By james art A Rankin County judge denied a request by Carly Madison Gregg’s attorneys to grant a new trial to the 15-year-old girl, who previously received two life sentences for killing her mother and shooting her stepfather in Brandon earlier this year.
Greg’s lawyers say new evidence has come to light since the teenager’s trial ended in September. The attorneys specifically pointed to comments that Gregg’s biological father, Kevin Gregg, made in an interview with local Jackson television station WLBT.
In response to the motion, State’s Attorneys Catherine Newman and Michael Smith said the defense’s motion did not comply with the Mississippi Rule of Criminal Procedure because it did not state “the specific factual basis and specific legal authority” to support the charges. They also said in response that the original verdict was correct and there were no errors that would prejudice the defendant.
District Court Judge Dewey Arthur sided with the prosecution and noted that any additional information brought to light after the trial would have swayed the jury to a different verdict.
Gregg’s conviction and sentence came after she initially rejected a plea deal that would have sent her to prison for 40 years and allowed her to waive a trial, risking the harsher sentence she eventually received. Newman and Smith say that while an appeal by Gregg’s defense was expected, the outcome of the trial was fair and properly applied.
Back in March, the teenager shot and killed her mother, Ashley Smiley, in their Brandon home and later shot and killed her stepfather, Heath Smiley, before being captured by Rankin County Sheriff’s deputies. The case against Gregg attracted international attention and captivated audiences watching her trial, which was broadcast on Court TV.
Prior to Arthur’s decision, Gregg’s legal team filed an appeal with the Mississippi Supreme Court.