Hawaii
Chilling details emerge after schoolmate arrested in Hawaii girl’s 1977 murder
Former Hawaii lawmaker Suzanne Chun Oakland remembers arriving at school one morning in 1977 to an eerie buzz.
The 15-year-old had met up with girlfriends as usual before class at Honolulu’s McKinley High School when she learned a student named Dawn Momohara had been found dead on the second floor of a school building.
“I don’t know how we got word of it, but everything spread really quickly,” Chun Oakland said.
Chun Oakland didn’t know Momohara, who was 16, but the unsolved death has haunted her and other McKinley students and staff for nearly half a century. That was until last week, when police used advances in DNA technology to arrest a 66-year-old resident of a Utah nursing home.
The suspect, former McKinley student Gideon Castro, was scheduled to make an initial court appearance Friday before a judge in Salt Lake County District Court. He remained in custody Thursday with the bond for his release set at $250,000, according to Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office records.
Castro’s attorney, Marlene Mohn, did not respond to email and phone messages seeking comment.
Momohara had been sexually assaulted and strangled, police said.
“I was just really sad,” Chun Oakland recalled earlier this week. “I think for our student body, of course there’s that concern that what if he’s still out there and he does it to somebody else.”
On March 21, 1977, shortly after 7:30 a.m., Honolulu police found Momohara dead. She was partially clothed and lying on her back with an orange cloth tied around her neck, said Lt. Deena Thoemmes, of Honolulu Police. A subsequent autopsy ruled Momohara was strangled to death, and the medical examiner said there were signs of sexual assault.
Details from more than four decades ago are fuzzy for 1967 McKinley graduate Grant Okamura, who was the school’s 28-year-old band teacher in 1977, but the morning Momohara was found has remained a core memory.
Momohara’s sister — one of his flute players — arrived at school that day not knowing her sister had been found dead, he recalled. The sister was called to the office and later walked into the band room, devastated.
“The other students were trying to console her,” Okamura said. “At that point, I couldn’t have band. How do you have a class? She just sat there crying.”
She didn’t return to school for weeks afterward.
He doesn’t remember the sister’s name. The Associated Press was unable to make contact with any possible relatives. Okamura said he met Momohara a few times when he let her into the air-conditioned band room to wait for her sister.
The morning before Momohara was killed, she got a call from an unknown male and told her mother she was going to a nearby shopping center with friends. That was the last time her mother saw her, police said.
Police released sketches of a person of interest and a possible vehicle described by witnesses as a 1974 or 1975 Pontiac Lemans. A witness reported seeing the car when he and his girlfriend drove through campus the night before Momohara died. The witness saw a man and the car on the grass near the school’s English building, Thoemmes said.
The witness circled back around but the car and the man were gone.
Police were unable to identify a suspect and the case grew cold, though grief lingered over the campus.
Although police retrieved an unknown man’s DNA sample from the teenager’s clothing, they could not identify a suspect. Authorities would not develop meaningful leads in the homicide until decades later.
In 2019, cold case detectives asked a forensic biology unit to examine several items of evidence from the scene, including Momohara’s underwear. They were able to develop a DNA profile in 2020. Then, in 2023, police received information about potential suspects, two brothers who were interviewed in 1977.
Several days after Momohara was killed, detectives interviewed Castro, who graduated from McKinley High in 1976. He said he met Momohara at a school dance that year and last saw her at a carnival on campus in February 1977. Police interviewed his brother, who also met Momohara at the dance.
In November 2023, Honolulu police went to Chicago, where the brother was living. They “surreptitiously” obtained DNA from one of the brother’s adult children, Thoemmes said.
Lab findings excluded the brother as a suspect, but a DNA sample from Castro’s adult son, and later from Castro himself, proved he was responsible, Thoemmes said.
He was arrested last week at the nursing home where he lived in Millcreek, just south of Salt Lake City, on suspicion of second-degree murder.
Neither Okamura nor Chun Oakland remembered Castro.
Chun Oakland graduated in 1979 and grew up to become a Democratic member of the Hawaii Senate. She said Momohara’s killing bothered her over the years, especially when she would meet victims through her work as a lawmaker or as a board member of the nonprofit Sex Abuse Treatment Center, a statewide program provding services for sexual assault survivors.
