Two things some ppl seem to be forgetting: 1. It can be very dangerous for a person with already-existing mental health issues to use drugs of any kind, especially shrooms and cocaine. 2. The person in question here has a brain that is STILL developing AND has mental health issues, so that adds a whole other layer of danger to using drugs.
She was taking zoloft. Very dangerous prescription for anyone under 18. It is not recommended. There is another crime where the kid killed his grandparents after starting zoloft. No drugs were involved, if I am not mistaken. It was a while ago.
Carly had 2 male parents that let her get away with murder, pun intended. One giving her intoxicants and the other covering for her no matter what she did wrong. That leaves the Mother to be the bad guy (as in enforcer of discipline), despite her living through the trauma of losing a child and surviving an abusive relationship - and coming out loved by many and a solid provider for Carly. A blood betrayal and a spouse who said more kind words for the perpetrator than the victim while on the stand.
@@kcbarbo78 That's the "story", we never see this go down because she hid the camera in the fridge. She's a great shot with her mom but only grazes this guy with a superficial wound. Friend in backyard to "hear the shots" or was she there to be this phantom "intruder". I don't know but that guy seems fishy.
Not just the drugs. She was mildly delinquent in several ways. She wanted to kill BOTH of them, including her idiot enabler stepfather. She's a sociopath.
I’m glad you raised this issue Nick about her step father being in denial. One side of me is saying surely he must still be in a state of shock. Another side of me is wondering what his motive is in basically standing up for her. He didn’t show much emotion during the trial and was seen smiling at her from the public gallery. His demeanour baffles me.
I can't quite work it out either and I feel like there is more to Carly's story and the story of this family than the court case revealed. This in itself makes me uneasy about the verdict, in terms of the penalty. I don't think we truly understand what happened and neither could the jury.
No. She's on video going to her mom's room firing the gun. Then uses her mom's phone to text her stepfather pretending to be her mom. @@mariegilhooley4461
SURELY LE checked all electronics n the home.....??????? 🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔 EDIT: HowEVER......I live approx. (60) mi. from where this crime occurred. Lifelong resident of Mississippi. Three of my cousins also attend NWR & "knew of" Carly. Described her as "ultra smart" & "one of the 'weird' kids." Back to my point: There's a LOT of the "Good Ol' Boy" system in this state. Maybe in other states as well--I am not sure. Point being: maybe some1 w/Rankin County LE knew the Smylie / Gregg family & let some things "slide." As in: just skimmed the surface as far as investigating TOO deeply into "family matters." I hope my words made sense.......😌
I'm no expert, but isn't self harm a sign of a deep seated psychological trauma going on within oneself? Isn't sudden, prolific drug abuse also a sign of trying to cover up a deep wound? If her step father was abusing her sexually, this would all make perfect sense. The killing of the mother who is about to confront her over the drug use, which would then turn to the reasons behind it, is the first to be eliminated. She first removes her and her questions, and then she lies in wait (after baiting by phone), the real target of her misery. His whisperings of "I love you" is not about his affection for a step daughter, it is about a sexual abuser's continued manipulation and control of his victim. I am not in any way defending the actions of this girl, horrific and monstrous they were. But nothing is explaining why she went from this nice, obedient child to a demon possessed with a murderous intent. Nothing, save for the obvious explanation of who is behind all of this perhaps? Even Chris Watts took years to finally point the finger at his temptress, Nicole Kessinger, refusing for the longest time to implicate her in his crimes in any way. If the step father has done something to instigate all of this, there are now only two people who can corroborate that, and one of them is under the power of the other. What I noticed above all in her trial is that she became most emotional when she was listening to the 911 tape recording and the distress in her step father's voice. That is when she bawled, like extreme snot crying kind of crying. She often turned her head, presumably to look in his direction. There is definitely something unspoken going on between these too, of that I have no doubt. We can all sense something is not right about this guy. The last thing that strikes me as very odd is, where did Carly get the money for all of these drugs? Where did she get the money to buy a burner phone? Maybe I've missed those details, perhaps they were covered in videos I've not seen, but 14 year old kids do not have a lot of disposable income laying around, and soft drugs is one thing but cocaine is a whole different level of drug abuse, and a costly one. Are the cocaine dealers hanging around the school? Or does the step dad perhaps have those kinds of connections? I'm not even convinced the step dad didn't have something to do with the murder itself. It would not be the first time an incestuous relationship between a father daughter ended in the murder of the mother. The way Carly went right to the phone to text him could have been a pre-arranged plan to let him know the job was done. Is there an insurance claim by chance? How did Carly know there was a gun hidden in the mattress? Her mother didn't strike me as the kind of woman who would have told her about that and, unless Carly is in that bed or changing those sheets, how did she know it was there? The full backstory on this family has got to come out. This crime has more to it.
