It was a true tale of evil that was told in a Rankin County courtroom this morning as Rankin County Court Judge David Morrow held a preliminary hearing for Carly Gregg. The 14 year-old Gregg stands accused of murdering her mother and shooting her stepfather at their home on March 19.
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| Posing for the camera? |
Gregg is the daughter of Ashley Smiley and stepdaughter of Heath Smiley. The 40 year-old Ashley was a popular math teacher at Northwest Rankin High School. Their home in on Ashton Way in the Farmington Station subdivision in Rankin County.
Rankin County deputies arrested Gregg and charged her with first degree murder in the death of her mother and attempted murder in the shooting of Heath Smiley.
The 14 year-old defendant entered the courtroom clad in a yellow jumpsuit for her preliminary hearing. She took her place at the defense table, flanked by attorneys Bridget Todd and Caleb Coleman.
Judge Morrow explained to the packed courtroom why Gregg was being tried as an adult. He said the purpose of the hearing was to determine whether there was probable cause to bind Gregg over to the grand jury. He said he would also hear Gregg's motion to reduce her bond.
Assistant District Attorney Ryan Perry called RCSO Investigator Zachary Cotton to the stand. The investigator said RCSO dispatch received a call on March 19 from a man who was frantic. The caller said "their child had shot at them, and shot them in the neck."
Deputies went to the scene and found the deceased Ashley Smiley in a bedroom and found a wounded Heath Smiley. Heath identified Gregg as the shooter. Gregg had fled the scene.
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| Investigator Zachary Cotton |
Deputies found her half a mile away. They recovered the murder weapon.
Cotton said there was some video footage of the deadly events that took place that afternoon. An exterior camera in the garage showed Gregg and her mother arriving home at approximately 4 that afternoon. The camera and the interior camera in the kitchen showed Gregg taking the dogs outside while Ashley went to her daughter's bedroom. There were no other cameras in the house. Ashley "took some items out of Carly's room" as Carly came back inside and noticed her mother was in her bedroom.
The investigator said Gregg went to her mother's bedroom, came out with her hands behind her back as she concealed an object, and went to her bedroom where her mother was. "You hear a gunshot, a scream, and then two more gunshots," said Cotton. Ashley was shot twice in the side of the face and once underneath her chin. Deputies recovered all three bullets.
Camera footage showed Gregg returning to the kitchen. She "placed a heavy object on the counter" and texted Heath on Ashley's phone, asking how long it would be until he got home. She took down the camera and placed it in the refrigerator.
Cotton testified that when jail employee provided bond paperwork to Gregg, the teen said "oh, you can kill someone, pay a lot of money, and get out of jail."
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| Gregg and her attorneys |
Judge Morrow said Gregg was charged with first-degree murder and attempted murder. "Based on the testimony of the investigator, it's reasonable to believe a crime of first degree murder and the crime of attempted murder has been committed," said Judge Morrow as he found probable cause existed on both charges, thus binding her over to the grand jury.
Todd asked the Court to give her client an unsecured bond. She said Carly Gregg was only 14 years old, had no criminal history, and was an exceptional student. Indeed, Gregg earned a 30 on the ACT when she was 13 years old and skipped fourth grade. She said the defendant was not a flight risk. She turned herself in by flagging down a patrol car and has not been in any trouble at the jail. Judge Morrow took it all in, staring intently at the attorney as she made her case.
Gregg's lawyer said her family supported reducing her bond. Judge Morrow asked the family members present to raise their hands if they supported reducing her bond. The picture posted below says it all.
Todd said her client has mental issues. Carly switched from another medication to Lexapro the week before the murder. The jail is not able to address her mental health needs. Her medication was changed twice while incarcerated after she reported hearing voices. She could get the mental health care she needs while on house arrest.
The prosecutor was having none of it as he said "you forfeit your right to schoolwork when you murder someone. The state offered to stipulate for a mental evaluation but they did not agree to that. It's disingenuous to say she needed mental help then refuse it."
