Mississippi teen found guilty of murdering mother, attempting to kill stepfather

Published 2:57 pm Friday, September 20, 2024

A Mississippi teen has been found guilty of first-degree murder, attempted murder, and tampering with evidence on Friday after a jury deliberated for just a few hours.

WJTV in Jackson reports that  14-year-old Carly Madison Gregg was sentenced to life in prison for both the murder and attempted murder, with an additional ten years for tampering with evidence. The sentences will run concurrently.

Officials report that Gregg killed her mother on March 19 at her home on Ashton Way.

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When deputies arrived, they found Heath Smylie, Gregg’s stepfather, suffering from a gunshot wound to the shoulder. He told deputies he had returned home to find his wife, Ashley Smylie, dead from gunshot wounds, and claimed his stepdaughter was still armed with a pistol.

Smylie reportedly managed to disarm Gregg after she shot him, but she fled the scene, jumping over a backyard fence. Additional deputies and a Mississippi Highway Patrol helicopter were called in to search for her.

By 5:30 p.m., authorities located Gregg nearby and took her into custody without further incident.

Gregg will serve life in prison for the murder of her mother, Ashley Smylie, who was a teacher at Northwest Rankin High School, and for the attempted murder of her stepfather.