You hit the nail perfectly. So young and an addict. Her mother KNEW drugs were being used and she KNEW her daughter had mental issues, and so she tried but too late this time around. The step-father's assessment of things indicates stupidity or something more nefarious.
There’s something odd about the step father’s relationship with his step daughter - maybe he defends her because he wants her to not talk about that. .
Yeah he doesn’t want her to spill the beans, because that can mess him up…. Very creepy how he’s behaving asif to control her saying he loves her and saying it’s ok…. Bizarre 😮
It occurred to me that denial is the first stage of grief and people can become stuck there. They need to move through the stages to get to acceptance. If not they get sick. I hope this man snaps out of it for his own sake.
357 is a big gun, even though it’s a handgun, it is powerful especially if using ammo made specifically for it. I’m a grown woman and it is a lot to handle, I have to use both hands. Although I guess I do have small hands. I’d bet money the stepfather was involved in this, hope I’m wrong.
It is obvious he has had a sexual relationship with her. so, he is trying to trick her into believing that he is the only one that cares for her now. He does not want the truth to come out.
Every person alive has a choice to make. They can either be good/kind or mean/ evil. She chose to be mean/evil. It's that simple. Drugs were a part of this but many people take drugs and never choose to do this kind of thing. She is a spoiled brat and her parents are enablers, but again, its still her choice. So glad that the jury saw right through this. And now she will be locked away for everyone's protection.
From what I read and from 911 call he made, he seemed to be attached to his step daughter and detached from his wife. His words to 911 are , she shot her Mother, he repeats this a couple of times, not once did he say, she shot my wife. Both parents knew that she was on prescription drugs and took other drugs as well, yet the weapon was not secured.
I expect the detectives investigated everything they thought needed investigating. I'm sure they are not going to tell you what they were or are investigating.
This young girl is like all the other murderers who have secrets they don't want to be revealed. The pretense of a perfect little girl about to be discovered that she's not that at all. That, combined with drug, use no doubt pushed her delusions to the point of thinking she could just kill her family and go on with her other life, kind of like Chris Watts. Craz-o's come in all sizes and shapes. Her stepdad is like many parents of these kind of people, (the Watts, the Sterns etc), they enable their children, and very bad things happen. Carly just happened to pop off early.
The parents should have kept their gun locked up! obviously Carly hated her mom! taking the drugs was giving her ideas with no consequences! and we really don't know what was going on in their household! but I have to say the stepfather is a bit creepy!
@susankustich1720 yes they should. Access to the gun changed an episode of adolescent angst, maybe at worst some pushing or shoving, throwing things, running off to a friends, maybe it being the precursor to them contacting social services and asking for help - turned it into people with bullets in their head.
" she's always been a happy little girl."There is no such thing as being happy all the time. And why does he still see her as a little girl? She's moving toward a womanhood.
Thank you for this best coverage of the case. 🚀🌟 She looks very cool and calm as she is deliberately texting him to set him up for shooting. This footage was damning and I’m sure greatly influenced the jury.