In rebutrral, Todd said "Dr. Mark Webb, a psychiatrist, will conduct a mental evaluation of Gregg on April 22.
Judge Morrow pondered Carly's fate discussing Gregg's motion to reduce her $1 million bond: "I do believe Miss Gregg does present a special danger to others. The heinous nature of the crime, the premeditation that seems to be involved is pronounced. It's severe. It concerns me, whether there is a mental component to t his or not, but anyway, the particular facts and circumstances of this case do give me pause."
The Court said there was "too much cause for concern" and kept Gregg's bond at $1 million.
Kingfish note: When yours truly was taking pictures, the defendant actually posed, yes posed for the picture, even smirking. The facts of the case are pretty clear. Carly Gregg allegedly killed her mother when her mother took something in her room, played with her dogs, called over a friend to show off the body of her mother, and then lay in wait for her stepfather as she got ready to kill him. Evil.
82 comments:
Evil comes in all shapes and sizes. So does mental illness. Bet she'll have no trial due to diminished capacity or insanity.
Kids are given meds like they are candy. Meds for this, meds for that, and then see what happens? But big pharma is going cha-ching, cha-ching.
The Pharma Biz will kill all its customers before it is done.
She is a sociopath. Lexapro does not do that do you. It is one of the mildest anxiety drugs out there. She planned this murder. A person with mental illness cannot do this. If I were the family I wouldn't want her she might kill them.
That first pic is beyond haunting.
She looks unbothered and completely nonplussed.
Absolute evil.
Matricide by a psychopath.
Lawyer is going to blame it on the meds. I don't blame them. NEVER give your child an SSRI. Let them be anxious, unsure of themselves teenagers. That is the norm people. Not feeling anything is NOT normal.
called her friend over to see her dead mother....played with the dogs.
Judge was correct to keep her bond where it is. Keep her locked up. She's gonna kill again.
A 14-year old should not be incarcerated with adults. She should be in a juvenile facility.
In Mississippi, the Not-Guilty by reason of insanity is a very high bar. Doubt meds will get her above that bar. But even if she meets that bar, there is barbed wire around her facility at Whitfield. Doesn't mean she walks.
Yes, pharmaceutical meds can screw with anyone’s chemical makeup, especially an adolescent child. But that’s already a criminal element within itself. This society has chosen to medicate E.V.E.R.Y.T.H.I.N.G. And most of y’all still don’t get it. From street drugs to pharma drugs, you are dealing with a fully medicated society…adults to children to babies. Y’all love your meds and your doctor idols. Well, here right in front of your face, is a consequence of all of this…and there has been and will be more. Yep, she’s a sociopath alright, one that this society has helped to make. I mean, for the love of God, look at what’s going on in your schools with the “furries”, and all the other crazy, demonic mess that you so called grown adults allow. Yes, you allow it…and then you wonder why your children start killing you.
Rankin County has some effed up people. Damn, between the law enforcement there, and the daily scandals coming out, and then this…I think meth has entered the water supply there and has affected the entire county.
Research the word Pharmakia, put some effort into it, along with your street drugs out there. Most of you complacent flakes out there aren’t going to have a clue what’s about to hit you…because you don’t now. It’s pathetic.
No, she doesn’t need to be on house arrest. The damage has been done. That’s a no brainer. Period.
I don’t know what other mental problems she might have, but you can damn for sure start with the above mentioned.
Juvies are kept isolated from adults.
It appears that this young girl is a psychopath/sociopath. This is not a mood disorder which can respond favorably to medications. Rather, this is a personality disorder for which there is no known remedy. When they get violent, they must be put away/down.
"She planned this murder. A person with mental illness cannot do this." Are you mentally ill? Of course they can plan crimes. They even know right from wrong.
Amazing that one could do that to the very person that fought nine months to bring her into the world. It also speaks volumes that the family does not think that the child deserves a high bond.
Though some may be put off by some of 3:44 comments, he or she is spot on about over-use, medicated society.
