Disturbing surveillance footage shown in court paints a chilling picture of the events that unfolded inside their Rankin County home in March, leaving a once-peaceful household forever shattered.
In a case that has sent shockwaves through Mississippi, 15-year-old Carly Gregg stands trial for the harrowing murder of her mother, Ashley Smylie, and the attempted murder of her stepfather, Heath Smylie. Disturbing surveillance footage shown in court paints a chilling picture of the events that unfolded inside their Rankin County home in March, leaving a once-peaceful household forever shattered.
The footage reveals Carly Gregg walking through her family’s home with an unsettling calm, before vanishing into her mother’s bedroom. What followed were three gunshots, the unmistakable sound of Ashley Smylie’s screams, and a crime that has rocked the community to its core. Moments later, Gregg is seen reemerging from the room, casually retrieving her mother’s phone to send a deceptive message to her stepfather, Heath Smylie. The text read, “When will you be home, honey?” a cold and calculated act that prosecutors argue was meant to lure him into the same deadly trap.
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
When Heath arrived home, the nightmare continued. According to testimony, Gregg shot him in the shoulder. Miraculously, despite his injury, Heath was able to overpower her, wresting the gun from her hands and stopping further tragedy.
Ashley Smylie, a beloved high school teacher, had reportedly discovered vape pens in Gregg’s room shortly before the fatal encounter. Concerned about her daughter’s involvement with drugs, Ashley had been alerted by one of Gregg’s friends, who feared that her marijuana use had spiraled out of control. The friend’s well-intentioned warning tragically set the stage for an irreparable family breakdown.
Assistant District Attorney for Rankin County underscored the importance of this discovery, framing it as the catalyst for the violent outburst.
Psychiatrist Dr. Andrew Clark, testifying in Gregg’s defense, described the teenager’s mental state on the day of the shooting as fragile and disturbed.
"She was experiencing mood swings, hearing voices, and dissociative problems," Dr. Clark explained, adding that the cocktail of medications she was on had only exacerbated her condition. He further emphasized how deeply Carly craved her mother’s approval, stating, “For Carly, in particular, she cared so much about her mother’s approval, so for her, this was a crisis.”
The courtroom was further shaken by Heath Smylie’s emotional testimony, in which he described Carly as a “sweet little girl” prior to the incident. Struggling to reconcile the daughter he knew with the one who pulled the trigger, he said, “I never saw anybody like that, even in movies. She was not herself, and I do not believe she even recognized me.”
Carly Gregg now faces an uncertain future. If convicted of murder, she could spend the rest of her life behind bars, with additional years tacked on for the attempted murder and tampering with evidence.