Teen Seen Calmly Texting Stepdad After Allegedly Gunning Down Her Own Mom in Horrifying Scene
Carly Gregg, a 15-year-old from Mississippi, is facing trial for allegedly shooting and killing her mother, Ashley Smylie, and injuring her stepfather, Heath Smylie, in March after they confronted her about smoking marijuana. During a court session, surveillance footage captured Carly casually texting just moments after the gunshots, which prosecutors argue prove her culpability.
The tragic incident unfolded when Ashley discovered Carly’s secret. Following the confrontation, Carly reportedly sent texts to her stepfather asking when he would return home, utilizing her mother’s phone. Testimonies revealed that Heath entered their home to find his wife deceased, leading to a chaotic encounter where Carly shot him as well.
Mental health professionals have raised concerns about Carly’s psychological state at the time, citing significant mood swings, auditory hallucinations, and dissociative episodes. While some experts claimed she was hearing voices, others noted that she denied experiencing these symptoms at different times.
The court proceedings are examining various perspectives on Carly’s mental health and the events that took place, as deeper questions regarding her motivations and state of mind during the alleged crime continue to emerge.
Surveillance video shown in a Mississippi court Wednesday showed teenager Carly Gregg texting on a phone in the middle of her kitchen, in what seemed like a normal scene from modern American life.
What wasn’t shown in those frames was that moments earlier, three gunshots were recorded by the video that prosecutors say took place when Gregg, then 14, shot her mother to death, according to the New York Post.
Gregg, 15, is charged with killing her mom, Ashley Smylie, and shooting her stepfather, Heath Smylie, in March after they learned she smoked marijuana.
The March video showed Gregg holding her hands behind her back, during which time, prosecutors say, she was holding the .357 Magnum used in the crimes.
Seconds after the gunshots were recorded, Gregg sent some texts, prosecutors say, one to a friend to come over and another, using her mother’s phone, to summon her stepfather
“When will you be home honey?” the text to her stepfather read.
The friend said Gregg told her, “Have you ever seen a dead body? My mom is in there,” when the friend arrived at Gregg’s home.
Psychiatrist Andrew Clark said Gregg faced a mental health crisis that day because she was already experiencing significant mood swings, hearing voices and having dissociative problems.
NEW: Mississippi girl Carly Gregg seen sneaking up on her mother before sh**ting and k*lling her after the mom allegedly found out about her “secret life.”
The mother, Ashley Smylie, could be heard screaming as the first shot rang out.
The 15-year-old then lured her stepfather… pic.twitter.com/kQFst0EupJ
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) September 19, 2024
“And then, her mother finds out she’s smoking marijuana,” Clark said. “For Carly, in particular, she so cared about her mother’s approval, so for her, this was a crisis.”
Heath Smylie testified in court about coming home to find his wife dead, according to Law and Crime.
“She was laying on her back with her arms over here and a towel covering her face,” he testified. “I knew that she had been shot, there was blood around, I’m not sure exactly where, on the right side of her face.”
“She had seen a demon.” #CarlyGregg‘s stepdad and surviving victim says he thought the teen shot him because “there was an intruder” and that the 14-year-old was “screaming out of her mind scared.”
#CourtTV Watch LIVE NOW, Deadly Daughter Murder Trial – https://t.co/9PB4MSniGa pic.twitter.com/Spba8a4uHe
— Court TV (@CourtTV) September 17, 2024
“When I opened the door to the kitchen, the gun went off in my face before the door was three or four inches wide open,” he said. “The gun flashed in my face. It went off two more times, but my hand was on the gun after the first shot, and I twisted it from Carly.”
The trial offered different opinions about whether Gregg heard voices, according to WAPT-TV.
Dr. Amanda Gugliano, director of forensic evaluation services at the Mississippi State Hospital at Whitfield, said after her arrest, Gregg said she heard voices.
“She said she had been hearing one voice, a male voice, since she was young — maybe around 5 or 6 years old — which is unusual,” Gugliano said. “She said she heard the voice every day, but it was always in the background and she was able to tune it out.”
Rebecca Kirk, a licensed professional counselor, said she met with Gregg in January and the teen said she denied hearing voices. Nurse practitioner Olivia Leber said she also saw Gregg in January and the teen indicated she was not hearing voices.
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