I think Carly was selling drugs why would a teenager like her I have so many burner phones she must be a drug dealer sounds goofy I don't think she just was using drugs I just think she also was selling it too
Thanks for this, Nick - so many good points. I do wonder about the stepfather - he's not only in denial, but is there collusion with her? The whole family seems to be in denial. This woman was terrified of her ex-husband hurting her, but her killer was in her home. Poor Ashley - crazy ex-husband, husband who loves her daughter more than her, and a devil of a daughter who actually kills her. There's more than meets the eye here.
Mental health, drug use and its affects on a developing brain, history of neglect/inappropriate behaviour with at least one parental figure, prescribed medication and it's sideaffects/interactions with street drugs, strained dynamics in the household, 14 year old hormones, the poor impulse control that is part and parcel of adolescence. Now, what would be a good idea to put the cherry on the cake? I know, an accessible gun (guns in fact) lying around in the home. What could possibly go wrong.
There is something alarming about the step-father. From seeing others discuss this, there is a vibe that she may have been groomed by him somehow. She was obviously suffering from trauma from a young age, that is usually why kids start using things like v@pes and other such things - to cope with pain. His behavior may not seem right because HE is not right...
The Step Dad has to have known that Carly told her friend that she put 3 in her mom, and had 3 left for him?? Why after knowing that and also the video, and how Carly was so calculated, texting him, pretending she was his wife. All this known information is more than enough to known, Carly wanted him dead also. His behaviour is very bizarre , and also all the family members that are supposedly standing by Carly, knowing what she did in cold blood. It really is a crazy world, also the fact that so so many people are becoming desensitised when it comes to children taking illegal drugs. Carly was a risk taker, and has proven to be extremely dangerous. A child psychopath, with no remorse for what she did. Regards from Ireland 🇮🇪
Maybe in his testimony he's not so much trying to imply there could have been an intruder - more, he's trying to illustrate that such was her mental state, her apparent 'fear', that she was behaving as if an intruder or something conjured from the dark recesses of her mind - was after her. That she didn't recognise him as the non threat he was. He's saying she was out of her mind. It can be hard to get your mind round the fact that your child/stepchild has elected to kill you.
@@TCRS True, however major underlying mental health issues, personality disorders, dysfunctional family dynamics = equals the perfect storm major underlying mental health issue
This man was & is in deep denial. His brain can't comprehend that his little girl would try & end him. His brain is in huge conflict with who he believes his daughter to be & who she truly it. He needs trauma therapy asap. He's stuck! She was screaming out of her mind bc she thought ending him was going to be as easy as her mother. Yet it wasn't & she freaked out bc at that point she had to think fast on her feet. She's a calculated cold-blooded murderer. I just hope he gets extensive help before he remains stuck in that unrealistic realm he's in. He has to move into the next phase of grief. No, I don't think drugs had anything to do with it what she did. Many people vape or use MJ & are fine even daily heavy MJ users. I'm saddened that her friend who spoke to her Mom about her behavior & told Carly that he was going to do this may have set her off into a panic mode. The natural, oh crap my mom knows now....if this friend knew of her vaping, boyfriend, etc. other friends must have been wise to it as well. It's unfortunate how it gets to this point. RIP to her, Mom & I pray her Step Dad gets the much needed help he needs.
When you said about how drugs became more important than her own mothers life, you are so right. The thinking is soooooo warped. Reminds me of watts and how the affair with Kessinger became more important than Shanann & his children’s lives.
Thanks for covering this case ( and all the others too ! ) - I love your perspective on things. You go into the psychology yet also “ tell it like it is “.
