MS - 14-year old shoots parents; kills mother - Mar. 19, 2024

[Clearsky]

Rankin County teacher allegedly killed by her teen daughter

A teen is in custody after allegedly killing her mom and injuring her stepdad Tuesday.

www.wlbt.com

He told deputies that when he arrived home, he found his wife, 40-year-old Ashley Smylie, dead from a gunshot wound and his 14-year-old stepdaughter armed with a pistol.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

Ashley Smylie, 40, a high school algebra teacher, was found shot to death in her Brandon home, east of Jackson, Tuesday afternoon by her husband, according to WLBT-TV.

The man was then confronted by Smylie’s 14-year-old daughter, Carly Madison Gregg, who was brandishing a pistol, news station WJLT reported.

Teen fatally shoots high school teacher mom, wounds stepdad: cops

A 14-year-old Mississippi girl allegedly murdered her mother — who was a teacher at her school — and shot her stepfather, police said.

nypost.com

 

[Eli9]

Being charged as an adult. Bond is one million.

14-year-old girl accused of killing mother charged as an adult, police say

A 14-year-old Mississippi girl accused of killing her mother is being charged as an adult, according to authorities.

www.wifr.com

 

[nao]

Moo..wonder what was going on in that home?

 

[airportwoman]

This kept popping up in my news feed. I too wonder what was really going on in that home, and hope it was just a tragic accident (but a $1 million bond for a 14-year-old doesn't sound like it).

 

[Eli9]

Girl, 14, charged with shooting dead mom 'talked about killing her'

Carly Madison Gregg was charged with murder after Heath Smylie, 38, came home in Jackson, Mississippi, about to find his schoolteacher wife Ashley Smylie, 40, dead and Gregg with a pistol.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Terrible to read all of the statements from friends and classmates. You could tell how hard this event hit what seems like an incredibly tight school/community. Doubling their loss the DM reports

The school suffered another tragedy a week later when Cameron Horne-Crook, 14, an eighth-grade student at Northwest Rankin Middle School, was shot dead on Monday.

John Foote, 17, and Maxle Mooneyham, 16, were charged as adults with his murder.

 

[bluejayberry]

This is a very complex story and has not been updated much as of yet. I’ve heard though that apparently this girl had struggled in school; emotionally and behaviour wise. Her physical appearance and personality also changed from appearing happy and sociable to more reserved, apathetic, etc.

Most likely not a tragic accident but as a precaution there needs to be a bit more investigation also on the stepfather.

Hopefully we will learn more soon. Been generally curious about this case.

 

[Eli9]

This is a very complex story and has not been updated much as of yet. I’ve heard though that apparently this girl had struggled in school; emotionally and behaviour wise. Her physical appearance and personality also changed from appearing happy and sociable to more reserved, apathetic, etc.

Most likely not a tragic accident but as a precaution there needs to be a bit more investigation also on the stepfather.

Hopefully we will learn more soon. Been generally curious about this case.

Welcome to WS! I too noticed a marked change in her physical appearance. I think she may have a diagnosed or not health matter. But that is just my opinion at this time. There were red flags that weren't recognized I guess.

 

[imstilla.grandma]

In a preliminary hearing recorded and released by the blog Jackson Jambalaya on Tuesday, investigators spoke about the suspect's seemingly nonchalant behavior after allegedly shooting her mother, as captured in home security cameras.

The footage from the cameras show the minutes leading up to the killing: The suspect and her mother return home, and, after some time, the suspect is seen going into her mother's bedroom, Rankin County Investigator Zachary Cotton said at the hearing.

“Then you hear a gunshot, a scream, followed by two more gunshots,” Cotton said.

In between the time she allegedly shot her mother and her stepfather, the suspect is seen allegedly "singing to her dog,” Cotton said.

'Ever Seen a Dead Body?' 14-Year-Old Allegedly Invited Friend to See Mom's Corpse After Killing Her: Police

Carly Madison Gregg, 14, was arrested in March in connection with the death of her mother and the shooting of her stepfather, per authorities.

people.com

 

[ChatteringBirds]

Condolences to the victim's loved-ones.
More needs to be known about CMG's mental health, medication status (if she took any), and where she obtained access to the weapon. It's angering -- She could have murdered classmates, too.

