The tragic 2006 murder of Hawaii native Sandra Galas traumatized her family and left the police puzzled as to who would possibly kill her so mercilessly. Though the case went chilly, the mounted efforts of the investigators rapidly yielded outcomes and led them to Darren Galas, her former husband. NBC’s ‘Dateline: The Other Side of Paradise’ delves into how Sandra’s family fought for practically a decade to hunt justice for her and the way in which proof in direction of the killer was powerful to collect. Now, in case you wish to be taught further about Darren’s involvement inside the murder and his current whereabouts, now now we have you coated.
Who is Darren Galas?
Kauai resident Sandra Mendonca met freeway constructing worker Darren Galas when she obtained right here home from school in New York. They fell in love and tied the knot in 1999, lastly having two sons. After the couple separated in 2005, they shared custody of their children, Austin and Brayden. However, tragedy befell the family when 27-year-old Sandra was crushed and strangled to dying in her home’s storage on January 25, 2006. At the time of her demise, she was in a relationship with Ryan Shinjo, and it was he who discovered her physique.
While looking out for potential leads, the police rapidly discovered that Sandra had apparently break up from Darren after turning into aware of his infidelity. Thus, the sufferer’s estranged husband was launched for questioning; he claimed that Sandra was scheduled to pick up their sons from his house on January 25, nevertheless she under no circumstances confirmed up. Finding his alibi a bit suspicious, the police searched his home for proof, the dearth of which resulted in them letting him go. Besides, he moreover acquired custody of his and Sandra’s sons and at last married his girlfriend, Cherene.
Unfortunately, the investigation went chilly for two years until forensic analysts found Darren’s DNA traces on the clothes on the sufferer’s physique. Nevertheless, it couldn’t be thought-about motive enough to implicate him, as he and Sandra had been nonetheless not formally divorced when she died. After 4 further years of hits and misses, a model new investigator took over the case and located written correspondence between the sufferer and her divorce lawyer. In it, she mentioned that she was afraid of her husband, indicating that he had allegedly been harassing her.
Eventually, the detectives found most likely essentially the most important proof that helped clear up the case. Darren used to deal with a calendar the place he would make detailed notes of the circumstances when Sandra’s habits upset him. This included at any time when she was late to pick up their sons, and he would nearly every day make an entry about one factor or the other. Hence, it was surprising when the police seen that no matter Sandra not arriving to pick up the boys on the day she died, there have been no notes on the calendar.
Where is Darren Galas Today?
The missing entry from the day of the murder was enough for the detectives to think about that Darren had killed his estranged partner. He was indicted for second-degree murder in October 2012 nevertheless remained free on bail for the following couple of years. Meanwhile, the police questioned Sandra’s boyfriend, Ryan, who had been their second suspect inside the murder. After being launched from jail for drug-related prices, he testified that he had witnessed Darren being violent to Sandra.
As Darren able to go to trial, he immediately accepted a plea deal in January 2018. Per its phrases, he pled no contest to first-degree assault inflicting vital bodily damage. While this upset Sandra’s family, they believed it was biggest if the case averted trial, as Darren would possibly stroll free because of a shortage of proof. In June 2018, he was sentenced to a most of 10 years behind bars, with a minimal time interval of 8.5 years. Unfortunately, the minimal time was decreased by six months in March 2022, and now his minimal launch date is May 2, 2026. Darren’s most launch date is May 1, 2028, and he’s in the intervening time serving his sentence in jail.
