Carly Gregg
On the afternoon of March 19, 2024, a 911 call came in from a panicked man named Heath Smylie, a 39-year-old who urgently reported a family tragedy. In the call, Heath explained that his 14-year-old stepdaughter, Carly Gregg, had shot him in the shoulder and killed his wife, Ashley Smylie, who was 40 years old. According to Heath, he had fought Carly to prevent her from shooting him in the face, but she managed to hit him in the shoulder. Carly then fled the scene by jumping over the fence.
Law enforcement officers quickly responded to the call, arriving at the family’s home in Brandon, Mississippi. When they entered the house, they found Heath with a gunshot wound and his wife, Ashley, tragically dead in one of the bedrooms. Heath recounted the terrifying moments leading up to the shooting. That day, he had received a text from Ashley asking when he would be home from work. Heath replied that he would be late, but he eventually arrived around 5 p.m., unaware of the horror awaiting him.
Heath shared how he entered the house, as he did every day, calling for Ashley. As he walked down the hallway, a sudden flash and a loud sound startled him. It wasn’t until moments later that he realized Carly Gregg, his stepdaughter, had attempted to shoot him in the face. Heath struggled with her for control of the weapon, during which more shots were fired, one hitting his shoulder. Throughout the fight, Carly screamed as if terrified, and once disarmed, she fled the house.
A Chilling Discovery
After Carly Gregg escaped, Heath searched the house, suspecting an intruder was involved. He believed Carly’s screams were out of fear, but soon discovered the awful truth—Ashley lay dead in Carly’s bedroom, shot in the face. It was at that moment Heath realized what had truly transpired, and he immediately called 911 for help.
Roughly 30 minutes after the police arrived, an officer found Carly near the roadside, not far from the house. Her first question was about Heath’s condition—she didn’t ask about her mother, fully aware of what had happened. Police later reviewed the home’s security footage, which showed Carly Gregg and Ashley arriving home from school that day. Ashley, a math teacher, went to Carly’s room, while Carly retrieved a gun from under her mother’s mattress.
Investigators learned that Ashley had discovered her daughter’s secret life that day. At just 14, Carly Gregg had been using marijuana, struggling academically, and engaging in self-harm. When Ashley found out through one of Carly’s friends, she intended to confront her daughter, but before she could, Carly shot her mother.
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The Disturbing Events That Followed
After the shooting, Carly sent a message from her mother’s phone to Heath, asking, “When will you be home, honey?” The authorities believe Carly had planned to kill Heath as well. She even invited her friend to the house under the pretense of an emergency. When the friend arrived, Carly led her to her mother’s lifeless body and confessed to shooting Ashley three times, revealing she had saved three more bullets for her stepfather. Carly Gregg asked her friend to leave through the backyard just as Heath arrived, leading to the struggle between Carly and Heath.
Carly’s friend heard the gunshots and fled, scaling the fence. It is unclear if the friend stayed out of fear or felt threatened by Carly Gregg.
Following her arrest, Carly was initially held in a juvenile detention facility before being transferred to an adult jail, where she faced charges of first-degree murder, attempted murder, and evidence tampering. Prosecutors decided to try her as an adult. At her first court appearance, Carly Gregg pleaded not guilty, with bail set at one million dollars. She was offered a plea deal of 40 years in prison, which she rejected, resulting in a trial six months later.
The Start of Carly Gregg’s Trial
In September 2024, Carly Gregg’s trial began, with the district attorney making a bold statement. Referring to Carly as “an evil young girl,” the prosecutor suggested that sometimes evil comes in surprising, youthful forms. At first, the public had shown sympathy for Carly Gregg, speculating that she might suffer from severe mental health issues such as schizophrenia, given the lack of information about what had really happened. However, when security footage was shown in court, it became clear that there was no intruder, and Carly’s actions were deliberate.
Over five intense days, the prosecution presented a case that depicted Carly as a cold, calculated individual. The evidence included footage of Carly hiding the gun behind her back to avoid detection by the cameras and the unsettling text messages she had sent to her stepfather and friend before and after the murder. The courtroom was visibly shaken when the 911 call made by Heath Smylie was played. Heath’s desperate pleas for help echoed through the courtroom, and when bodycam footage of the police arriving on the scene was shown, Carly Gregg broke down, sobbing uncontrollably while her attorney comforted her.
One of the key moments in the trial came when it was revealed that Carly’s friend had warned Ashley about her daughter’s growing marijuana use and troubling behavior. The friend, concerned for Carly’s well-being, informed Ashley in an effort to help. This confrontation is what ultimately led to the tragic events that unfolded on that fateful day.
The Defense’s Argument
Carly’s defense team argued that she had been battling undiagnosed mental health issues, making her unaware of the severity of her actions. They urged the court to consider Carly a victim herself, alongside Ashley and Heath, stating that her actions were not intentional but rather the result of her struggles with a mental illness. The defense argued that Carly Gregg had always tried to please her mother and would never have intentionally hurt her.
