State: Evidence of first-degree murder 'overwhelming'

Deputy County Attorney Rick Unklesbay told jurors that the evidence that Galareka Harrison intended to kill Mia Henderson is "overwhelming."

"You will not find a case with more premeditation than the one you have at the moment," Unklesbay said in his closing argument.

Unklesbay related how Henderson accused Harrison of stealing her UA ID, Social Security card, checks and $500 from a bank account.

Harrison even asked an officer what would happen to her if Henderson pressed charges, as Henderson insisted on doing.

Then Harrison went home on the long Labor Day weekend and began plotting to kill Henderson. She asked a companion about fingerprint evidence and what happens to people who are accused of stealing or what to do when someone is planning to kill themselves.

On the way back to the UA, Harrison insisted on stopping at a Target for school supplies but instead bought an 8-inch kitchen knife.

Forty minutes later, Harrison was in a UA library, where she spent four hours crafting a "suicide note" that she copied.

Then she went to a friend's room a floor above her room and kept texting a neighbor whether Henderson was alseep.

When she was sure her roommate was alseep, Harrison went down to her room, spent time "thinking and thinking and thinking and thinking" about the events of the past week, then began attacking Henderson with the knife.

Henderson fought back, though, and after Harrison had stabbed her 23 times, she realized the scene didn't look like a suicide. Perhaps then is when Harrison sank the knife in her own leg and then went screaming down the hall, saying Henderson had attacked her.

Hours later, Harrison told "lie after lie after lie" to police, crying hysterically. When detectives confrtonted her with contradictory evidence, Harrison eventually told at least the partial truth, that she had killed Harrison, not a mystery man or that Henderson attacked first.

Harrison may claim to have killed in self-defense, Unklesbay said, but the evidence shows otherwise, including Harrison's own words.

"If you're the aggressor, the only way to claim self-defense is if you stop the aggression and immediately withdraw," Unklesbay said.

"Rember the detectives talking to the defendant, assuming it's true that Mia took the knife away, assuming it's true Mia got her in the leg, the detectives said once Mia was on the ground, you could have run away.

"Well, yeah (Galareka said). 'What did you do?' (the detectives said). 'I took the knife in both hands and I thrusted it into her back.'"

After a brief break, Assistant Public Defender John O'Brien will deliver his closing argument, followed by Unklesbay's rebuttal, if there is one.

Jurors will be dismissed early and begin deliberating tomorrow, Pima County Superior Court Judge Nanette Warner said.