A 14-year-old girl from Mississippi, Carly Madison Gregg, is now facing serious charges.
She is accused of killing her mother, Ashley Smylie, and seriously injuring her stepfather, Heath Smylie, in two separate shootings at their home in Brandon, Mississippi.
The tragic incident occurred in March 2024, with Rankin County Investigator Zachary Cotton giving a detailed testimony.
He explained that on March 19, dispatchers received a distressing call from Heath Smylie, saying that his child had shot both him and his wife.
Deputies arrived at the scene to find Heath injured at the door and Ashley dead inside a bedroom.
Heath had been shot in the shoulder and told deputies his stepdaughter was responsible for the attack.
Carly was found about half a mile from the house and taken into custody.
Cotton described footage from two security cameras at the family's home.
The video showed Carly entering her mother’s bedroom, followed by the sound of a gunshot, a scream, and two more gunshots.
Ashley Smylie was shot twice in the face and once in the chin.
Carly was seen hiding something behind her back, which Cotton believes was a gun.
Before Heath returned home, Carly sent him a text message, asking when he would arrive.
About 45 to 50 minutes later, when Heath entered the house, he was immediately shot.
Cotton recounted that Heath described Carly as having “really big eyes” and looking like she had “seen a demon.”
Carly then fled, screaming.
You can watch the chilling moment of the shooting here, captured by multiple CCTV cameras inside their home. ( Video credit: Law & Crime)
Meanwhile, Carly texted a friend, asking them to come over to see her mother's dead body
The friend was in the backyard during the second shooting.
Investigators discovered that Carly had been on prescription medications, including Lexapro, and had changed her medication about a week before the shootings.
Carly was charged with first-degree murder and attempted murder and held on a $1 million bond.
Her attorney argued for a bond reduction, highlighting her achievements as an exceptional student with no prior arrests.
Carly had skipped a grade and was known as both student of the month and student of the year at Northwest Rankin High School, where her mother taught.
Despite these arguments, Judge David Morrow found probable cause in the case and maintained Carly’s bond at $1 million.
He cited the heinous nature and premeditation of the crime as significant concerns, indicating Carly posed a special danger to others.
Morrow admitted there might be a mental health issue in the case but stressed the serious danger to the community and the high chance of conviction.
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