Chun Oakland said she is grateful an arrest was possible even after all these years.
“I think the community in general, and our elected officials, they know the importance of trying to preserve the evidence that can someday be able to see justice for that individual or individuals,” she said.
Hawaii
Trump dances to ‘Hawaii Five-O’ with Anwar on red carpet as Air Force One lands for Asean Summit (VIDEO)
KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 26 — US President Donald Trump shared a light-hearted moment with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim this morning, dancing on the red carpet to the tune of Hawaii Five-O as a welcoming band played at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport.
Trump performed his signature campaign-style dance — a slow, rhythmic movement involving air punches and hip sways — in response to the performers.
Anwar, smiling, joined in by swaying his hips in sync with the gesture, drawing cheers from onlookers.
The two leaders then shared a brief exchange before Trump invited Anwar to step inside “The Beast,” the presidential limousine, for a private moment ahead of the summit.
The moment unfolded shortly after Air Force One landed at Kompleks Bunga Raya at KLIA at approximately 9.54am.
Trump was greeted by Anwar along with senior government officials and Cabinet members upon arrival, and was accorded a guard of honour by personnel from the 1st Battalion of the Royal Malay Regiment.
Also present was US ambassador to Malaysia Edgard D. Kagan.
Today’s visit marks Trump’s first visit to the South-east Asian region since taking office as the 47th President of the US in January 2025.
Trump is the third US president in history to visit Malaysia after Lyndon B Johnson in 1966 and Barack Obama in 2014 and 2015.
Wisma Putra previously said both leaders are expected to exchange views on regional and international developments of mutual concern as well as signing bilateral documents related to trade and security.
The 47th Asean Summit and Related Summits, held under Malaysia’s Asean Chairmanship 2025 theme “Inclusivity and Sustainability”, will take place from today until October 28 and are expected to be among the largest gatherings in the regional organisation’s history.
Hawaiian land snails are among the most threatened animal groups on the planet.
Researchers believe 11 species of Endodonta once lived in the wild across the Hawaiian Islands—part of a family of about 200 species. Today, it is likely the last remaining species in the Endodonta genus.
READ MORE: One Hawaiian Snail Dies, but the Conservation Effort Lives On
Bishop Museum, the State of Hawaiʻi Museum of Natural and Cultural History, houses the largest collection of Hawaiian land snails, preserving specimens, DNA, and tissues from thousands of species—many of which are now extinct. The museum’s Pūpū Ola: Kāhuli Captive Rearing Research Center not only cares for these rare species but also provides opportunities for the people of Hawaiʻi to learn about and connect with them.
The museum recently welcomed Hawaiian land snails believed to be the last known surviving representatives of their genus. Named Endodonta christenseni by Bishop Museum curators Dr. Norine Yeung and Dr. Kenneth Hayes and their colleagues in 2020, the tiny snail was originally discovered by the museum’s team during the Tanager Expedition in 1924—a series of five biological surveys in the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands between 1923 and 1924. More than a century later, its descendants arrived at Bishop Museum’s research center on Oct. 15, 2025.
Located in Honolulu, Oʻahu, Bishop Museum is the largest museum in the state.
Photo: Hawaiʻi Tourism Authority (HTA)/Tor Johnson
“Once, 11 species of Endodonta lived across the Hawaiian Islands, part of a larger family of as many as 200 species. All but this one species are now gone,” said Dr. Yeung in a news release. “Along with a single surviving relative in the main Hawaiian Islands, Cookeconcha hystricella, these two species represent our last chance to save the ancient lineages of native land snails in Hawaiʻi.”
For almost a century, Endodonta christenseni remained undescribed after its discovery. Now formally named, the species is on a path toward conservation. Bishop Museum partners with the Hawaiʻi Department of Land and Natural Resources’ Snail Extinction Prevention Program (DLNR SEPP). Through this partnership, the snails are secured at Pūpū Ola, where they are protected, studied, and bred to increase their population. Eventually, the goal is to release them into the wild.