To add a note in support, I hear parents wailing about not knowing "my child was ..."
Parents must be vigilant about knowing what their kids are doing. Not helicoptering them but building trust and being sneaky and snooping on your kids. They have no right of privacy in your house/apartment, your car, using your cell phone, etc.
RMQ
A few thought, in no particular order:
1. Children should be tried as children, not adults.
2. Gregg likely has a serious mental illness. A complete psychiatric evaluation by a disinterested party should be performed asap.
3. The best place for the mentally ill is in a psychiatric facility, not prison. Mentally ill people who are a danger to others must be kept away from others, but a prison is not the place for this.
4. Pharmaceuticals do not turn people into killers.
5. The defense may try to argue some form of abuse as mitigating circumstances. No abuse can excuse behavior like this if it is true.
Many parents today use meds because they are too lazy to do the really hard work that is required TO BE A PARENT.
Its much easier to medicate little Timmy into compliance, rather than teach him morals and demand he respect authority and follow the rules.
I have a good friend who seeks a new pill for her nightmare kid with every behavioral issue reported.
Blaming chemical imbalance for lazy, shitty parenting has ruined so many young people.
Pics aren’t loading
No abuse can? Might want to think about that one.
4:24PM wrote, "No abuse can excuse behavior like this if it is true."
KF, at 4:36PM, wrote, "No abuse can? Might want to think about that one."
If KF's response is to 4:24, I'd suggest that "excuse(d)" is a completely different thing than "being a mitigating factor in society's response to or the consequences for" such actions. Without getting too far into it, 4:24 was likely not making a blanket statement about every possible level of abuse and while the general statement is overly broad, it is not "wrong" in this general context even if the exact wording is debatable among reasonable people. Moreover, from what is being reported, there is no allegation of any serious abuse, if any at all, being put forth.
Would anyone suggest that if this 14 year old had suffered abuse (of some undefined-but-serious degree), her killing one parent and attempting to kill her stepfather should be "excused" (using the contextually appropriate definition) and she be turned over to whichever relative might be willing to accept custody, with no further involvement by any outside persons or agencies? Prison may well not be the proper place for her (now or ever), but at home with Grandma, singing to the dogs, isn't the proper place for her right now, either.
I don't know, Kingfish. Abusive situation, she grabs gun to stop abuser, then collapses on floor. That I could understand.
But that's not what happened. Shot mother in face and neck, called a friend to show her the body, played with dogs, called step dad from mother's phone to find out when he was coming home....
Assumed the comment was speaking in general, not this case.
There was a cold bloodedness about this case.
If the friend (with her father), came over before Heath was shot, why didn't they say something to someone before she was able to shoot him too? Am I missing something??
And everybody was quick to say the stepfather must be sexually abusing her…typical
My father was a very well respected physician. I can promise you he knew the problems associated with “over medication”, especially of young people (under 25 years). It would not have happened in our household.
Lexapro strikes again
Screw big pharma and screw these doctors for this damn SSRI epidemic. A freaking 14 year old on SSRIs for crying out loud.
Wonder what mom got out of her room
Is it normal for a judge to poll the audience when contemplating bond actions?
I read that Lexapro requires more than a week to take effect.
This girl made perfect score on her SAT. Mom caught her “experimenting” with drugs and grounded her for the rest of spring break. This girl sounds like a case study in sociopathy.
Remove firearms from the home if someone in your home is homicidal, suicidal, or has a severe psychiatric condition.
I don't understand her family asking for lower bond when had just (allegedly) shot up her family.
Did the gun used in the crime belong to the parents and if so why wasn’t it locked away? 14 year old in the house with mental issues…lock up the weapons?
Reported that she heard voices while incarcerated. The mental health of someone one hearing voices is never good.
There's a lot of pure evil in this world. Since 2020, we've come to realize that it's endemic in the highest places.
But there's another word for the state of this poor child. That word is 'DRUGGED'.
