Pima County Public Defender John O'Brien confers with client Galareka Harrison, who is on trial in Pima County Superior Court, accused of stabbing her roommate to death at the University of Arizona in 2007.

James S. Wood / Arizona Daily Star

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On the weekend before Galareka Harrison was arrested on a first-degree murder charge, Yolanda Nez spent 14 hours with her traveling to and from Window Rock.

Among the topics that came up: homesickness, suicide, theft, forensics and a premonition.

The trip also included a detour to a Target store so Harrison could buy a knife, Nez said.

Nez was one of five witnesses who testified Friday in Pima County Superior Court in Harrison's trial.

The 19-year-old is accused of stabbing her University of Arizona roommate, Mia Henderson, to death on Sept. 5, 2007.

Prosecutors believe Harrison was angry Henderson, 18, had reported her to police for stealing from her.

Henderson told police on Aug. 28 that she had found her UA CatCard and her Social Security card in Harrison's wallet and that $500 was missing from her checking account. A CatCard is a combination identification and charge card.

Deputy Pima County Attorney Kellie Johnson told jurors Thursday that when police questioned Harrison, she confessed not only to stealing the cards and the $500, but to stealing the identity of another girl and to writing two other checks.

Harrison was not arrested then, however, and both Henderson and Harrison returned home to the Navajo Indian Reservation for the Labor Day weekend. Henderson was from Tuba City and Harrison is from the Chinle area.

Nez testified Friday that she was acquainted with Harrison because both had participated in rodeos on the reservation. She ran into Harrison on campus during the first week of school, and the two began sending text messages to each other.

When Harrison learned Nez would be taking part in a rodeo over the Labor Day weekend, she asked her if she could catch a ride, Nez said.

During the drive, Harrison said that it was the first time she had been away from home and she was homesick and having problems adapting to city life, Nez said. Harrison also said she'd been exchanging messages with a suicidal friend on the MySpace social-networking Web site, Nez said.

Nez testified that Harrison told her the friend was feeling down and had been going through a lot lately.

At another point in the conversation, Harrison told her she believed her roommate was stealing from her, Nez said.

Nez, who was a senior at the UA at the time, said she tried to advise Harrison as much as she could.

Harrison came across as being relatively immature, Nez told Dawn Priestman, Pima County assistant public defender. Nez wasn't sure if it was on the way to or from Window Rock, but Nez said Harrison asked her if police could identify people's fingerprints through gloves. She said she was curious because she and her brother had been discussing it.

Nez said she told Harrison she had no idea.

As the two returned to Tucson on Monday, Sept. 3, Harrison said she had a feeling something "bad" was going to happen but didn't elaborate, Nez said.

Harrison later asked her to stop at a Wal-Mart because she needed some school supplies, Nez said.

They ended up stopping at a Target, and Harrison bought gum and a large knife, Nez said.

When she asked Harrison if she wouldn't rather buy an Ex-Acto knife, Harrison told her a girl in her class had the same exact knife, Nez said.

The two parted ways after making arrangements to return to Window Rock two nights later for another rodeo, Nez said.

Two days later, Harrison was in the Pima County jail, accused of stabbing Henderson 23 times — 14 times in the back.

Nez didn't hear of the slaying until she went to Harrison's dorm to look for her. She'd been in class all day and hadn't seen the news.

Also testifying Friday were Londynn Young and Jordan Begay, two friends of Henderson's.

Both testified that Harrison sent Henderson text messages apologizing for stealing from her. One of the messages was a chain text message that said something along the lines of "I'm sending you 100 prayers or 100 angels," Young said.

Henderson chose not to reply, Young said.