Teenage Carly Gregg Gets Life in Prison After Conviction for Murdering Mom

The case of Carly Gregg, a 15-year-old from Rankin County, Mississippi, serves as a tragic illustration of the complexities surrounding juvenile crime and mental health. Convicted for the murder of her mother, Ashley Smylie, and attempted murder of her stepfather, Heath Smylie, Gregg's actions on March 19th have sparked intense debate within both legal and psychological communities . The prosecution characterized her actions as premeditated and devoid of remorse, while the defense posited that she was in the throes of a mental health crisis at the time of the shooting.

Carly Madison Gregg was sentenced on Friday in Rankin County, Mississippi for the fatal shooting of her mom, Ashley Smylie, the attempted murder of her stepfather, and tampering with evidence.

In March, Gregg entered her mother’s bedroom and shot her, then texted her stepfather, Heath Smylie, to come home. When he arrived, she shot him, grazing his shoulder.

Gregg was 14 at the time of the March 19 shooting, in which prosecutors argued she killed her 40-year-old mother, Ashely Smylie, with the mother’s gun inside the family’s Brandon, Miss., home, according to The Clarion Ledger, WLBT, and WJTV. Later, the teenager lied in wait in an apparent ambush designed to shoot and kill her stepfather, 39-year-old Heath Smylie, when he arrived home, prosecutors said, per the outlets. Gregg then fled but was later arrested near the home.

While Gregg’s defense team did not deny she killed her mother, the attorneys contended that the teenager was experiencing a mental health crisis on the day of the killing and didn’t remember the shooting. 

Dr. Andrew Clark, a child psychologist, testified on Tuesday, Sept. 17, that on the day of the shooting, Gregg was “grumpy and irritable” and couldn’t focus in class at Northwest Rankin High School, where her mother was a math teacher, according to The Clarion-Ledger. Clark also said the teenager claimed her memory “went blank” that day after letting her dog out in the backyard.

Gregg was crying throughout the reading of the verdict. Heath Smylie and Gregg's grandparents were in the courtroom when the verdict was read, and they appeared to be mouthing words of encouragement to her.

Gregg was also given a life sentence for shooting her stepfather and 10 years in prison for tampering with evidence. Attorneys said she was not given the opportunity for parole.

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Sarah H

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