Nearly 50 years after the tragic killing of 16-year-old Dawn Momohara in Honolulu, modern DNA technology has finally brought a breakthrough in the case. Gideon Castro, 66, was arrested this week at a Utah nursing home and charged with second-degree murder.

In March 1977, Dawn’s body was discovered at McKinley High School, where she was found partially clothed and strangled with an orange cloth. The shocking crime left the close-knit community in fear and disbelief. Despite extensive investigations at the time, no suspect was identified. For decades, the case remained unsolved—until now.

Advances in DNA technology allowed investigators to revisit the evidence. In 2019, cold case detectives analyzed samples from Dawn’s clothing and developed a partial DNA profile of an unknown male. By 2023, attention turned to Castro, a former McKinley High School graduate who had known Dawn. Investigators discreetly collected DNA samples from Castro’s family, eventually linking him to the evidence found at the scene.

Susie Chun Oakland, a classmate of Dawn’s, expressed mixed emotions about the arrest. “I’m happy for her family that this case was resolved,” she said, while lamenting that many other cases remain unsolved. Dawn, described as quiet and shy, never got the chance to grow older and contribute to her community.

The arrest brings a long-awaited sense of closure to Dawn’s family and the Honolulu community, reminding us all of the power of perseverance and modern science in solving even the oldest mysteries.