Arrest in Hawaii girl’s 1977 murder uncovers chilling secrets of schoolmate’s dark past.

On a seemingly ordinary morning in March 1977, the sun rose over Honolulu, casting light on a distressing scene that would haunt a community for decades. Just after 7:30 a.m. on March 21, police officers were called to McKinley High School, where tragedy struck: the body of 16-year-old Dawn Momohara was found in a second-floor building, partially clothed and displaying ominous signs of violence. The news rippled through the school, reaching students huddled in hushed conversations, shocked whispers mingling with concern. Among them was Suzanne Chun Oakland, then a 15-year-old student, who recalled feeling an eerie buzz filling the hallways.

“I don’t know how we got word of it, but everything spread really quickly,” Chun Oakland recounted, her voice tinged with the sadness of remembering a tragedy that shook her youthful innocence. Though she did not know Momohara personally, the unsolved death weighed heavily on her and her classmates, lingering in their memories as a dark cloud over their high school years.

Nearly half a century later, the chilling case took a turn. Authorities announced the arrest of 66-year-old Gideon Castro, a former student at McKinley, now living in a Utah nursing home. The arrest was made possible by a breakthrough in DNA technology that linked Castro to the scene of the crime after years of investigation. “Momohara was found with an orange cloth tied around her neck,” explained Lt. Deena Thoemmes of the Honolulu Police. “A subsequent autopsy revealed she had been sexually assaulted and strangled.”

In a case filled with heartbreak and unanswered questions, Castro was taken into custody the week prior, where he faced charges for second-degree murder. As Chun Oakland reflected on the weight of time and the persistence of unresolved grief in their school community, she expressed her relief at the prospect of justice, stating, “I think the community in general knows the importance of preserving evidence that can someday lead to accountability.”

The tragic details of Momohara’s death began to evolve into a story of resilience and hope. Detective work on this cold case sparked renewed interest when, in 2020, a forensic unit was able to develop a DNA profile from items left at the crime scene. Hundreds of leads were investigated over the years, but Castro’s DNA was finally linked through testing of familial relationships, highlighting a significant advancement in forensics. “It’s remarkable how technology can bring closure where we thought there was only darkness,” said a forensic expert involved in the investigation.

As the investigation unfolded, it uncovered a complex narrative woven into the fabric of the school community. Grant Okamura, the 28-year-old band teacher at the time, vividly remembered the devastation felt by his students. A flute player, who was related to Momohara, walked into class that day unaware of the tragedy that had unfolded. “Those images never leave you,” Okamura recalled, describing how that moment changed the atmosphere at the school, casting a long shadow of sorrow.

As details emerged, the community began to connect the dots of this troubled past. On the day before her murder, Momohara received a call from an unidentified male and mentioned plans to meet friends at a nearby shopping center — the last interaction before she disappeared. Witnesses recalled seeing a suspicious vehicle parked near the school grounds, but those leads went cold as years turned into decades.

The subsequent years saw countless lab results, investigations, and conversations around suspect profiles, leading to the eventual identification of Castro as a person of interest. In November 2023, police in Chicago quietly collected DNA from one of his relatives, which excluded a sibling but pointed back to Castro. The development reignited the long-dormant case, leading to Castro’s apprehension at the aging facility where he had spent his final years.

As Chun Oakland, now a respected member of the Hawaii Senate, reflected on the impact of Momohara’s murder throughout her life and career, she acknowledged the importance of bringing attention to cold cases and the ongoing trauma they cause. “It’s vital that we continue to pursue justice,” she emphasized.

The arrest of Gideon Castro after so many years provides a rare glimmer of hope for the local community still shaken by a gruesome chapter in its history. As more information unfolds from this high-profile case, the residents of Honolulu are left to grapple with the intertwining themes of loss, justice, and the profound effects of unsolved mysteries that linger long after the headlines fade.