I love watching these videos and look forward to the next one coming out, they are so in depth, thoughtfully analysed and well presented, but I am deeply disappointed with it going down the same road as the other videos I enjoy by adding annoying silly clips from time to time from other videos. It ruins the ambiance, making it seem rather childish and destroying the professionalism it deserves
A 14 year old with that level of use is not right, and will - more often than not - denote wider dysfunction and family problems. We know there was problems with her birth dad, were there any problems in this newer family set-up? The murder kicked off because a school friend had told her mum about vapes Carly had and her mum was searching her room for them. My question is did mum & stepdad know about the drugs previously ? Did they call in social services, child psychology, any of the adolescent substance misuse organisations, health providers? Mum was a teacher so would have been well aware of the case for seeking help, for making referrals, the safeguarding concerns.
I believe he is still in shock and in an instant (his) what seemed like a nice family life was gone. It's possible that the mother and daughter had arguments not in front of him 😔🙏
No, not in denial. He is being pressured by the family who blames him for not keeping guns locked up in the house. He is partially to blame for this tragedy.
Glad you covered this as I watched the court sentence. The camera footage of her before, during and after is really horrific. The dogs were more concerned than her 🙀 I’m assuming he’s in shock and just can’t accept what she’s done after losing her mother.
The drugs are an issue. Of course in an otherwise mentally healthy, stable home, lack of other risks, then a puff of something experimental is unlikely to do major harm. But there is increasing evidence @ the effects on children's developing brains from cannabis, especially regular use. Including development of schizophrenia or psychosis in some who might have a predilection anyway through genetics, brain chemistry, life experiences. This can be an isolated episode of episodes, or it can be the beginning of a lifetime illness. Factor in on top of that family strains, maybe not 100% good mental health, prescribed medication and interactions.
YES 🙌 Anybody that thinks it doesn't have anything to do with drugs is blind. Both parents have diagnosed mental illnesses, father has addiction, etc. Carly has had a traumatic upbringing. She definitely needs a mental health analysis. Prison is not the place for her. She is a child. Thank you for verifying drugs contributed to her mom's demise. I still wonder about her stepdad. Something seems off with him.
@@camiburchett9602that is what her stepdad, maternal grandparents, and aunt were wanting for her, not to walk out of that courtroom free as a bird, but to go to a mental facility until a time (if ever), when she was no longer a danger. They all felt she needed mental health instead of prison. I had watched one of her attorneys, Bridget Todd, speak on this case twice with Melanie Little, and she gives a great deal of insight. IMO She also answers some of the questions that commenters have had as well.
@@gelsiegiulia So that's it? She was on drugs, case cleared. You don't wonder how a 14-year old girl could sustain an addiction of weed, cocaine, and mushrooms? Or how she became a homicidial maniac? Kids usually don't take to deadly violence?
@@ingvarhallstrom2306I think sadly all the things are true at the same time in this case. her having mental issues with a brain not yet fully developed, plus the drugs. and 3rd, people that looked away, enabled and even helped her to do drugs, especially her natural dad.
I personally think the 2 of them were his whole entire life, that they were what he lived for so now the wife’s dead all he’s got left is Carly, I do believe he’s still in complete denial n some shock! I mean maybe this entire family had some mental issues it’s terribly sad
The fact the she's a drug user of those amounts means she's really fucked up. It should have been a warning that something isn't right with her. 14 year olds doesn't normally do cocaine and mushrooms. Shit like that are usually cause for a wellness check by the authorities and possible placement in foster care. I don't believe children are inherently evil, whatever is wrong with her was done to her by others.
@@malindaallen718 Yes, but not without warning signals and previous anti-social behavior. What we have here is a 14-year old girl with a recent behavior of "acting weird", self harm, and substance abuse. Which are clear indicators of harm done to her.
