Thursday, August 29, 2024

Carly Gregg Rejects Plea Deal, Intends to Plead Insanity

Carly Gregg intends to claim she is not guilty of killing her mother by reason of insanity. 

15 year-old Carly Gregg and Bridget Todd, Esq.

Gregg's attorney, Kevin Camp, filed a notice of intent to rely upon defense of insanity in Rankin County Circuit Court yesterday.  Camp designated Dr. Andrew Clark of Cambridge, MA as his expert witness.  

Rankin County grand jury indicted Carly Gregg for first degree murder, attempted murder, and tampering with evidence on May 22. Gregg stands accused of shooting her mother to death and wounding her stepfather on March 19. 

Gregg's trial is scheduled to begin on September 16.   Her case is assigned to Rankin County Circuit Judge Dewey Arthur.  

Judge Arthur held a pre-trial hearing Tuesday.  Clad in a private school-type jumper yet again, Gregg entered the courtroom and sat by her attorneys, Camp and Bridget Todd. 

The judge asked Rankin County Assistant District Attorney Kathryn Newman if she had made any plea offers to Gregg.  Newman said the state offered to recommend a sentence of 40 years in prison while dropping the indictments for attempted murder and tampering with evidence.  Gregg rejected the plea offer.  



Judge Arthur explained if convicted, Gregg faces two life sentences.  Due to her age, only the jury can sentence her to life in prison.  If the jury does not declare such a sentence, Judge Arthur can sentence her from 20-40 years in prison.  Thus, Judge Arthur told Gregg she faced up either two life sentences or 93 years in prison (if the sentences run consecutively). 

The Court made it clear it was not happy with the defense attorneys.  Judge Arthur said discovery is complete except for expert McNaughton analysis.  Admonishing Camp and Todd, the jurist said "I thought I'd ordered that to be turned over three times."  Judge Arthur asked Camp if he planned on calling an expert.  "Your honor, we do have an expert that's going to be doing an evaluation," said the attorney.  Camp promised to submit the evaluation by today but Judge Arthur was having none of it. "The reports were due a month ago, Mr. Camp" interrupted the judge.  

The attorneys said they expect the trial to take 4-5 days.  

Todd told the media after the hearing the changing of Gregg's psychiatric medication caused her to kill her mother and shoot her stepfather.  




Synopsis of Case

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.  She was 14 years-old when the shootings took place.  

JJ reported on Gregg's April 16 preliminary hearing: 

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. 

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.  

The garage camera showed Heath arriving at home, "you hear gunshots," and "Carly left home," said Cotton. 

Before Heath arrived, Gregg texted a friend "It's an emergency, I need you to come over."  She played with her dogs and sang to them as she waited for her friend. 

The friend arrived around 4:50 (driven by her father).  She later told investigators Gregg asked her if she ever saw a dead body before.  The friend replied no.  Cotton testified Gregg showed her dead mother in the bedroomand the gun she used to shoot her mom to her friend.  You read that correctly.  Gregg showed off her kill to her friend if the friend is to be believed.  (8:00)

The friend said that Gregg said there were more for Heath, "two for the head, one for the chest."  The courtroom became very silent as a chill spread across the room.  

The friend and her father went to RCSO that evening and cooperated with the investigation.  

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.".... Earlier post with video. 



66 comments:

Anonymous said...

got news for ya,.....rankin county juries dont like insanity defenses. sympathy , even though it is not a defense , will be her only hope.

Anonymous said...

I vote crazy-

Anonymous said...

I believe it. You'd have to be crazy to hire Kevin Camp to defend you.

Anonymous said...

according to the pleadings the defense is going to bring down a big ivy league expert with an even bigger yankee accent. when you gotta go all the way to the harvard yard in boston to find you a witness you are not off to a good start. experts from the harvard yaaaaaaaaaaard dont play well with the rankin county cotton choppers.

Anonymous said...

Didn't she go to NWR? Why the private Catholic school jumper? trying to look innocent?

Anonymous said...

at this point trial is about 18 days away. launching an insanity defense is probably the most complicated and complex task in the practice of criminal law. i hope the defense has allowed themselves enough time to prepare, because judge auther doesn't appear to be in the mood for a defense continuance.

