LIHUE — Darren Galas, 46, of Eleele, was today sentenced to serve 10 years in prison for his involvement in the 2006 death of his wife, Sandra Mendonca Galas.
LIHUE — Darren Galas, 46, of Eleele, was today sentenced to serve 10 years in prison for his involvement in the 2006 death of his wife, Sandra Mendonca Galas.
The sentence was imposed by Fifth Circuit Judge Kathleen N.A. Watanabe after hearing victim impact statements from Sandra’s father Larry, her brother Lawrence Jr., and her uncle Dennis Cabral. Galas was represented by Michael Green, Esq., and Prosecuting Attorney Kollar argued on behalf of the state.
Sandra was found strangled to death in her car at her Eleele home on Jan. 25, 2006. The case remained open until a grand jury returned an indictment in late October 2012. In January of this year, Galas pleaded no contest to a charge of assault in the first degree, a class B felony.
Kollar thanked the Kauai Police Department and everyone who worked on the case over the years, especially Detective Joe Adric.
“This case has been prominently in the public view for 13 years thanks to the efforts of Larry Mendonca and the efforts of the YWCA,” Kollar stated. “While nothing can bring back Sandra, this will hopefully provide some sense of resolution to Sandra’s ‘ohana. When we lost her, Kauai lost a mother, a daughter, a talented dancer, and an incredible person. We will not stop until we erase the scourge of domestic violence in our community and we will never forget Sandy G.”
