Honolulu Police Department. Decades after the case went cold, Castro has been charged with second-degree murder. Deena Thoemmes, a lieutenant with the department’s homicide detail, credited the arrest to technological advances that enabled the use of DNA samples in a way that wasn’t feasible in 1977. Thoemmes said officers found Momohara “lying on her back, partially clothed. It appeared that she had been sexually assaulted and she was pronounced dead at the scene.” Later examinations revealed injuries and other evidence confirming that she was sexually assaulted and strangled. Momohara had received a call from an unknown man the morning before her slaying, according to Thoemmes, citing homicide detectives. Later that day, she informed her mother that she would be visiting a shopping center with some friends. It was the last time her mother heard from her.After her body was found, detectives interviewed multiple friends, family members and acquaintances about the case — including Castro — but had failed to identify a suspect despite following up on numerous leads. Composite sketches of a person of interest as well as a possible suspect vehicle has been available on HPD’s website for years, as it asked the public to send in any tips about the case. In 2019, however, police began processing several items recovered from the murder scene for DNA evidence, including a pair of blue shorts and underwear. The following year, they managed to obtain the DNA profile of an unidentified male from the sperm that was on Momohara’s shorts. With assistance from the FBI and Homeland Security Investigations, detectives located Castro and managed to match the unidentified DNA profile to him earlier this month, authorities said. Castro is now in custody in Salt Lake County and awaiting extradition to Honolulu, according to Thoemmes. “I want to thank all the individuals and agencies that made today’s arrest possible,” she said, noting that HPD also worked with police in the greater Salt Lake City area. “Thank you all for your dedication and commitment to the tireless pursuit of justice for Dawn and the Momohara family.
Murder DNA Cold Case Honolulu Hawaii Teenager Arrest
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Cold Case Solved: DNA Evidence Uncovers Killer of Ohio Woman After 43 YearsAfter 43 years, the cold case of Debra Lee Miller, an 18-year-old Ohio woman murdered in 1981, has finally been solved. James Vanest, Miller's former upstairs neighbor, has been identified as the killer thanks to advances in DNA technology.
Read more »
Cold Case Solved: DNA Links Man to 1981 Killing of Ohio WaitressAfter 43 years, the cold case of Debra Lee Miller has been solved thanks to advancements in DNA technology and forensic investigation. The suspect, James Vanest, was killed by authorities last month while being served an indictment on federal gun charges.
Read more »
Cold Case Solved: DNA Links 1981 Murder to Canton ManA decades-old murder case in Ohio has finally been solved thanks to technological advancements in DNA analysis. James Vanest was identified as the killer of Debra Lee Miller, who was murdered in 1981.
Read more »
Cold Case Solved: DNA Evidence Leads to Arrest in 1981 MurderAfter decades of remaining unsolved, the murder of Debra Lee Miller has been cracked thanks to advancements in DNA technology. James Vanest, who lived in the apartment building above Miller, has been arrested and charged with her murder.
Read more »
Cold Case Solved: DNA Leads to Arrest in 1981 MurderAdvances in DNA technology and a renewed investigation led to the arrest of James Vanest for the 1981 murder of Debra Lee Miller in Mansfield, Ohio.
Read more »
Cold Case Solved: DNA Evidence Leads to Arrest in 1981 MurderAfter decades, the murder of Debra Lee Miller in 1981 has been solved thanks to advancements in DNA technology and a fresh investigation. James Vanest, 68, was identified as the killer and was arrested in West Virginia.
Read more »