A psychiatrist testified in the trial of Carly Gregg, a 15-year-old accused of killing her mother and injuring her stepfather during a shooting at their home in Brandon. Dr. Andrew Clark, who spoke on behalf of the defense, described Gregg’s mental health struggles prior to the incident that occurred on March 19 when she was 14. He explained that Gregg had been diagnosed with significant mood swings and a mental health crisis exacerbated by medication.
Dr. Clark noted that Gregg had begun smoking marijuana about six weeks before the shooting, which reportedly led to a confrontation with her mother, Ashley Smylie, who was also a teacher at the school where Gregg studied. Before the incident, Gregg recalled letting the dogs outside but claimed her memory went blank after that. The next memory she had was being found on the side of the road by a deputy.
During his testimony, Dr. Clark indicated that on the day of the shooting, Gregg was in a distressed state and had been experiencing increasingly troubling voices, which became overwhelming for her. He stated that her relationship with her mother was complicated; she deeply cared for her mother’s approval. The psychiatrist recounted instances of self-harm that began when Gregg was around 11 or 12, which she did not intend as a suicide attempt but rather as a coping mechanism to deal with her emotional pain.
The prosecution earlier indicated that they had witnesses to bring forth, including an expert psychiatrist of their own. If convicted, Carly Gregg could face a prison sentence ranging from 20 years to life. The trial is ongoing, with updates expected as new testimony is presented.