HONOLULU (AP) — Grim memories resurfaced this week as the arrest of 66-year-old Gideon Castro connected to the 1977 murder of teen Dawn Momohara has shocked many who were part of Honolulu’s McKinley High School community.
Former Hawaii lawmaker Suzanne Chun Oakland vividly recalls the atmosphere at school following the horrific news. "I don’t know how we got word of it, but everything spread really quickly," said Chun Oakland, who met up with friends at McKinley just before classes began. Although she didn’t know Momohara personally, the tragedy and its open wound haunted her and many others for decades.
On March 21, 1977, shortly after 7:30 a.m., authorities found 16-year-old Momohara’s lifeless body on the second floor of McKinley High, partially clothed with an orange cloth tightly wrapped around her neck. According to police reports, she had been sexually assaulted and strangled, leaving the community shaken to its core.
Grant Okamura, the school’s band teacher at the time, remembered particularly traumatic moments of the day. "At this point, I couldn’t have band. How do you have a class? She just sat there crying," he recounted, reflecting on the devastation he witnessed when Momohara’s sister arrived at school unaware of her sister's death.
Despite multiple investigations, the case went cold for over four decades, until recent advancements in DNA technology led to the identification of Castro as the suspect. A Utah resident, Castro was arrested last week at the nursing home where he resides, facing charges of second-degree murder.
Police had initially interviewed Castro shortly after Momohara’s murder, but the investigation did not yield any concrete suspects at the time. Only years later, cold case detectives revisited the evidence collected, asking forensic experts to take another look at items at the scene, particularly Momohara’s underwear. Their efforts led to the development of DNA profiles.
By 2023, investigators received tips about potential suspects, including Castro. Going back to interview him was key to the case’s revival. "I was just really sad. I think for our student body, of course, there’s this concern... what if he’s still out there and he does it to somebody else?" Chun Oakland expressed, sharing the collective fear resurfacing all these years later.
Subsequent DNA tests conducted on both Castro and his family linked him to the crime scene. He made his initial court appearance via video from his hospital bed after earlier health complications postponed the hearing. His bond was set at $250,000, and he faces extradition back to Hawaii.
Reflecting on the case, Chun Oakland mentioned the importance of preserving evidence for future justice. "I think the community knows the importance of trying to preserve the evidence... to see justice for individuals," she stated. The message echoes strongly within the community's psyche, where pain from the past still lingers.
The history of the unsolved case highlights not only the challenges of justice but also the resilience of community members who have carried this burden for decades. This latest development is seen as both closure and the beginning of renewed hope for answers, not just for the victim’s family but for all who felt the emotional toll of losing Dawn Momohara.
The bond of shared grief and the longing for justice are potent reminders of the power of perseverance. Advances like DNA technology not only reignite cold cases but offer advocates of justice renewed faith and relentless hope. The community continues to look forward, hopeful for the changes justice may bring.