UPDATE: The UA student accused of killing her roommate early Wednesday morning tried to make the incident look like a suicide, according to court documents released yesterday afternoon.
Galareka Harrison, a public administration freshman, was charged with the first-degree murder of her roommate, Mia Henderson, a biology freshman, Wednesday afternoon.
Harrison was booked into Pima County Jail following her release from University Medical Center, where she was treated for non-life threatening injuries, Chief of Police Anthony Daykin said Wednesday afternoon in a press conference.
Henderson, who was not responsive when police arrived at 5:47 a.m., was pronounced dead at 6:32 a.m. upon arrival at UMC. An autopsy conducted by Pima County Office of the Medical Examiner concluded that Henderson died from multiple stab wounds, police documents stated.
Harrison purchased a knife while returning to the UA campus on Wednesday. She was upset that Henderson had accused her of forgery and theft, court documents stated.
A report of property crime had been filed with police on August 28, Daykin said. The report listed Henderson and another student as the victims and Harrison as an investigative lead, he said.
After purchasing the knife, Harrison wrote a note pretending to be Henderson, in which she explained that the accusation of forgery was not true. Written as if Henderson were the author, the note mentioned ending her own life, court documents said.
After writing the note, Harrison returned to her room in the Greenlee residence hall, where the women were roommates and had lived together prior to the report of theft, court documents stated.
Following the report of the theft, Henderson had refused to stay in the same room with Harrison. It is unclear where Henderson was staying or for how long, Daykin said. Henderson was offered alternative arrangements, but she declined, Daykin said.
Henderson was asleep on her bed as Harrison left the note on her desk. Following several minutes of reflection, court documents stated, Harrison stabbed Henderson multiple times, leading to her death.
