She Killed Her Mom and Invited Friend to See the Body. Here's What a Psychiatrist Said Carly Gregg Was Thinking

Mar. 15, 2025

Prior toCarly Gregg’sconvictionfor fatally shooting her mother and attempting to kill her stepfather, a child psychiatrist testified during her trial about the then-14-year-old’s state of mind at the time of the killing.

Appearing Tuesday, Sept. 18, as an expert witness on behalf of the defense in the murder trial, Dr. Andrew Clark spoke how now-15-year-old Gregg dealt with symptoms of depression and was previously prescribed medication that made her feel numb, theThe Clarion-Ledgerreported. Clark also testified that Gregg heard voices, which were “getting worse” prior to the shooting, and that she had a history of self-harm.

On the day of the shooting, Clark said Gregg was “grumpy and irritable” and couldn’t focus in class at Northwest Rankin High School, where her mother, Ashley Smylie, was a math teacher, according toThe Clarion-Ledger. Clark said the teenager claimed her memory “went blank” that day after she let out her dog in the backyard.

Ashley Smylie, left, and Carly Gregg.Northwest Rankin High School; Barbara Gauntt/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK

Northwest Rankin High School; Barbara Gauntt/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK

Newman told the courtroom that moments before she was killed, Gregg’s mother was searching her daughter’s bedroom for vape pens, WLBT alsoreported.

“And then, her mother finds out she’s smoking marijuana," Clark, the psychiatrist, said in court, perWAPT. “For Carly, in particular, she so cared about her mother’s approval, so for her, this was a crisis.”

He added that the teenager had a “close, yet complicated relationship” with her mother, and a close relationship with her stepfather, WAPT reports. Meanwhile, Clark described Gregg’s relationship with her biological father as problematic, adding to the factors that may have contributed to her mental state.

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Clark further testified that Gregg was “worried about her mental health,” citing her journal and sketchbook entries, perThe Clarion-Ledger.

On Friday, Sept. 20, a Rankin County, Miss., jury found her guilty on all counts including first-degree murder, attempted murder and tampering with evidence, according toThe Clarion-Ledger,WAPT, andWLBT. Gregg, who was sentenced to life in prison, was visibly emotional when the verdict was read, WAPT reported.

source: people.com