A Mississippi teen on trial for allegedly murdering her mother says she does not remember shooting her, according to court testimony.
Carly Gregg is accused of killing her mother, Ashley Smylie, 40, during a March 19 shooting inside their Brandon home. She’s also accused of shooting and wounding her stepfather, Heath Smylie, as CrimeOnline reported.
Gregg is currently on trial in Rankin County, facing charges that include murder and attempted murder.
Psychiatrist Andrew Clark testified Wednesday that Gregg had a mental health crisis and didn’t remember shooting her mother. Clark said Gregg likely “blacked out” for over an hour on the day in question.
Gregg also allegedly admitted to using marijuana up until the day before the shooting, while taking prescribed medications, Lexapro and Zoloft, for mood disorders.
“‘She was having mood issues, eating disorder issues, cutting herself, hearing voices and sleeping difficulty all leading up to January of 2024,” Clark testified.
Dr. Clark testified that Smylie confronted the teen about her marijuana use on the day she was killed, adding that Gregg began using marijuana six weeks before the shooting and had difficulties adjusting to new medications.
‘And then, her mother finds out she’s smoking marijuana, For Carly, in particular, she so cared about her mother’s approval, so for her, this was a crisis,” Clark continued.
When asked if he thought Gregg understood the impact of her actions, Clark said, “I don’t think so,” the Clarion Ledger reports.
Clark then read to the court a journal entry from Gregg, written a week before the shooting.
“I think I had a psychotic break earlier. The whole ordeal is quite silly. I actually spoke with one of the voices in my head. Well, I didn’t hear them until earlier today, but I only do then. My particular friend and I were practically screaming bloodthirstily and ravenously. Thank God — physical confrontation was not possible. I sound crazy.”
Mississippi state prosecutor Kathryn White Newman said earlier this week that after Gregg killed her mother, she messaged a friend to come over for an “emergency.”
“Are you squeamish around dead bodies?” Gregg asked the friend, then led her to her mother’s body, who had died on a bedroom floor after being shot three times.
Rankin County investigator Zachary Cotton told the court Tuesday that Gregg told her friend that there were three shots, “two for the head, one for the chest.”
Gregg then used her mother’s phone to lure Heath to the house, pretending to be her mother, the prosecution said. She then allegedly shot him, as Heath fought back and grabbed the gun.
Police tracked the teen by helicopter and arrested her shortly after.
Meanwhile, prosecutor Corey Gerber testified that Gregg tested positive for marijuana upon arriving at the Rankin County Youth facility. Newman added that Gregg admitted to using marijuana on or around March 18, the day before the shootings.
“We believe that this information is certainly pertinent since (Gregg) has asserted her right to claim an insanity defense. … Once the defendant puts their sanity at issue, the door is thrown wide open for the admission of evidence of every act of the accused’s life relevant to the issue of insanity or sanity and is admissible in evidence,” Newman said.
Gregg is currently behind bars at the Rankin County Jail in Brandon. Due to the seriousness of the charges, she is being tried as an adult.
The trial continues. Check back for updates.
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[Featured image: Carly Gregg/Instagram; Ashley Smylie/Rankin County School District
