A 66-year-old suspect in the 1977 slaying of a Hawaii teenager has agreed to be extradited from Utah to face a murder charge. Gideon Castro, who appeared by video from a hospital bed, waived the right to challenge his extradition during a hearing in Salt Lake City. His defense attorney stated that Castro intends to fight the charges but has agreed to be extradited to Hawaii to do so.
The case dates back to March 21, 1977, when Honolulu police discovered the body of 16-year-old Dawn Momohara in a school building. Momohara was found partially clothed with an orange cloth tightly wrapped around her neck, having been sexually assaulted and strangled. Recent advances in DNA technology allowed authorities to connect Castro to the crime after interviewing him and his brother in 1977.
Castro was arrested last month at a nursing home in Millcreek, Utah, on a fugitive warrant for suspicion of second-degree murder. Jail records indicate that he is still a resident of Hawaii, though it remains unclear how long he had been living in Utah.