 

[Bethan]

Sorry long post but this is a tragedy.

This 14 year old child was apparently taking a powerful antidepressant medication ESCITALOPRAM, which is not recommended for treatment of Major Depressive Disorder in children under 12 years.

In my view, the body & brain of a 14 year old is really not much different from that of a 12 year old. Every person is different.

I hope this medication had been prescribed after careful assessment by a psychiatrist experienced in adolescent mental health.

It is known to be associated with increased suicidal ideation, increased aggression/anger/violence and acting on aggressive impulses, particularly when medication is started or the dosage changed.

If you want to see the evidence of please read on. I am a retired medical practitioner and my opinion is backed up with relevant links below. I’ve picked out the points that I feel may be pertinent to this case.

14-year-old girl accused of murdering mother showed dead body to friend, investigator says

A 14-year-old girl from Mississippi accused of killing her mother allegedly invited a friend over her house to see her mother's dead body.

krcrtv.com

1) From the above article

“ Cotton said investigators learned Carly had been on prescription medications, including Lexapro, leading up to the murder. He added Carley allegedly changed the medication she was taking about a week before the shootings”

2) Next is this

These highlights do not include all the information needed to use LEXAPRO safely and effectively. See full prescribing information for LEXAPRO . Lexapro ®

“ Increased risk of suicidal thoughts or actions. Lexapro and other antidepressant medicines increase the risk of suicidal thoughts and actions in people 24 years of age and younger, especially within the first few months of treatment or when the dose is changed.”

“ Call your healthcare provider right away to report new or sudden changes in mood, behavior, thoughts, or feelings or if you or your child develop suicidal thoughts or actions.

• attempts to commit suicide
• acting aggressive, being angry or violent
• acting on dangerous impulses
• other unusual changes in behavior or mood”

It is not known if Lexapro is safe and effective for use in children under 12 years of age with MDD ( Major Depressive Order)

3) Next this

Escitalopram in Adolescent Major Depression

Escitalopram is the purified functional isomer contained in citalopram. Escitalopram is now prescribed in 26 countries. In the United States, the only US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved selective serotonin reuptake inhibiter (SSRI) for adolescents ...

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Choosing a medication for an adolescent is a complex decision.

MOO

 

[ifindedout]

Attorney: Teen accused of killing mother threatened in jail

A judge ruled that Carly Gregg will stay at an adult detention facility pending her murder trial, despite an incident at the jail.

www.courttv.com

Despite her age, Gregg has been held at the Rankin Detention Center, an adult facility. Under Mississippi law, teen defendants are continuously evaluated to determine whether they should remain in adult detention. When the issue was brought up on Tuesday, Todd alerted the judge to an incident at the jail, where “an adult inmate who was being housed in the same pod area as Carly was making threats to harm and physically assault” her.

Judge Arthur ruled that Gregg should stay at the Rankin County Detention Center, noting that “it’s jokingly referred to as the ‘Hilton of jails’ throughout the state of Mississippi. The Rankin County Sheriff’s Department runs a very safe jail.”

Prosecutors noted they had received additional information relevant to Gregg’s past, namely that she had brought “contraband, possibly a knife” to school in Sept. 2021. No further details were offered on the incident.

 

[Eli9]

While looking for an update I ran across the following article which I had not seen before.

14-year-old shot her mom twice in face, invited a friend over to see victim's body: Authorities

Grisly details have emerged about the shooting death of Mississippi high school math teacher, allegedly at the hands of her 14-year-old daughter.

lawandcrime.com

the defense offered a glimpse of a potential strategy by pointing to the defendant’s mental health and stating in court that Gregg started taking the anxiety and depression medication Lexapro, switching from a different medication, just one week before Ashley Smylie’s death. The defense added that Gregg heard voices while behind bars following her arrest.
..
According to Cotton, the defendant walked into her bedroom with a gun and shot her mother, texted her stepdad from the victim’s phone to lure him to the house, and then texted one of her own friends to come over to the house, where Gregg allegedly claimed there was an “emergency” — even as she was playing with her dogs and singing to the canines until her friend arrived.

Once there, Gregg allegedly asked the unidentified friend “if she had ever seen a dead body before” before leading the witness to the victim’s body and saying her stepfather was next.