Summary

In March 1977, Honolulu, Hawaii resident Dawn Momohar was murdered at McKinley High School where she was a sophomore. Her body was discovered on the second floor of a school building on March 21st. Dawn had been sexually assaulted and strangled. An investigation into her death was launched but there were few leads in the case.

Witnesses provided a description of a man who became a person of interest in the investigation as well as a car described as a 1974 or 1975 Pontiac Lemans with louvered rear windows, maroon bottom, and white vinyl top. Sketches for both the person of interest and the vehicle were developed and released to the public. Despite investigators’ exhaustive efforts, Dawn’s killer was not identified and the case went cold for more than four decades.

In 2021, the Honolulu Police Department teamed with Othram to determine if advanced DNA testing could help to identify the person responsible for Dawn’s murder. Forensic evidence was submitted to Othram's laboratory in The Woodlands, Texas where Othram scientists worked to build a comprehensive DNA profile for the unknown suspect using Forensic-Grade Genome Sequencing®. Upon completion of the process, the DNA profile was transferred back to law enforcement and investigators worked with the FBI’s forensic genetic genealogy team to develop new leads in the case.

Using these new leads, a follow-up investigation was launched, and eventually investigators were able to identify the suspect as 66-year-old Gideon Castro. Castro was a former classmate of Dawn Momohar. Castro was arrested in a Utah nursing home.

The identification of the suspect in Dawn Momohar assault and murder represents the third case in Hawaii where officials have publicly identified an individual using technology developed by Othram. Visit DNASolves to learn about other cases in Hawaii and beyond.