The Murder of Ashley Smylie

 

On March 19th, 2024, 40-year-old Ashley Smylie was tragically shot and killed in her home in Brandon, Mississippi. Her death has left the Rankin County community in shock and mourning, as Ashley was a beloved teacher at Northwest Rankin High School. The shock deepened when it was revealed that the person responsible for her death was her own teenage daughter, Carly Madison Gregg.

Carly, only 14 years old at the time of the incident, shot her mother in her bedroom. Later that evening, as her stepfather, Heath Smylie, entered their house, Carly shot him as well, striking him in the shoulder. Despite his injury, Heath managed to wrestle the gun away from her. Carly then fled the scene. 

Shortly thereafter, Heath found Ashley's body on the floor of Carly's bedroom. He then called 9-1-1 to report the shootings. Police later found Carly near the home and took her into custody. 

Source: WJTV

Carly was charged with first-degree murder, attempted murder, and tampering with evidence. According to reports at the time of her arrest, she had killed her mother, attempted to kill her stepfather, and hidden the home's security cameras in an effort to conceal the crime. It was further announced that Carly would be tried as an adult on all charges.

Ashley's death has been a devastating loss for her family, friends, and students. Many were left with questions, such as: why did Carly kill her own mother? And how could such a young girl commit such horrific crime? Months later, these questions and more were addressed as Carly's trial began in Rankin County.

An insanity defense.

Source: Barbara Gauntt/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK

In the opening statements, Carly’s defense team didn’t dispute that she had killed her mother and wounded her stepfather. However, they argued that Carly was battling an improperly treated mental illness at the time, which clouded her judgment and actions. According to the defense, Carly never harbored any true intent to harm either her mother or stepfather.

"This is not a who-dun-it case. We know who took action on March 19 to bring about the death of Ashley Smylie and the injuries to Heath Smylie," defense attorney Bridget Todd told the courtroom. "This is a why case."

The events leading up to the murder.

The prosecution, on the other hand, presented a very different story. Prior to Todd's opening statements, Mississippi state prosecutor Kathryn White Newman told the jury that Carly was leading a "secret life" that she wanted to keep hidden from her mother and stepfather. She reportedly had begun both smoking and vaping marijuana in the weeks leading up to the murder. Carly reportedly also was using "burner phones" and texting apps that she kept hidden from her parents. 

Prosecutor Newman also noted that Carly's new behaviors had raised alarms among her friends. One friend became so concerned that he contacted Carly’s mother to share his worries. That conversation occurred on the very same day as the murder.

Further testimony revealed that Ashley and Carly returned home that afternoon at 3:54 PM, as was typical during the week. By this time, it is believed that Ashley had already confronted Carly about her suspected marijuana use. Shortly after they arrived, Ashley went into Carly’s bedroom to search for evidence and reportedly discovered vape pens hidden in the room.

Shooting heard on camera.

A security camera in the family's kitchen captured the harrowing events that followed. While Ashley was still in Carly's room, the footage, which was shown during trial, showed Carly "walking from her parent's room with a hand behind her back, towards her bedroom. Seconds later a shot is heard, followed by screams, and then two additional shots." (Source: Vicksburg News).

Carly walking past kitchen, presumably with gun behind back. Source: WAPT

Moments later, Carly is seen walking back into the kitchen with her hands behind her back. She then places the concealed item on the counter and sits down on a bar stool. Seconds later, Carly picks up a phone from the counter and begins calmly typing a message.

According to testimony from Carly's stepfather, Heath, she was using her mother’s phone in this footage. She was reportedly sending text messages to Heath, pretending to be Ashley, asking when he would be home. Heath noted that the messages appeared to match Ashley's usual texting tone, and he did not suspect anything was wrong at the time he received the messages.

Carly texting from her mother's phone moments after the murder. (Law & Crime TV)

The friend witness and the attempted murder of Heath.

