Oral arguments granted in Carly Gregg appeal
By Anthony Warren Published: Apr. 2, 2026 at 5:14 PM BST
JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - Attorneys for a Rankin County teen who was sentenced to life in prison after killing her mom and shooting her stepdad will get to argue their case before the Mississippi Supreme Court in person.
The high court recently granted attorneys’ request for oral arguments in Carly Gregg’s appeal, more than a year and a half after she was convicted of first-degree murder and other charges in Rankin County Circuit Court.
Arguments are set for Wednesday, May 27, at 10:30 a.m.
The former Northwest Rankin High School student shot and killed her mother, Ashley Smylie, a teacher at Northwest, and shot her stepfather, Heath Smylie, before fleeing her home in 2024.
Gregg was also sentenced to life in prison for the attempted murder of Heath Smylie, and 10 years for tampering with evidence.
Attorneys for Gregg appealed that sentence, arguing in part that the trial court erred by giving jury instructions that were improper under Mississippi state code, and that the life sentence on the attempted murder charge was “categorically unconstitutional.”
According to court records, the prosecutor in the case made “improper and highly prejudicial comments during closing arguments related to parole eligibility.”
The prosecutor allegedly said during the sentencing phase that if Gregg was given parole, “no one in this room knows how long she will stay there” and that “we cannot guarantee that she will stay there one year or 10 years. We have no control over that.”
"Mississippi has consistently disapproved of argument which discusses potential punishment of a defendant,” the appeal states. “Although [i]t is well established in Mississippi that attorneys are given wide latitude in arguing their cases to the jury, tactics which are inflammatory, highly prejudicial and reasonably calculated to unduly influence the jury are not permissible.”
The court’s decision granting oral arguments comes months after a group known as “Carly’s Warriors” began a letter-writing campaign asking for mercy for the teen.
About 10 letters have been sent to the court on Gregg’s behalf, which were submitted by Piotr Swiatkowski on February 20. It was filed on March 6.
In the letter, the Dublin, Ireland resident urged the court to reduce Gregg’s sentence, saying that the teen was only 14 at the time of the offenses, and that the defendant was likely suffering from mental health challenges.
“International norms increasingly recognize that children should have meaningful opportunities for rehabilitation, reinforcing the principle that youth diminishes culpability and allows for growth,” he wrote. “I respectfully urge the court to reconsider whether a life-without-parole sentence imposed on a 14-year-old aligns with constitutional protections.”
💜 March 19 2026 💜
730 days.
730 days. Not a single day goes by that Carly wouldn’t change things if she could. She was 14. She was in a mental health crisis. And the family has been living in the aftermath ever since.
They grieve Ashley every day, they honor her and carry her memory, whilst at the same time fighting to save the little girl who took her life.
This was a family mental health crisis in Mississippi, the kind no one thinks will ever happen to them.
Families need help. Children in crisis need treatment, not permanent condemnation.
In 2026, the Mississippi Supreme Court will hear Carly’s appeal. We pray they see a child who was struggling and who is capable of growth, healing, and redemption.
We can grieve Ashley deeply, while still believing Carly’s life is worth saving.
Please hold the whole family in your prayers on March 19th 2026.
