What happened to Sandra?

Missing: Sandra Collins

What happened to Sandra?

Áine Ryan

SEVEN years ago today, Sandra Collins went missing. The disappearance of the 29-year-old Killala woman has since mystified the Gardaí. She was last seen buying chips at the Country Kitchen Take-Away between 11.05 and 11.15pm on December 4, 2000. It was just ten days before her 30th birthday.
While Sandra effectively disappeared without a trace, about two or three days after she went missing her fleece jacket was discovered near Killala pier. Tragically, her mother, Elanor Collins of Fotish, Crossmolina, passed away in 2004 without fulfilling her wish to solve the circumstances around the disappearance of her daughter. 
Gardaí in Ballina yesterday (Monday) issued a renewed appeal for information regarding her disappearance. Her case has been highlighted on RTÉ’s Crimeline programme on several occasions, as part of Operation Trace. It has also been included in features on other high-profile missing women cases, including that of American student, Annie McCarrick, pregnant Tullamore woman, Fiona Pender and Jo Jo Dullard. 
Sandra was small, of slim build, with short brown hair, which had red highlights. At the time of her disappearance she was wearing black trousers, a maroon polo neck, a pink sleeveless jacket with a hood, and black boots. On the evening of her disappearance, she had also done some shopping in Birrane’s shop, Church Street, Killala.
Gardaí say that previous appeals in 2003 and 2004 resulted in fresh information and they hope that this appeal, at the time of the anniversary of Sandra’s disappearance, will have a similar result. They can be contacted at 096 20560.