HOT SPRINGS -- After a week of planning, a Hot Springs woman killed her young daughter and her mother early Wednesday morning and then tried to burn down the house where their bodies were found, police said.
Melissa Galey, 46, was charged with two counts of capital murder in the deaths of her 8-year-old daughter, Megan Galey, and her 71-year-old mother, Wanda Self. She also faces one count of criminal attempt at arson.
Melissa Galey was being held Wednesday at the Garland County jail in lieu of bond, police said.
Hot Springs police Cpl. Joey Williams said in a news release that officers responded at 7:26 a.m. to a 911 call at 2208 Lakeshore Drive after a relative found the bodies. Self and Megan Galey were found dead inside the residence.
Williams told The Sentinel-Record in an interview that both victims appeared to have multiple stab and puncture wounds.
"It's a sad deal," Williams said. "A homicide anytime is a sad deal, but when you are dealing with an 8-year-old child, it's hard on everybody. Especially right before Thanksgiving.
"It hurts us as much as it hurts everyone else. We don't like working any kind of homicide, but it is especially hard on everybody when it is a child."
The Hot Springs School District said in a statement posted on social media that counseling will be provided for students and staff members when classes resume Monday after the Thanksgiving holiday. Megan Galey was an elementary school student in the district.
"Our thoughts and prayers go out to this family," the statement said.
After finding the bodies, officers searched outside and found Melissa Galey climbing out from underneath the residence, authorities said. She was covered in blood, and the area where she exited appeared to have been set on fire, the release said.
Galey was detained and taken to the Hot Springs Police Department, where she admitted to killing both victims and attempting to set the house on fire, police said. She also told police that she had been planning the killings for about a week, the release said.
Sunshine Smith, who identified herself as a family friend, said Galey's oldest daughter had expressed concern for the safety of her younger sister.
Smith said the older daughter went to her house Tuesday night concerned about her younger sister because Galey was claiming "[the father of her children] was Santa Claus, she was going to end the world, and that the devil has taken over."
Smith said they called state Child Protective Services.
Williams said Galey had no criminal history and that officers had never gone to the residence previously because of criminal activity. He said police believe that Galey acted alone.
State Desk on 11/22/2018