In his 25 years with the Kauai Police Department, Assistant Chief Roy Asher has never come across anything like it.
“It haunts you,” said Asher.
Three women were brutally attacked on Kauai, two of them, killed.
“I have a daughter as well, I have a sister. So you know, you do understand what the families go through,” said Asher.
In April 2000, the body of Lisa Bisell was found alongside a canefield in Polihale.
In August, Darren Singer was killed while camping at Pakala Beach.
A third woman, Nancy Jones, was also stabbed and beaten that year, while serving as a caretaker of a home in Kekaha. Police believe, she was left for dead.
“But she survived miraculously, climbed two stories, stairs, and called for help,” said Asher.
Back then, Asher was the lead detective on the Singer case.
He says police knew they were dealing with a serial killer because of the similar ways the women were victimized, and their free-spirited lifestyles.
Those three crimes shocked the westside of the island.
“It was the kind of community where people never locked their doors. You know, when they went in to get their groceries out of the supermarket, the windows would be down with the keys in the ignition,” said Shaylene Iseri-Carvalho, Kauai prosecutor.
There has never been an arrest, partly due to the lack of evidence.
“The statute of limitations, there is none. And therefore you got one shot at an apple, really. And so you want to make sure you have an air-tight case,” said Iseri-Carvalho.
After the crimes, detectives interviewed nearly 70 registered sex offenders on Kauai.
Police say they do have a person of interest, who moved to the Mainland, but remains on their radar.
“We will continue to monitor his activities,” said Iseri-Carvalho.
Kauai officials also have renewed hope, due to improved DNA technology and a new cold case unit, which recently led to the arrest of Darren Galas.
He is the ex-husband of Sandra Galas, who was found dead in her Kauai home.
Now, more than six years later, police have been able to charge the 40-year-old Kalaheo man with second-degree murder.
“When they looked at the initial statement offered by our suspect, they were able to break it down and found missing pieces,” said Asher.
Police and prosecutors hope that will also happen in the cold case files from the year 2000.
That one day, they will have answers for the victims’ loved ones, and for this community.
“We haven’t given up,” said Asher. “And we never will.”
See the original article at: KHON2 Local News
