Galareka Harrison, 19, has been convicted of first-degree murder in the September 2007 death of her University of Arizona roommate, Mia Henderson. Both young women, members of the Navajo Nation of northern Arizona, were part of the Native American First Year Scholar Program.
Henderson was found in her dorm room stabbed 23 times, mostly in her back. Harrison was suspected of the crime immediately following the murder, as she had a deep stab wound to her right calf and other minor injuries. At the time, Harrison was treated for her injuries, then arrested and booked into jail.
Henderson, who was studying biology and planned to be a doctor, had received a tribal scholarship to study at the University. By all accounts Henderson had a promising future. While a student at Tuba City High School, she was chosen as a student researcher through a National Institutes of Health program. An athlete, she was named to an all-area softball team, where she played third base. Her grandfather is tribal leader Johnny R. Thompson.
Henderson had accused her roommate of stealing three checks from her account and cashing one for $500, and for stealing her University ID and Social Security cards. The prosecution argued that she was upset in being accused of the theft, bought a knife, and stabbed her roommate as she slept. The prosecution further alleged that she forged a note from Henderson, which said she had falsely accused her roommate and threatened to end her own life.
The defense argued that Harrison killed Henderson in self defense.
According to the police transcript read during the trial, Harrison first said an unknown man had attacked both of them. Then, she said Henderson had attacked her first.
"I was just so mad," Harrison told a detective. "My family thinks I’m being good over here and everything and I didn’t want to tell them” about the charges of stealing.
Harrison told the detective that Henderson was asleep when she started to attack her. “I was going towards her and she opened her eyes and she just got up. And then she grabbed the knife from me. Then she tried to get me, but she didn’t. That’s when I just pushed her really hard back on her bed, and I got the knife back, then I stabbed her."
A police officer testified that Harrison demonstrated to them how she stood over her roommate, clasped the 8-inch kitchen knife with both hands and thrust the knife into Henderson’s back.
The jury deliberated 3 ½ hours before finding Harrison guilty. She was also found guilty of forgery for cashing the $500 check on Henderson’s bank account and identity theft since she used another student’s name to cash the check. Harrison will be sentenced to life in prison, with or without the possibility of parole, depending on the judge.
The family of Mia Henderson filed a lawsuit in July against the university alleging that action should have been taken when Henderson first reported the problems. "The University was aware that Galareka was emotionally upset, fearful that she was being prosecuted, angry that Mia had reported her crimes and blamed Mia rather than her own criminal acts as the source of her difficulties, " the lawsuit states. "Some act of retribution by Galareka was reasonably forseeable and reasonable care required simple precautions for Mia’s protection."