BRANDON, Miss. (Court TV) — A teenager accused of killing her mother, lying in wait to shoot her stepfather and inviting a friend to view her mother’s dead body will head to trial after rejecting a plea offer from prosecutors.
Carly Gregg appears in court at a hearing on Aug. 27, 2024. (Court TV)
Carly Gregg, 15, was indicted on charges of first-degree murder, attempted murder and tampering with physical evidence for the shooting that killed her mother, Ashley Smylie, and injured her stepfather. At a hearing on Tuesday, Gregg was called to the podium to ask whether she had agreed to a plea agreement offered by the state.
Prosecutors had offered a deal that would have sent Gregg to prison for 40 years for the murder and dropped the additional two charges. Gregg’s attorney said that she had declined the offer, and when Judge Dewey K. Arthur asked whether she understood what she was doing, she answered, “Yes, sir.”
MORE | Judge accuses teen murder defendant’s defense of ‘bushwhacking’
If she’s convicted, Gregg faces a sentence of life for the murder, 20 years to life for the attempted murder, and 10 years for tampering with evidence.
Judge Arthur had estimated the trial would take three days, but the defense warned it expected to need more time and requested a total of four to five days. The judge granted the request but told the attorneys, “These jurors are paid a whopping 25 dollars a day, so you’ll drag this case out at your own peril. However, I’m going to give each side plenty of time to try your case.”
Gregg is due back in court on Sept. 10 for a motions hearing, including a motion to transfer her case to youth court.
