In a significant development in a decades-old case, a 66-year-old man accused of murdering a teenager in Hawaii in 1977 has agreed to be extradited from Utah. During a court hearing in Salt Lake City, Gideon Castro chose to waive his right to plead against extradition. Castro, who is currently unwell, participated in the court proceedings via video link from a hospital.
His defense attorney, Marlene Mohn, stated, “He intends to contest the charges. However, he consents to the extradition to address the accusations in Hawaii.” This decision follows the brutal March 21, 1977, discovery by Honolulu police of 16-year-old Dawn Momohara’s body on a school building’s second floor. Police reports reveal that she had been sexually assaulted and strangled, with an orange cloth found tightly wrapped around her neck.
Recent advancements in DNA technology have played a critical role in linking Castro to the crime, despite him and his brother being interviewed as potential suspects back in 1977. It wasn’t until the acquisition of updated DNA samples that investigators were able to conclusively tie Castro to the crime scene. Last month, he was apprehended at a nursing home in Millcreek, located just south of Salt Lake City, on a fugitive warrant for second-degree murder.
Jail records show that Castro still holds residency in Hawaii, though details about when he moved to Utah remain unclear. His potential extradition could finally bring a resolution to a case that has haunted the community for decades, as the judicial process continues to unfold.