3:55 pm. I think you are confusing your opinion with what state statute is regarding the question of 'mental illness' and 'guilt'. If she had the ability to plan these atrocities, then she is not able to claim the 'mental incapacity' defense that would let her off. And based ONLY on the reading of what the investigator said on the stand, she seemed to have not only planned this (at least to a degree) and executed the murder, while planning the attempted murder; that being the case, she exhibited the mental capacity to be tried under the statutes that don't provide her attorney a 'mental incapacity' exclusion. Granted, I'm sure her attorney, doing his/her job, will attept to make that claim. But to a jury of her peers, and to the majority of the appealate judges that will hear all of the ensuing claims, its going to be hard to say that this young kid didn't know what she was doing and why.
To me, with no further info than JJ's reporting, its because she did not like being parented by her mother who was trying to apply appropriate disclipine on a 14 year old relative to the newly found easy access opportunities to the 'wonderful world of THC'. And got caught
Don’t know if it is true but kids said it was her cell phone that was being taken away by her mom! Regardless now the judge got this right, she is a threat to others and even herself, IMO. Prayers for stepdad and family, along with LEO’s walking in to investigate.Guns should have been secured, just like in Oxford shooting with also saving the life of her mom, not to say she couldn’t have used another weapon. Just can’t wrap my head around this anger in a 14 yo..
And I remember people suggesting this was all a big cover up by the step dad, that there was know way little "Carl" was cable of such a thing.
A high IQ is often correlated with folks who have trouble with emotional regulation. Expect more of these cases in the future of "he/she made a 30 on their ACT, how could this happen?". Emotionally absent families....which could include some in that picture raising their hands. An entire generation of children was gaslighted by divorced parents that "everything's alright" when those children didn't ask to be born, and deserve an explanation as to why the thing that brought them into the world doesn't exist anymore. Those very children's existence is questioned in their own minds thinking they are mistakes...and then the rage.
"A child who is not embraced by its family will burn down the village to feel its warmth." - African proverb
To the point of 10:03: "Reported that she heard voices while incarcerated. The mental health of someone one hearing voices is never good."
Especially when advised by legal counsel to do so.
and...."I don't understand her family asking for lower bond when had just (allegedly) shot up her family."
Exactly the point 6:26am made. The whole family system is pathological (thanks for the pic Kingfish). She is the product of that deep-seeded deceit on so many levels. The hate is real. A whole generation may come after their families sooner than people can imagine.
Reminds me of the OJ Simpson case. These killers are out there. Be cautious.
Probably not as egregious as the Michigan's shooters parents, but there 100% should be some fault assigned to the step dad (assuming its his gun that was easily accessible to a 14 year old with demonstrated mental issues) here for the murder of his wife. At worst, its absolute negligence.
I don't care what issues she has, the mother is just as dead.
Lots of finger wagging among the comments. Blaming drugs, poor parenting, and all manner of societal ills that happen to fit one of the pigeon holes in some very limited worldviews. One thing is obvious - typical children don't murder their parents without a compelling motivation. Nothing happens in a vacuum. Whether there was abuse involved or, my personal suspicion, this girl suffers from schizophrenia or some other mental disorder. Let's hope that someone finds out, and we, as a society, learn something from this experience. Then, maybe, the problem can be more easily recognized before it happens in one of our own families.
From everything I've read, the mother was a good person and was probably doing her very best to deal with her teenage daughter. It is reasonable to assume that the mother would have acted differently had she known that her daughter had the potential to murder. Can you imagine that the mother thought that her daughter was strugging and was just trying to help her as best she could? Just like you do/did with your teens. So, look around you. Really try to see the young people in your circle. Are you missing any signs that might indicate that your teen is not just going through the typical struggles to find their place in the world?
"This girl made perfect score on her SAT."
It was reported she her score was 30. IIRC a perfect score on the ACT is 36.
Also, 9:07 makes excellent points.
summary execution will be a thing soon. and it needs to be
Excellent reporting and pics, Kingfish. Thank goodness there were cameras in the house that captured this.