Anonymous said...

Insane enough to be confined within some kind of institution. No doubt about it. I’m guessing Camp is just milking the family dry. And there will be a group hug when they take her out of the courtroom.

Albert Schweitzer M.D. said...

the image is of a spoiled child. The "pay a lot of money and get off" does little to change that image.
Matricide is a difficult one: crazy or spoiled. Whichever, the public needs to be separated, and spared, from this villain's presence for a very long time.

Anonymous said...

to 1;56.......who are you , the fashion police? she's 14. at that age they naturally look innocent. why dont you go pull the wings off a few flies.

Anonymous said...

to 2:11.. dont wet you pants just yet dr. schweitzer. the ''pay a lot of money '' admission will not be allowed into evidence by the court. judge arther knows what he's doing . you're a vicious mother aren't you?

Anonymous said...

If my kid skips school I’m responsible. The media painted the picture and here we are. Why aren’t the parents bearing any of the blame?

Anonymous said...

This made me think back to when I was Carly’s age. Went to school, earned good grades, worked the garden after school, did homework, washed and ironed my one pair of jeans, cleaned my chuck taylors, took a bath, ate dinner with the family and went to bed. Next day start over again. Every October made sure I was home to watch the wizard of oz. Did not have time to think about killing anyone!!! If if I smarted back my dad would just look at me and pee would run down my leg! My dad was a kick ass, he wasn’t a punk. Thanks mom and dad for taking care of us! We all turned out to be productive and contributing members of society.

Anonymous said...

Knowing the unfortunate circumstances surrounding this photo makes this one of the saddest photos I have ever seen.

Anonymous said...

just read the CV of defense expert dr, andrew clark from cambridge mass . he has quite the pedigree. including 19 years at harvard medical school and over 75 appearances in criminal trials involving minors.
but i dont think any of that is going to prepare him for rankin county.

Anonymous said...

2:46 - Well maybe ordinarily when.. uhm.. the parent isn't the murder victim. I'll bet you're the person that blames someone for being carjacked because they stopped too long at a red light. Go pound sand.

Anonymous said...

2:53 This young girl needed help long ago! My daughter is 50 her daughter 16 would not give her mother her cell when misbehaving. I looked at her and said, no shit, I called my granddaughter down stairs and told her to hand over the phone. She gave me the phone. End of story!

Anonymous said...

The votes are in. Insane it is.

Anonymous said...

i perused the good doctor clarks CV as well. it seems he's an strong advocate of using limited medication on child psychiatric patients.
according to the above article one of the defense lawyers is quoted as saying that ''defendant murdered her mother because her psychiatric medicine had been changed''.
well.........i hate to steal all the drama and thunder
folks, but here's the defense you gonna hear from dr clarke.
he gonna blame it all on whoever the home grown , local , psychiatrist was that was treating the defendant carly greg.
when in a trial ,and you want to slander a local doctor and blame it all on him , you got to go a long ways away, in this case massachuecets , to find a hired gun doctor to do that.

Anonymous said...

to 2:46..you seem to have all the answers. why dont you tell all us pedestrians how this case should be resolved. i concede your point which seems to be if things were different , they wouldn't be the way they are now.

Anonymous said...

2:46 said " Why aren’t the parents bearing any of the blame?"
She murdered the parents.

Anonymous said...

she told them all she was hardcore

Anonymous said...

Defense attorney manipulation of a psychotic killer’s appearance. Dressing her up like a pre-k school girl. The little Peter Pan collar. It’s staged bull$hit. M’Naghten, punk. You knew right versus wrong when you shot your mother.

Anonymous said...

Defense attorney manipulation of a psychotic killer’s appearance. Dressing her up like a pre-k school girl. The little Peter Pan collar. It’s staged bull$hit. M’Naghten, punk. You knew right versus wrong when you shot your mother.

Anonymous said...

What about culpability of the prescribing physician, and the drug company?

Anonymous said...

The good doctor changed her medication a week before she killed her Mom. 14 years old & on medication with 100 side effects. Give the girl a break. Odds are zero that she will kill again. And she still will have to live with the fact she killed her Mom. If I was the step -dad I would not file charges against her.

