A woman has been arrested and charged with the murder of her missing roommate Talina Galloway after the dismembered remains of the 53-year-old woman were found in a freezer in Arkansas last week, the Wagoner County Sheriff’s Office said on Friday. in Oklahoma.
Authorities had been looking for Talina since April 17, 2020, when her roommate, Kore Bommeli, reported her missing from their home in Oklahoma.
Talina reportedly posted on Facebook earlier that month saying she believed she had COVID-19, but would not go to the hospital. Friends and family told Dateline “Missing in America” in May that the Facebook post was irrelevant and that they didn’t believe Talina would go away without contacting anyone.
At a press conference on Friday, Wagoner County Sheriff Chris Elliott said dismembered remains found in a freezer in a wooded area in Polk County, Arkansas, last week had been identified like Talina Galloway. The way to die was homicide.
The freezer was discovered by a witness who reported seeing a truck and a white cargo trailer last summer in the same area, the sheriff said. The witness reported smelling a foul odor and said the trailer looked suspicious, so she obtained the tag information and contacted Polk County MPs. A deputy was dispatched to the area, but no contact was made between the two, so the witness assumed the case was resolved.
On January 14, 2021, the same witness was walking in the woods when she came across a white box freezer with the lid closed. She said there was a foul smell coming from the freezer. Once again, she informed Polk County authorities of her discovery and provided the vehicle tag information that she had previously documented months earlier.
Sheriff Elliott said it was important to note that the tag number was returned to a missing woman in Wagoner County – Talina Galloway.
Upon examination of the freezer, authorities discovered human remains that were sent to the Arkansas State Crime Lab for identification.
Wagoner County District Attorney Jack Thorp obtained an arrest warrant for Talina’s roommate Bommeli, who authorities said was one of the main suspects in the disappearance, on Thursday.
Bommeli, who had previously been arrested for obstructing the investigation and destroying evidence in the case, was on bail and residing in Wisconsin. She was arrested Thursday in Dane County, Wisconsin, where she will remain until taken to Oklahoma to face charges of first degree murder and desecration of a human corpse.
Sheriff Elliott said he was happy to bring the matter to an end, but was still active and urged anyone with information to call the Wagoner County Sheriff’s Office.
“Our hearts go out to the family of Talina Galloway,” Sheriff Elliott said. “They are certainly in our prayers.”
Nicole Bellenfant Carr told Dateline that she felt in her heart that her good friend Talina was gone, but that she had never given up on her fight for justice.
“I knew we would be frustrated,” Nicole said. “But today is the day. Justice has won. “
Anyone with information on Talina Galloway’s case is asked to call the Wagoner County Sheriff’s Office at 918-485-3124.