My psychotic break was directly related to marijuana use. It's a hard thing to talk about because weed helps a lot of people but it created a toxic and dangerous situation for me with my PTSD. I no longer use weed because it did lead to psychosis for me. I'm not sure she was in a psychotic state but studies do show marijuana when used in adolescence can hurry the onset of psychotic illnesses, at least that's what my psychiatrist says
Her stepfather was in an extreme state of both shock and confusion. The entire time from when he began opening the door until she was disarmed was no more than a few seconds. The human brain cannot process logic and reason that quickly while in a sudden episode of shock. The brain fills in gaps very quickly to try to make sense of what is happening. It is a trauma response. He likely never expected her to try to kill him. His brain came up with his intruder theory to unscramble his thoughts enough for him to defend himself. Had he thought "my stepdaughter is trying to murder me", his brain would have then tried to figure out why. This would have left him briefly unable to protect himself due to the trauma response in his brain becoming overwhelming. This is why he thought "intruder." That makes sense in a very short amount of time and allowed him to fight back as she was trying to murder him. People should give this guy a break. His response was perfectly natural, and he is one of her victims.
I fervently believe the stepdad was somehow involved and that's why he was spared. He doesn't pass the straight faced test, and my BS meter is definitely correctly calibrated. Should I be lucky to be here typing because my son was heavy into drugs at a young age and has a couple diagnoses? Something else is wrong that the defense was given inadequate time to discover. There are WAY more unanswered questions than answered here, and Carly belongs in a treatment facility, nit an adult prison!
In defense of the stepfather, the man had no idea as to what he was walking into. Im sure he was totally traumatized by the screaming and the look on her face when she shot him. He didn't know then that his wife was dead. He and the family have a long road ahead of them.
There is no reason for the parent of a minor living under their roof where there has been a suspicion of drug use, not to use the accurate and affordable home drugs testing kits readily available online. A lot of problems can be resolved by having accurate knowledge. Interventions can be implemented and monitored at home. Better than the alternative. Desperate times call for desperate measures.
She went to school with her mother in the morning, during that day one of her friends told her mother of her behaviour and the mother would have tried to deal with the matter,which made her decide to kill her mother and her stepfather. I would say temper at the thought she would be prevented from from leading the life she wanted.
Two things. Stepdad must be afraid she'll do away with him. He also may have a unhealthy close relationship with the girl. She wanted to do away with it all
I wonder if the police did a drug test on Carly the day of the crime to see what all she had in her system. As far as Carlys stepdad, I also wonder if he is doing what he feels Carlys mom would want him to do.
I feel like his denial is probably normal for a parent. If my child lost their mind and did something horrific like this, I’d still love him. The kind of love a parent has for their children is unconditional, unbreakable
First, step parent. Second, stepfather. You might *think* you have *unconditional* love, but unless you are placed in those circumstances, you just *don’t* know.
And I can't stand it when someone says it takes a village to raise my child because those words came out of Hillary Clinton's mouth and I can't stand it because my child is not raised by my community it is raised by good parents and not those other people around me so that's one comment that I must make.
It’s an old, old saying sweetheart. It’s been said LONG BEFORE Hillary . There are lots who need help with raising their children, some might not need the help. But indeed it takes a village. You actually do have a village… teachers, doctors, etc.. If people could help when they see a troubled kid, they should help. There are things we need to get back to and helping each other in this world, should DEFINITELY be one and at the top of the list. If we don’t help each other, we are doomed. To deny that, only furthers our deterioration of society.
I didn't follow this case when it happened, so thank you for showing the step-father's testimony. There's something off about Heath, almost as if he loves Carly far more than he ever did her mother. Was there any investigation into Heath Smylie? Is there possible sexual abuse between Heath and Carly? Something stinks here.
Passive-aggressive defiance in a silent way and got found out Time to get even. I just don't know why she would have thought that she would not have gotten found out and if she'd killed her father did she not think that she would be found out. You may have been booksmart but she wasn't Street-smart to figure that out. Because she skipped a grade maybe she missed some things in interacting with her Ju peers I just don't know.. It's very immature
Two things some ppl seem to be forgetting:
1. It can be very dangerous for a person with already-existing mental health issues to use drugs of any kind, especially shrooms and cocaine.
2. The person in question here has a brain that is STILL developing AND has mental health issues, so that adds a whole other layer of danger to using drugs.