Anonymous said...

Great way to start a trial. Piss off the judge by not following his deadlines.

Anonymous said...

First, they will request a change of venue due to publicity. Second, the Mississippi statute for "not guilty by reason of insanity" is a very high bar, probably much higher than other states. If, and that is if, she is found "not guilty by reason of insanity", she will be in the prison section of Whitfield until the courts declare that she is no longer insane. That last part......never happens. Winning her case will not let her walk free.

Former sportswriter said...

The outfit she wore is a lot like the one she wore at the previous hearing. Defense counsel is definitely trying to implant a vision of innocence for future jurors. The closer the trial date gets the more angelic her wardrobe will become.

Anonymous said...

to 2:46..........your comment should read ''the parent'' not ''the parents''...........the mother is dead. and daddy aint around. maybe you should re-read the article.

Anonymous said...

2:46 sort of has a point. Do we know anything about how she was raised.? No parenting absent real father heavy medications.

Anonymous said...

to 4:04 what about it?

Anonymous said...

to 4:22......dont quit your day job, its little late for change of venue.

Anonymous said...

to 4:55,,,you really should stick to writing about sports.

Anonymous said...

Based on her haircut, I think crazy will get her freed.

Anonymous said...

I'm a grandfather of 12, with one great-grandchild on the way. When I read anything concerning this situation, all I want to do is weep. Lord have mercy.

Anonymous said...

@2:46 PM - Because the parent is dead.

Anonymous said...

I've done Zoloft & Lexapro - Zoloft made me loopy & Lexapro made me pretty happy but killed my sex drive. Neither came anywhere close to making me want to kill my parents. Just the opposite - I just didn't care about anything.

Anonymous said...

Seems to me her Attorneys are playing her. Seems like they want to convince her all is OK- well calling her friend over to see a dead body, explaining how many times she'll shoot her Step Dad & where seems to change that story.

Anonymous said...

1st question Who is paying Kevin Camp? 2nd question How can an insane person take Down a camera & put it in the refrigerator to destroy evidence?

Anonymous said...

She is definitely evil.

Anonymous said...

to 7:59 = same person who pays all lawyers.....the money fairies. also you would be surprised at what an insane person can do. as for 8:02 you another vicious mother aren't you.

Anonymous said...

An insanity defense won't fly. If insane, by any definition imaginable, the defendant would not have gone through all the motions she went through in carrying out and attempting to conceal.

Then there will be the testimony of her friend who will recall the cavalier manner in which the girl recounted her actions, even asking the friend if she'd ever seen a dead body.

This is indeed a story about the need for exorcism with a defendant who even resembles Linda Blair. But she's not insane, just spoiled rotten, entitled and evil.

Anonymous said...

It's not up to her dad. It's a crime against society. You don't walk away from murder because charges are not filed.

Anonymous said...

Sad all the way around. Pray students get help with counselors if needed at school and teachers also.

Anonymous said...

So after looking at Dr. Andrew Clark’s fees without travel roughly -$1200 to $1300. and he does not accept insurance. This family really needs prayers!

Anonymous said...

I think that a lot of readers here, need to realize that as soon as some relative gets appointed control over you, and you find yourself a resident of a 'care' facility, odds are you will be medicated against your will. You'll lose much of your motor control, and much of your mind. As you lie shackled to your bed, please think back upon what you wrote about this poor girl, who was also being medicated.

Anonymous said...

This is 8:02 p.m..
I agree with Kingfish that this young woman is evil.
Kingfish saw her in person.

Anonymous said...

If anyone remembers KF's photo of her smirk in the courtroom...she's a psychopath - which is formed, not born. These are people who know the rules/laws and their consequences, but have zero fear or remorse for breaking them regardless of who it hurts.....up to rape/robbery/murder. The comments on here thinking she's "crazy" (i.e. mentally ill) are so poorly informed it's amazing. Parenting style and influence is what leads to the criminal mind, even at an early age. Lack of supervision and over-indulgence/over-permissiveness are the primary reasons she is the way she is. She ain't smiling anymore, but you'd better believe she's seething on the inside thinking how unfair all this is....she just wanted her cellphone back. Millions of youth are a biscuit away from this mentality just under the surface due to the pervasive lack of parenting over the last 40 years.

