Suvechha Sarkar
The episode titled ‘Mom Lured Me in a Trap’ of Investigation Discovery’s ‘Evil Lives Here’ takes everyone inside the chilling murder of 71-year-old Wanda F. Self and 8-year-old Megan Galey in their residence in Hot Springs, Arkansas, on November 21, 2018. These two brutal murders left the community appalled, bringing a devastating impact on their family. As the officials arrived, it turned out that their loved one — Melissa Ann Galey — was the ultimate reason for their untimely demise.
Melissa Ann Galey Planned For a Week Before Carrying Out the Murders
Melissa Ann Galey had a happy family, and a good part of her life revolved around her daughter, Kristyn Galey. However, cracks started to appear when she allegedly found out about her husband Kevin Galey’s affair. As she felt that he was trying to leave her and her daughter for the other woman, she chose to have Megan on January 5, 2010, and lock him in the marriage. However, this did not go according to plan since they ended up separating one year after her birth. She could not afford to live independently after the divorce and decided to move in with her mother, Wanda F. Self, along with her two daughters. Soon, her resentment towards her husband started pouring out, especially on Megan. The house’s atmosphere turned toxic, prompting Kristyn to go and live with her dad.
With further build-up of anger and negative emotions, Melissa allegedly started planning to murder Wanda and Megan for over a week. The night before the fateful morning, she initially called Kevin and asked him to come and set up the Christmas tree. When he refused, she called Kristyn and said, “God does not like a marriage that is split. Once you marry, you are marrying for life.” According to reports, she further proceeded to say that although she and Kevin might have been separated for 7 years, the woman who is coming in between them is the devil. Just the next morning after the call, on November 21, 2018, she reportedly stabbed her mother and her younger daughter multiple times. She had also reportedly hit Megan with a hammer. However, the officials did not take much time to catch up to her. Around 7:25 AM, they received a call with a report about possible murders at 2208 Lakeshore Drive, Hot Springs.
As they reached the scene, the police found Megan and Wanda’s lifeless bodies, covered in blood and stab or puncture wounds. When they further searched the residence, they located Melissa in the backyard. According to the reports, she hid in a crawling space underneath the house. She had blood spread all over her clothing, and they also observed that there were noticeable signs of an attempted arson. They found the area had char marks, which quite evidently pointed towards the fact that that a fire had been set, possibly to cover her tracks. She was detained and, on further questioning, admitted to the murders and reportedly told the police that she had tried to set the home on fire. After her arrest, Melissa was held in custody at the Garland County Jail without any bail bond since the day of the murders. Ultimately, she was charged with two capital murder charges and the felony of attempted arson.
Melissa Galey is Serving Her Life Term in Prison Today
After Melissa’s arrest and confessions, the investigation revealed a lot of evidence that turned out to be beneficial in building a case against her. When Kristyn visited Melissa eight days after the killings, she admitted that she was “getting mad” at Wanda because she was “taking stuff.” The prosecutors provided the finding of a tack hammer and claw hammer from the murder site as forms of evidence. It was further disclosed that the DNA of the blood found on both hammers matched Megan’s. Additionally, the results for the blood on the knife came back as a DNA mixture, pointing to the presence of two or more individuals, which are Melissa’s mother and daughter. Her trial soon began with the charges of two murders and an attempt of arson to seek justice for the victims.
Since the crime was so gruesome, the prosecutors in Arkansas had initially announced their intention to seek the death penalty against Melissa. The documents that were submitted to the court made it evident that if she were convicted, she would definitely receive capital punishment. In court, she pleaded guilty to her charges. Moreover, in her written plea deal, she reportedly admitted that she “did, in fact,” kill her mother and daughter. The plea deal sparked an intense discussion between the defense and prosecutors. Ultimately, prosecutor Kara Petro disclosed that all her family members, including her daughter Kristyn, approved the plea deal. However, they wanted her to spend her life in prison without any possibility of being released. This plea ultimately allowed her to avoid a potential death sentence. Even Melissa’s court-appointed attorney, Mark Fraiser, agreed that this was for the best of her interest.
According to the prosecutor, the family agreed to the plea because they felt that enduring such a long trial would put them through the horrific events of that day again. This was their way of protecting themselves from any further mental trauma. Justice was finally served exactly one year and one day after the horrible tragedy before Garland County Circuit Judge Marcia Hearnsberger on November 23, 2019. Melissa Galey was sentenced to two concurrent life terms in prison for each of the murders without parole. As a part of the agreement, the attempted arson charge was ultimately dismissed. This swift conclusion of the legal proceedings for the case was an attempt to provide closure for the surviving family members. As of today, she is incarcerated at McPherson Unit in Newport, Arkansas.
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