She was taking zoloft. Very dangerous prescription for anyone under 18. It is not recommended. There is another crime where the kid killed his grandparents after starting zoloft. No drugs were involved, if I am not mistaken. It was a while ago.
14 yr old girl"s hormonal imbalances, too
@@laurenmay2098 Zoloft is a drug. That makes you r next statement contradictory. You mean no other drugs were used? Just forgot the word other?
EVERYONE has a choice in life... to take drugs or NOT to take drugs SIMPLE.
@@dawn428actually, when you are prescribed drugs for your mental health as a teenager, you are in fact not given a choice.
Carly had 2 male parents that let her get away with murder, pun intended. One giving her intoxicants and the other covering for her no matter what she did wrong. That leaves the Mother to be the bad guy (as in enforcer of discipline), despite her living through the trauma of losing a child and surviving an abusive relationship - and coming out loved by many and a solid provider for Carly. A blood betrayal and a spouse who said more kind words for the perpetrator than the victim while on the stand.
She tried to kill her stepfather as well …
@@kcbarbo78 That's the "story", we never see this go down because she hid the camera in the fridge. She's a great shot with her mom but only grazes this guy with a superficial wound. Friend in backyard to "hear the shots" or was she there to be this phantom "intruder". I don't know but that guy seems fishy.
TCRS I hope you don't mind me saying, your work ethic is incredible, so self disciplined.
I appreciate that!
No he won't mind at all
Not just the drugs. She was mildly delinquent in several ways. She wanted to kill BOTH of them, including her idiot enabler stepfather. She's a sociopath.
I don't think he cared much for his wife. His denial and approval of his stepdaughter is mind boggling.
Is it????? What would motivate a stepdad to protect his murderous step daughter?????? Hmmmmmmm let’s guess
I’m glad you raised this issue Nick about her step father being in denial. One side of me is saying surely he must still be in a state of shock. Another side of me is wondering what his motive is in basically standing up for her. He didn’t show much emotion during the trial and was seen smiling at her from the public gallery. His demeanour baffles me.
Maybe he set her up. With the way you are talking
Maybe something was going on with them.
I can't quite work it out either and I feel like there is more to Carly's story and the story of this family than the court case revealed. This in itself makes me uneasy about the verdict, in terms of the penalty. I don't think we truly understand what happened and neither could the jury.
No. She's on video going to her mom's room firing the gun. Then uses her mom's phone to text her stepfather pretending to be her mom. @@mariegilhooley4461
@@queen_of_ravens🤨🤨🤨
Someone in law enforcement needs to check this guy’s harddrive.
SURELY LE checked all electronics n the home.....???????
🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔🤔
EDIT: HowEVER......I live approx. (60) mi. from where this crime occurred. Lifelong resident of Mississippi.
Three of my cousins also attend NWR & "knew of" Carly. Described her as "ultra smart" & "one of the 'weird' kids."
Back to my point: There's a LOT of the "Good Ol' Boy" system in this state. Maybe in other states as well--I am not sure. Point being: maybe some1 w/Rankin County LE knew the Smylie / Gregg family & let some things "slide." As in: just skimmed the surface as far as investigating TOO deeply into "family matters."