Anonymous said...

Evil comes in many shapes and forms. It is only right to remove her from society. For instance, what if a son brings home a person like this to meet his parents and them not knowing who she is and what she is capable of doing? That’s saying if she is let off, which she will not be in this case. But, think about a scenario like that and say it did happen. How would you respond to a killer in your presence. And yes, she is a killer with full motive. Who else would have removed the security camera and why did the parents have a security camera inside the house anyway unless they knew they needed to keep an eye on her 24/7?

Anonymous said...

Agree with 10:26. Her actions after the crime indicate that she was not having a psychotic episode or was not mentally in control. Her own actions will defeat her claim of insanity.

Anonymous said...

This case will stay in the courts for years given the defense raised, her age, the facts, etc.

Anonymous said...

Be careful what you wish for. I've seen people pursue that diagnosis for disability benefits only to be placed on a 72 hour hold. Once medicated they are forever changed almost aloof or zombie like. I would be pissed to be so talented academically, then have your mental state snatched away reducing you to 20% of what you were. Maybe that is what she wants (to be someone else).

Having a personality disorder isn't the same as what the defense is claiming. She does not belong in society.

Anonymous said...

Damn, hope none of your offspring's end up on a witness stand charged with a horrible crime such as this. I remember something about innocent until proven guilty. Goes for kids as well.

Anonymous said...

5:55 is not a psychiatrist but he plays on on JJ. the shad tree diagnoses these types had out are as hilarious as the self taught lawyers that constantly chime in on this site.

Anonymous said...

Let's see if I can correctly spell Menendez....

Anonymous said...

2:46. You're right. This is all about you. I'm sure everything is always all about you. You keep reaching for reasons, no matter how tragic or inappropriate, to pat yourself on the back. I'm gonna go out on a limb and bet the farm that you're insufferable IRL, always on the verge of having pee run down your leg if you can't manufacture some kind of positive reenforcement.

Anonymous said...

9:23 AM, give it a rest. Nobody claimed to be a psychiatrist. If you don't like the website, dont come to it.

Anonymous said...

Bat shit crazy more like it. Should be hung up by her buster browns…

Beau Dock said...

What's IRL?

Anonymous said...

Hopefully, the court and all of you on this blog will understand that emotions must not rule and there will be a realization that this person should be totally separated from a society that enjoys freedom of movement.

I believe with her talents and IQ she can enjoy a life of incarceration while being a gift to others similarly incarcerated. She need not be free in order to be happy.

Anonymous said...

This wouldn't have happened if the stepfather had secured his gun in a safe. if the girl had mental problems and needed to be monitored on shrink meds at 14yo, it wasn't very smart to leave an orbiting, loaded gun on the dresser in the bedroom.

Gun Safety Negligence on Heath Herndon Smylie

Anonymous said...

None of this would have happened if the stepfather didn't leave a loaded, orbiting gun on the bedroom dresser. If the girl had mental issues that needed shrink meds, you'd think they'd have the wherewithal to put the gun away safely while she's being monitored on suicidality drugs.

Gun Safety Negligence on Heath Herndon Smylie under MSC 97-37-13, 14, 15, 17 (statute 2023)

Anonymous said...

In light of the fact that CourtTV has been following this case (https://www.courttv.com/news/judge-media-has-a-right-to-be-at-trial-of-teen-accused-of-killing-mom/ ), AND because the judge ruled that the media has a right to be in the courtroom, I'm wondering if CourtTV may carry at least some of this trial live.
Isn't this trial supposed to take place sometime THIS month (September)? Kingfish, can you let us know EXACTLY when this trial is supposed to begin? Thank you!


Kingfish said...

Why don't you read the post.

Anonymous said...

What is wrong with you people, that you can blame anyone, and anything, but the person that actually committed the act?

Anonymous said...

Okay Kingfish, I see now that the trial is supposed to start on September 16. I HAD read your post, but I had also read so much other info about this case that I couldn't remember if/where the exact start date of the trial had been mentioned.
By the way, I agree with you that this young woman is evil.


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