Do many odd moments. "She took down the camera and placed it in the refrigerator" right after calling Dad on Mother's phone to find out when he would be there. Damn.
And what about that friend that came over. Is she screwed up like this girl too? I'm glad they went to the RCSO but damn, if this girl was your daughter's friend, well, I'd me looking into your daughter's actions. Was she just an innocent kid who got called? Is she messed up like this girl?
That pic of the family raising their hands, wanting lower bail. Thanks, Kingfish, that pic is worth 1,000 words.
In her ‘smiling’ photo at top, she bears an eerie resemblance to Chucky from Child’s Play.
Is hearing voices something serious? My doctor did not seem worried when I told him I was hearing voices. He did ask if I talked back to them. But this was a VA doctor and I am a veteran.
There's something about her expression that reminds me of the murderous dwarf who kills Donald Sutherland at the end of "Don't Look Now."
Pure evil, huh?
I hate to be the devil's advocate, but there's always a possibility that the mother and father were pieces of shit.
Plus, I always find it so funny when religious people refer to other people as pure evil.
How many people have been killed in the name of God?
"hate to be the devil's advocate"
No you dont, troll.
@12:25
-lots of people in this world are pieces of shit
-still takes a crazy person to shoot one of them in the face (3 times)
-evil or not that prob aint someone you wanna hang out with
Take your meds, 12:25.
Mental illness or demon possession?
@7:10PM asked if it’s normal for the judge to poll the audience. The answer is a flat out NO. I’ve seen judges in chancery court kid around and poke fun at spectators, but only when nothing is at stake and the matter before them is pro forma. I have never seen or heard of a judge asking for a show of hands from the audience in a murder case, or any other case for that matter. If I’m that judge, I’m already wishing I could take that back.
The only poll I’ve ever encountered or heard of is the poll of the 12 jurors who convicted the defendant in a criminal case. THAT is normal. May not accomplish much, but the guilty party’s attorneys want each and every juror to be put on the spot lest ONE waiver or indicate the others twisted his arm.
Why did the friend and father not immediately alert the police?
I'm thinking she said something wildly bizarre the way those three dudes are looking at her in amazement! Strange -- the whole picture gives me creeps.
It seems incredibly inappropriate for the judge to ask that of the courtroom.
Someone was murdered, and another was almost killed.
Imagine it was your loved one that was murdered and he had the gall to even appear to allow the peanut gallery to assist in the legal repercussions.
He needs to offer them a check if he expects them to do his job and make his decisions for him.
Yes, "evil" connotates demonic influence - but clinically, it's called a "psychopath" - and there's wayyyy too much evidence already to negate the idea that "the mother was a good person and was probably doing her very best to deal with her teenage daughter". Horseshit. The negligent parenting will come out, and show the world that it's the primary reason children become psychopaths in waiting.
Everyone always says, "Well her father wasn't around like he should have been". The base reality is in that statement itself: By implication the mother DID NOT DO HER JOB in providing the structure/discipline that was supposed to happen IF daddy was around. Overly permissive/indulgent parenting is what leads to one becoming a cold-blooded killer. That's usually on the moms who feel too guilty to do what needs to be done...until it's too late.
Psychopaths aren't born, they are formed.
Some of you apparently did not read the post all the way through.
Gregg was looking straight ahead for the few minutes she sat in the jury box. I started taking pictures of her. She noticed what I was doing, leaned forward, turned her head until she was looking right at me, and smiled for the camera. Yes, she was posing. There was no eye contact between her and the other yutes
Perhaps a priest could help her more than a shrink with a bag of dope.
right out of the gate, first post , some wanna be JJ lawyer is talking about a ''diminished capacity defense''
got news for you mister,there is no such thing as a diminished capacity defense in the sovereign state of mississippi
so, stop making things up and go home to your mother.
The blog always, without fail, puts up videos with piss-poor audio.
@8:55PM - always, as in it never fails. You can’t watch and listen at the same time because you have to put the phone’s speaker up to your ear. Even then, you gotta really strain to make out the audio.
