Dateline: How the Sandra Galas case became a mission to serve domestic violence victims of Kauai island

Dateline NBC episode "The Other Side of Paradise" revisited the shocking murder of Kauai, Hawaii resident Sandra Galas on January 25, 2006. According to reports, her death was the result of a blunt-force trauma to her head after she was initially strangulated with a cord-like object.

Though the case went cold due to lack of evidence and gaps in investigation, detectives found a major breakthrough in 2012 through Sandra's letters to her divorce attorney. However, the most crucial piece of evidence was unearthed from Sandra's ex-husband Darren Gallas' calendar note, thereby leading to his arrest on grounds of first-degree murder causing fatal bodily harm.

The victim's then boyfriend, Ryan Shinjo, was another major suspect, but the 2018 trial got the right person. Darren was eventually sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment. According to Dateline, Sandra's family mentioned in a statement:

"He should consider himself damn lucky to only get 10 years. We got life."

However, Sandra's parents turned their devastating loss into a journey of serving their community, the victims of domestic violence on Kauai island. According to reports, they started a fundraiser titled "Never Forget Sandy G Foundation" that financially supported the YWCA of the island to serve domestic violence survivors.

How did the Sandra Galas fundraiser serve her community?

Sandra's parents, Larry and Toshie Mendonca, along with her brother Lawrence Mendonca, took a noble initiative to serve the people of the Kauai community shortly after their tragic loss. In 2008, they started a fundraising campaign named "Never Forget Sandy G Foundation" in memory of the late Sandra Galas, the purpose of which was to serve the domestic violence victims of Kauai.

As per Midweek Kauai, the golf tournament series that followed was aimed at raising money for the YWCA of Kauai, which would eventually help in the elimination of violence against women. According to reports, Sandra's family even offered to pay $20,000 to anyone who had any information that could help to catch the killer.

As per Dateline, what started as an initiative to keep Sandra's case alive in the minds of people eventually turned into a wide-scale fundraiser with estimated earnings of around $12,000 to $15,000 in the years to come. As sources tell, in August 2026, the 19th edition of Never Forget Sandy G Foundation's annual event was held.

The tragic case thus became a nodal point for spreading public awareness on domestic abuse and violence against women and soon got national attention. A friend of Sandra Galas, Renae Hamilton-Cambeilh reportedly mentioned in a statement:

"I have the utmost affection and love for Sandy's family. What they have done in terms of turning their unimaginable pain into something that really helps our community is incredible."

Trending

Stay tuned to Soap Central for regular updates on daily soaps, TV shows, and movies.

×

Was this article helpful?

Thank You for feedback