Detention hearing held for Rankin County teen charged in mother's death

RANKIN COUNTY, Miss. (WJTV) – The Rankin County teenager who allegedly killed her mother and injured her stepfather in a shooting in Rankin County appeared in court Tuesday, June 4.

Carly Madison Gregg sat quietly as judge David Morrow previewed what's next for the 14-year-old. At the detention hearing, the judge determines whether juveniles charged as adults should be held in an adult facility.

A grand jury indicted Gregg on charges of first-degree murder, attempted murder and tampering with evidence.

The shooting happened shortly after 5 p.m. on Tuesday, March 19 in the 200 block of Ashton Way.

When police arrived, they found a man with a gunshot wound to the shoulder. The man told officers he arrived home to find his wife, identified as Ashley Smylie, 40, dead from a gunshot wound. He claimed his 14-year-old stepdaughter was armed with a gun.

According to Rankin County Sheriff Bryan Bailey, the victim said Gregg shot him in the shoulder. The man managed to grab the gun from the teen, who then ran into the backyard and jumped over a fence.

Bailey said additional deputies responded to the scene, as well as the Mississippi Highway Patrol (MHP) helicopter. Shortly after 5:30 p.m., Gregg was located near the residence and taken into custody without incident.

At his first court appearance, Gregg pleaded not guilty to the charges. His bail was set at $1 million. She is being held at the Rankin County Adult Detention Center.

Gregg's attorney, Bridgett Todd, said adult inmates had contacted her client and that posed a security concern.

“The inmates exchanged notes and Bible verses with Miss Gregg under her cell. They were able to talk to him. In fact, they gave him a nickname, even during his own conversations with his family members. They will call him and ask him questions to talk to him. So you're talking about other prisoners and you're talking about juvenile prisoners or adult prison. So it looks like a note under the door that would be adult prisoners, I guess, that they have and are being held in the same general vicinity,” Todd said.

Morrow said he would address the issue.

Gregg's trial is expected to begin in September 2024.