TUCSON, Ariz., Sept. 7, 2007

Arizona Student Charged In Roomie's Death

College Student Allegedly Stabbed Roommate Who Had Accused Her Of Theft

  • The Graham-Greenlee residence hall on the University of Arizona campus in Tucson, Ariz., is shown on Sept. 5, 2007, when a student is accused of stabbing her roomate to death at the dormitory. Photo

    The Graham-Greenlee residence hall on the University of Arizona campus in Tucson, Ariz., is shown on Sept. 5, 2007, when a student is accused of stabbing her roomate to death at the dormitory.  (AP Photo/John Miller)

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(AP)  Upset that her roommate had accused her of theft, a University of Arizona freshman bought a knife, returned to their dorm room and stabbed the woman as she slept, according to court papers filed Thursday.

But before 18-year-old Galareka Harrison killed Mia Henderson, she wrote a fake note in which the victim purportedly admitted falsely accusing her roommate and "mentioned ending her own life," university police Officer Mario Leon wrote.

Harrison entered the room, left the note on her roommate's desk and then stabbed her "numerous times," according to Leon's probable cause statement, filed in Pima County Justice Court.

Police would not say what Harrison had been accused of stealing and would not release the police report her roommate filed Aug. 28.

Henderson, also 18, died Wednesday morning.

Both girls were residents of communities on the Navajo Indian Reservation and were freshmen at the university.

Harrison was ordered held under $50,000 bond Thursday by a Tucson City Court judge at an initial appearance. The judge entered a not guilty plea on her behalf.

Harrison's mother, Janice Harrison, watched her daughter's brief televised appearance at the Pima County Jail complex and said she was in shock.

"She never did anything wrong," she said. "She's a real nice person. She's never been away from home. She has no record of anything like this."

She added that her daughter also had been injured and said, "I think she was protecting herself ... It looks like she was trying to defend herself."

University police responding to an early-morning call Wednesday at a residence hall complex found the two women with unspecified injuries.

Both were taken to University Medical Center, where Henderson was pronounced dead.

Harrison has turned down all media interview requests, a jail spokesman said.


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Add a Comment See all 16 Comments
by nlm2383 September 7, 2007 3:53 PM EDT
Wow, that''s messed up...
Reply to this comment
by zootallures2 September 7, 2007 4:06 PM EDT
Not much difference between being with other people and swimming with sharks.
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by oakishpines September 7, 2007 4:16 PM EDT
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by likeitis5050 September 7, 2007 4:17 PM EDT
You just never know.
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by mswolfestock September 7, 2007 5:12 PM EDT
It just scares the **** out of me to know how incredibly stupid and violent kids are today. It''s tough for me to keep a positive outlook about the future.


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by pierson98 September 7, 2007 5:38 PM EDT

Despite all the hand-wringing, head-scratching, and "WHY??" that always accompanies senseless murders, it''s actually very easy to understand how this happens: we have lost our will to punish violent criminals quickly and effectively.

Everytime a murder, rape, or savage assault occurs, the judge, jury, press, and public are exposed to a long-winded story about how "tough" life has been for the criminal. Daddy never loved me, we grew up poor, "society" doesn''t treat me fairly. And other people watching that take it as a cue as to what we, as a nation, will or won''t accept. No, people don''t immediately decide to run out and commit murder, but it''s understood, on some level, that our country will coddle criminals and seek to "understand" them rather than punishing them swiftly and appropriately.

If you want to see fewer attacks and murders, take murderers and string them up. Not tomorrow, today. If we''re unwilling to do that, then look no further than the mirror when you "How could this happen ?!?!"
Reply to this comment
by theusa1st September 7, 2007 5:51 PM EDT
If you want to see fewer attacks and murders, take murderers and string them up. Not tomorrow, today. If we''''re unwilling to do that, then look no further than the mirror when you "How could this happen ?!?!"

Posted by pierson98 at 02:38 PM : Sep 07, 2007

I agree with you...it''s time to take out the trash and make the world a better place. Let''s spend our money on something good instead of someone evil.
Reply to this comment
by Turgedson September 7, 2007 6:10 PM EDT
You see, officer, she just ran into my knife. In fact, it was the damnedest thing - she ran into my knife NINE TIMES!!!
Reply to this comment
by mo005 September 7, 2007 6:19 PM EDT
pierson98: Well put and you are right. Make examples out of everyone that is convicted of a crime like this. Life is bulls-it, Take em out back and save us alot of money feeding these wasted bags of water. Then when someone sees this on opra, or maury povich. They will think twice before they do somthing dumb like what this girl did.
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by agnim September 7, 2007 6:29 PM EDT
"College Student Allegedly Stabbed Roommate Who Had Accused Her Of Theft"

These are the kinds of unwomanly behavior we can expect when feminist females are lacking male control over them; they continue to feel comfortable with ovarian aggression.
They will only slow down and stop when men force them to recognize that no matter how feminist, they are STILL the submissive gender!
Reply to this comment
by gunownerdan September 7, 2007 6:50 PM EDT
Ban all knives.
Problem solved.
Wasn''t that easy?
(end sarcasm)
Reply to this comment
by Krazcarl September 7, 2007 7:05 PM EDT
It''s a little to early to cast an opinion NO ONE knows the facts we will but all else is blowing smoke. But why does folks the NRA is ashamed of have to run thier mouths all there just doing it an embarassment the NRA most don''t have a slingshot. I don''t care if you had an AK47 sound asleep it would be useless..
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by lorinkundert September 7, 2007 8:52 PM EDT
There is a really simple solution to societies problems and it can be summed up in two words "Individual Responsibility"
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by nmkitty September 9, 2007 12:17 AM EDT
Mia Henderson is my cousin-in-law...I just want to let everyone know that even though i never spent a day with her i cried as soon as i got the news. Now imagine how her close family and friends feel. I do not wish harm to Harrison, but wisdom.. so she will have to think every day on what she caused all of us!!!
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by ttthomas2 September 9, 2007 1:10 AM EDT
First of all, to all the families that surround this great and horrible tragedy, I give you all the sympathy and empathy. This was a meaningless tragedy and it is sad what some people are capable of doing. Next, for any of you, who think it is funny to have the decency to resist the urge to put derogatory and horrible comments like "injuns-should have guessed. Surprised she wasn''t scalped." Who do you think you are, you pathetic piece of ***!! I am sure you haven''t had something like this has happened to you or your family, but it would be nice to see then that would hopefully humble you down. You are the kind of people that are alive, because it is illegal to kill you. Have some decency and go hang yourself, because the job wasn''t done, because you aren''t aborted.

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by Krazcarl September 9, 2007 5:00 AM EDT
ttthomas Don''t worry about kiethel1 the threw away the baby and saved the afterbirth. He"s allready dead in his mind all we can feel is pity and that is all he deserves. As usual our native bretheren are showing us a level of compassion to be strived for...
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