Carly Gregg, they contended, was a bright student who had skipped a grade and was once named Student of the Year. They portrayed Ashley as a loving, dedicated mother who had a close bond with her daughter, particularly after Carly’s biological father left and Carly’s sister died when she was only four.
The defense brought up Carly’s family history, claiming that her struggles with mental health may have been inherited from her father, who had a history of alcoholism, drug addiction, and severe mental illnesses, including schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. According to the defense, Carly’s mental health problems had surfaced around the age of 11 or 12, but the severity of these issues didn’t become apparent until December 2023, when Ashley discovered Carly had been self-harming. Ashley immediately sought help, taking Carly to a doctor and later a psychiatrist, where Carly was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder. Carly Gregg began receiving medication and therapy, and Ashley believed her daughter was improving, although Carly’s friends noticed a shift in her behavior.
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During the trial, some of Carly’s classmates testified that she had occasionally spoken about her mother with intense anger. One student recalled Carly saying she wanted to kill her mother, but these remarks were dismissed at the time as normal teenage frustration. No one believed Carly Gregg would ever act on these feelings.
Heath Smylie also testified, recounting the events of that terrifying day. He described how Carly Gregg seemed entirely out of control, screaming as though she had seen something horrifying, almost as if she were reacting to a demon. Despite this, Heath remained supportive of Carly during the trial. He revealed that they still spoke regularly and that he believed Carly had been struggling deeply with her mental health. Heath confirmed that Carly had shown signs of depression and was receiving therapy in the months leading up to the tragic incident.
A Crucial Hearing and Key Evidence
On September 17, during a critical hearing in Carly Gregg’s trial, the prosecution presented damning footage from a kitchen security camera that captured key moments of the crime. This footage was instrumental in establishing Carly’s calculated behavior. The defense, however, sought to explain Carly’s actions through the testimony of pediatric psychiatrist Andrew Clark, an expert witness. Dr. Clark testified that Carly Gregg was undergoing a severe mental health crisis at the time and that her mood swings had been worsened by the medications she had been prescribed.
Carly had been taking two potent medications, Cetraline and Citapran, for depression and anxiety. According to Dr. Clark, these medications had intensified her symptoms, resulting in dissociative episodes and auditory hallucinations. In addition, Carly had been mixing the medications with heavy marijuana use, which further exacerbated her condition. On the day of the crime, Dr. Clark explained, Carly Gregg had been unfocused in class and in a particularly bad mood. Carly herself later claimed to have “blacked out” during the crime, with no memory of the event, but the doctor believed she was experiencing hallucinations at the time.
The defense hoped this testimony would convince the jury that Carly’s mental health struggles, combined with the effects of the medication, were the primary cause of her actions and that she had no recollection of the killing.
The prosecution argued against the insanity defense, calling their own psychiatrist to the stand. This expert refuted the claims that Carly had been in the midst of a psychotic break or hallucinating when she shot her mother. The prosecution’s psychiatrist insisted that Carly was fully aware of her actions and their consequences, arguing that this was a premeditated crime.
The prosecution bolstered their case by presenting Carly’s personal diary, which contained unsettling entries such as “There is no God,” “It’s okay to be evil,” and “You don’t need family.” These writings, according to the prosecution’s psychiatrist, showed narcissistic tendencies and suggested that Carly’s behavior was intentional and diabolical.
Courtroom Laughter and Public Perception
A shocking moment occurred during one of the hearings when Carly was caught on camera laughing and attempting to cover her mouth. This occurred right after the prosecution’s psychiatrist described her actions as “diabolical.” While laughter may not seem significant in itself, in a courtroom setting, it plays a crucial role in how a defendant is perceived. Carly’s laughter, especially during such serious testimony, only served to further damage her image in the eyes of the public and the jury.
In the prosecution’s closing arguments, they emphasized that Carly Gregg clearly understood the difference between right and wrong and that her actions were deliberate. They urged the jury to find her guilty on all charges, stating that there was no doubt Carly had killed her mother and attempted to murder her stepfather.
On the other hand, the defense pleaded with the jury to consider Carly’s significant mental health struggles and to declare her not guilty by reason of insanity. Carly’s attorney argued that she was not a malicious child filled with hatred but rather a young girl suffering from severe mental illness. They also highlighted the family history of mental health problems, suggesting that Carly’s actions were rooted in these hereditary issues.
The Verdict and Sentencing
Despite the defense’s efforts, the jury deliberated for only two hours before reaching a verdict. On September 20, 2024, Carly Gregg was found guilty of first-degree murder, attempted murder, and tampering with evidence. As the verdict and sentence were read, Carly broke down in tears, sobbing uncontrollably.
The judge sentenced Carly Gregg to life in prison without the possibility of parole—a rare and severe punishment for a minor. In most cases involving minors, the option of parole is available after serving a portion of their sentence. However, in Carly’s case, the judge ruled that she would never be eligible for parole, citing the gravity of the crime.
Despite the harsh ruling, Carly’s defense team has vowed to appeal the decision. They are preparing for further legal battles as the case moves through the appeals process, which will likely continue for years to come.