Heath testified that he received the text messages from who he believed was his wife around 4:14 PM. However, he didn’t return home until shortly after 5:00 PM. During that approximate 45-minute window, Carly sent messages from her own phone to two different friends, claiming she had an emergency and needed help.

One of the friends was dropped off at Carly’s house shortly after. Upon her arrival, Carly asked if she had ever seen a dead body and if she was "squeamish" around them. Carly then led her friend into her bedroom, where her mother’s lifeless body lay on the floor. She confessed to her friend, saying, "I put three in my mom, and I got three more waiting for my stepdad."

Surveillance footage from the home's garage shows that Heath arrived back at the residence around 5:03 PM. Heath testified about the moment Carly shot him, telling the jury, "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 then explained that the gun went off two more times, but he was able to wrestle it away from Carly after the first shot - which grazed him in the shoulder.

Carly fled the scene shortly thereafter. Heath then discovered his body of his wife on Carly's bedroom floor. He subsequently called 9-1-1.

Carly's arrest and charges.

Police located Carly approximately half a mile from her home, where she was taken into custody without incident. Following her arrest, authorities announced that Carly would be charged as an adult with first-degree murder, attempted murder, and tampering with evidence.

Carly Gregg in court. (Source: WAPT)

The news of Ashley's murder and the subsequent arrest of her teenage daughter quickly garnered nationwide attention. Many were shocked by the idea that a young girl could commit such horrific crimes against her own mother and stepfather. While it’s not uncommon for teenagers to argue with their parents, it rarely escalates to the point of a child committing murder.

Both those close to Ashley and Carly, as well as strangers, were stunned by the tragedy. Many were also surprised that Carly, only 14 years old at the time, was being charged as an adult. During the trial, Carly's attorneys argued that her age, along with her improperly treated mental illness, played a significant role in her actions.

Professional testimony from both defense and prosecution.

Carly's defense called Psychiatrist Dr. Andrew Clark to testify about Carly's "mental state at the time of the offense and her resulting level of criminal culpability under Mississippi law." Dr. Clark stated that Carly was suffering from a mental health crisis at the time of the shootings and has "no memory whatsoever" of shooting her mother and stepfather. 

Testimony during the state's rebuttal contradicts Dr. Clark's assessment of Carly's mental state. Forensic psychiatrist Dr. Jason C. Pickett testified that he disagreed that Carly was legally insane at the time she shot her mother and stepfather. Carly's therapist also testified that Carly appeared emotional stable and their final session, which occurred just one day before the shootings. 

A guilty verdict and an adult sentence.

After a five-day trial, the jury found Carly guilty of first-degree murder, attempted murder, and tampering with evidence. She was sentenced to life in prison for both the murder and attempted murder charges, with an additional 10 years for tampering with evidence.

Carly’s life sentence at the age of 15 has sparked widespread debate. Some believe that she deserves to spend the rest of her life in prison, while others argue that she can be rehabilitated and should receive a lesser sentence. This debate continues to unfold on various online forums.

An appeal.

In October 2024, it was reported that Carly’s defense team filed an appeal, requesting a new trial. The defense motion cites over a dozen reasons why Carly should receive another trial, including the claim that "witnesses necessary to establish Carly’s defense were improperly excluded from testifying at the trial" and that "witnesses were improperly restricted in the testimony they could provide in Carly’s defense." This suggests that the defense still aims to prove Carly was not legally sane at the time the crimes were committed.

Carly’s biological father, Kevin Gregg, spoke out after the trial. While he continues to support Carly, he denies that she was legally insane. He told reporters, "That girl knew right from wrong. That girl is not insane. That was a very dumb defense if you asked me, but I wasn’t involved. Nobody ever called me."

Where is Carly now?

Carly is currently being housed in the Youthful Offender Unit at Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. Her appeal case is currently pending. 

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Sources:
Court TV, (2)
Mississippi Clarion Ledger
NBC 15 News
Super Talk FM
Vicksburg News
WAPT 15
WDAM-TV