READ MORE: 10 Museums to Visit on Your Next Trip to Hawaiʻi
These snails embody both fragility and resilience,” Dr. Yeung said. “From Cooke’s s discovery in 1924 to our team’s work today, Bishop Museum has been at the heart of their story. Their survival reminds us that entire evolutionary lineages, millions of years in the making, are at stake. Through Pūpū Ola and our partnership with DLNR SEPP, we are building a safety net for Hawaiian land snails to ensure their stories endure for many generations.”
The public can view these rare snails at Bishop Museum’s 4th annual Kāhuli Festival on Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, from 3 to 9 p.m.
The Kāhuli Festival brings together research and conservation partners, cultural practitioners, artists, and the community to celebrate and reconnect with the rich biocultural heritage of the Hawaiian Islands.
“Ke Kani Nei Ka Pūpū,” the theme of the 2025 festival, focuses on renewing and restoring cultural connections for conservation. It highlights the resilience of Hawaiian land snails in an ever-changing landscape.
The public can enjoy cultural workshops, activities, and talks by cultural practitioners, authors, researchers, and conservationists. There will also be exhibits featuring local artists, live music, and food vendors on the museum’s Great Lawn. Captive rearing exhibits will feature live endangered snails from Bishop Museum’s Hawaiian Land Snail Conservation Program and the DLNR SEPP.
Kāhuli Festival 2025: Ke Kani Nei Ka Pūpū, Saturday, Oct. 25, 2025, from 3 to 9 p.m. Reduced $10 admission for kamaʻāina and military, bishopmuseum.org.
HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – On Wednesday, construction for Ward Village’s 11th residential tower broke ground.
The Launiu Ward Village tower will bring 486 homes, new retail, and more public green space to the corner of Ala Moana Boulevard and Ward Avenue.
The tower will feature one, two, and three-bedroom homes with Diamond Head, mauka, and makai views.
Ground floor space will be occupied by retail and restaurants aimed at further enhancing the neighborhood’s vibrancy and economic vitality.
Developers say the building is another big step in shaping Honolulu’s growing waterfront community.
Pre-sales for the units have been strong with 67%, or 324 units, under contract as of June 30.
The tower is projected to contribute $691 million in economic impact, $233 million in workers’ earnings, and $42 million in state tax revenue.
Construction is expected to sustain an average of 565 jobs annually.
Copyright 2025 Hawaii News Now. All rights reserved.
Guillermo del Toro Says He’d ‘Rather Die’ Than Use Generative AI in His Films: ‘Not Interested’
Can Frozen Meals Be Healthy? 3 Dietitian-Approved Picks for Weight Loss
Video: Tyler Mitchell Breaks Down Three Photos From His New Book
German police bust an art forgery ring trying to sell fake Picasso, Rembrandt works
You need to listen to the brutally oppressive I’ve Seen All I Need to See
Why Marjorie Taylor Greene was ‘kicked out’ of the Freedom Caucus according to Rep. Buck
Colorado Rockies game no. 116 thread: Zac Gallen vs José Ureña
See it: Tesla crashes into Columbus convention center at 70 mph
Fox News Politics: Georgia the whole day through
Death of missing Oregon girl found in stream ruled homicide
PHOTOS: The making of Trump’s White House ballroom, a look at the construction progress
Trump meets Brazil’s Lula at ASEAN summit, touts ‘pretty good deals’
1 dead, 6 injured in shooting at Lincoln University homecoming festivities
Video: How Trump Is Getting Some Workers Paid Despite the Shutdown
Trump to jet off to Asia as North Korea fires ballistic missiles and China trade questions loom
-
New York3 days agoVideo: How Mamdani Has Evolved in the Mayoral Race
-
World6 days agoIsrael continues deadly Gaza truce breaches as US seeks to strengthen deal
-
News5 days agoVideo: Federal Agents Detain Man During New York City Raid
-
News5 days agoBooks about race and gender to be returned to school libraries on some military bases
-
Technology6 days agoAI girlfriend apps leak millions of private chats
-
News6 days agoTrump news at a glance: president can send national guard to Portland, for now
-
Politics6 days agoTrump admin on pace to shatter deportation record by end of first year: ‘Just the beginning’
-
Business6 days agoUnionized baristas want Olympics to drop Starbucks as its ‘official coffee partner’