@5:54PM, reminiscent of how — right out of the gate — folks came out of the woodwork to opine that Todd Mardis would never see the inside of a prison cell; would not serve a day; wouldn’t even be convicted. You could talk until you were blue in the face and they still wouldn’t understand how he could even be tried since the wife “dropped the charges.”
@ Saltwaterpappy
April 16, 2024 at 3:49 PM
RE: "It appears that this young girl is a psychopath/sociopath. This is not a mood disorder which can respond favorably to medications."
That she's a psychopath is ONE possibility. Her actions CAN also be explained by the use of certain medications. It had been proven that popular medications, such as SSRIs, lead a taker to commit suicide or homicide --- https://www.rolf-hefti.com/tryptophan-side-effects.html
Was she taking such severely toxic medications?
I'm using a shure mike. Any suggestions? Maybe I should see if I can put a lapel mike on everyone who speaks.
For some reason, the microphone at the stand was not working well, if at all.
Of course, don't blame me because you are trying to listen on crappy phone speakers. I hear it loud and clear on my laptop.
April, 17, 2024, at 4:48 PM, that was one of the damnedest, the victim had it coming post I have ever read. You should take a bow.
Her friend was more than likely in fear of her life & her father took her to police station immediately after to report. I don’t believe this can be blamed on mom & stepdad. There were no tears, no signs of abuse nor any remorse on Carly’s part. Shot 3 times, removed cameras, texted her stepdad on her mom’s phone, laid in wait, last but not least mislead her friend to come over & show her dead bullet ridden mother, with 3 remaining slugs saved for her stepdad. Kinda sounds PREMEDITATED to me but I’m not a lawyer! She needs help but deserves punishment.
4/17 8:55, sounds just fine on my iPhone. Maybe it’s time you upgraded that flip phone.
Kingfish - Every year you enter into a cash collection phase. You have needed better equipment for years.
I've attempted to listen to the audio of your productions on laptops without additional speakers, laptops and desktops with stand-speakers and with earbuds, as well as my phone. The audio sucks no matter which equipment is used.
If you want your readers to be listeners too, that's up to you.
Some readers are trying to work Trump into the comments. Don't know what he has to do with this post so not being approved.
Thank you.
Why is the step-father and his own mother raising their hands in support of her bond being reduced?
@6:56 -- I heard it clearly! Could it be your equipment?
Why is anyone raising his or her hand in support of a bond reduction? Bad move. The worst kind of amateur hour. I’m surprised the prosecution didn’t lose its mind over that. Shame you have to play along when you’re in front of the same judge day in and day out in small town Mississippi. I still think the judge probably did that impulsively and wishes he hadn’t.
Hateful lil heffer. She need to be tried as an adult for this hideous crime. I see no remorse. Called her friend afterwards to show her mothers lifeless body. Thats bragging. I dont give a dam if she scored 5001 on ACT test, its evident that dont mean nothing. Hope she has a long time to think about what she did. She will be crazy later down the road.
12:25 PM - 'My equipment'. Since you can't read (could it be your education) here is that part of my post, again:
"I've attempted to listen to the audio of your productions on laptops without additional speakers, laptops and desktops with stand-speakers and with earbuds, as well as my phone. The audio sucks no matter which equipment is used."
Another problem, not yet mentioned, is setting up the camera behind the lectern so that when lawyers are presenting, the judge, who is speaking, cannot be seen.
Amateurish. Please hire a JUCO assistant.
The problem is your ears.
As for your suggestion about setting up in the courtroom, that is just plain stupid. Judges are not going to allow me nor any reporter to sit in the jury box or on the other side of the rail. In Rankin County, you have to set your cameras up on the side in County and Circuit. In Madison County, you can only set up a camera at the back of the courtroom.
As for your claim about the judge not being scene, that is BS. Judge Morrow is shown in the video most of the time unless I choose to focus on someone speaking such as the investigator.
Keep trying troll. You're just a crotch who likes to stir up stuff.
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