I hope my words made sense.......😌
Bad 😞 seed 😢
I'm no expert, but isn't self harm a sign of a deep seated psychological trauma going on within oneself? Isn't sudden, prolific drug abuse also a sign of trying to cover up a deep wound? If her step father was abusing her sexually, this would all make perfect sense. The killing of the mother who is about to confront her over the drug use, which would then turn to the reasons behind it, is the first to be eliminated. She first removes her and her questions, and then she lies in wait (after baiting by phone), the real target of her misery. His whisperings of "I love you" is not about his affection for a step daughter, it is about a sexual abuser's continued manipulation and control of his victim. I am not in any way defending the actions of this girl, horrific and monstrous they were. But nothing is explaining why she went from this nice, obedient child to a demon possessed with a murderous intent. Nothing, save for the obvious explanation of who is behind all of this perhaps? Even Chris Watts took years to finally point the finger at his temptress, Nicole Kessinger, refusing for the longest time to implicate her in his crimes in any way. If the step father has done something to instigate all of this, there are now only two people who can corroborate that, and one of them is under the power of the other. What I noticed above all in her trial is that she became most emotional when she was listening to the 911 tape recording and the distress in her step father's voice. That is when she bawled, like extreme snot crying kind of crying. She often turned her head, presumably to look in his direction. There is definitely something unspoken going on between these too, of that I have no doubt. We can all sense something is not right about this guy.
The last thing that strikes me as very odd is, where did Carly get the money for all of these drugs? Where did she get the money to buy a burner phone? Maybe I've missed those details, perhaps they were covered in videos I've not seen, but 14 year old kids do not have a lot of disposable income laying around, and soft drugs is one thing but cocaine is a whole different level of drug abuse, and a costly one. Are the cocaine dealers hanging around the school? Or does the step dad perhaps have those kinds of connections?
I'm not even convinced the step dad didn't have something to do with the murder itself. It would not be the first time an incestuous relationship between a father daughter ended in the murder of the mother. The way Carly went right to the phone to text him could have been a pre-arranged plan to let him know the job was done. Is there an insurance claim by chance? How did Carly know there was a gun hidden in the mattress? Her mother didn't strike me as the kind of woman who would have told her about that and, unless Carly is in that bed or changing those sheets, how did she know it was there? The full backstory on this family has got to come out. This crime has more to it.
Wow - this is an interesting observation. Thank you for this analysis.
She looks like the little Dutch boy from the paint cans.
@@montanausa329 great 😃👍 call!!
He is definitely in denial.
She fired 3 shots at him knowing it WAS HIM .
3 shots at close range and missed twice!
@@Jade_902 She didn't miss her mom with any of the shots.
You hit the nail perfectly. So young and an addict. Her mother KNEW drugs were being used and she KNEW her daughter had mental issues, and so she tried but too late this time around.
The step-father's assessment of things indicates stupidity or something more nefarious.
What is wrong with kids today
OH their parents
I know, right? If you're giving them drugs, be consistent about it.
Boom!!
There’s something odd about the step father’s relationship with his step daughter - maybe he defends her because he wants her to not talk about that. .
Yeah he doesn’t want her to spill the beans, because that can mess him up…. Very creepy how he’s behaving asif to control her saying he loves her and saying it’s ok…. Bizarre 😮
It occurred to me that denial is the first stage of grief and people can become stuck there. They need to move through the stages to get to acceptance. If not they get sick. I hope this man snaps out of it for his own sake.
He might have survivor's guilt? It is quite possible because she was going to kill him too. There is no other way around.
There is something fishy between the stepdad and Carly,was this planned to get rid of the mother as she wasn't a very good shot when shooting at him.
By now, she probably would be singing like a bird to everyone about him if they planned together.
The video footage that we've seen does not pick up Carly screaming uncontrollably, out of her mind.
Having a loaded gun in Any house is incredulous. Barbaric
"Incredulous" describes a person as being unbelieving.
357 is a big gun, even though it’s a handgun, it is powerful especially if using ammo made specifically for it. I’m a grown woman and it is a lot to handle, I have to use both hands. Although I guess I do have small hands.
I’d bet money the stepfather was involved in this, hope I’m wrong.
Is was a .38
I get a really, really bad vibe from the step-father.
Vibes don’t mean anything nice try though
@@KariVance66 Yes they do! 😂 What a stupid thing to say. We're animals with instincts, without 'vibes' we'd have no sense of self preservation.
I clearly remember at 14 I hated my mother. It lasted for about a year but I would never think to kill her.
Self harm is a sign of abuse.
No. Not always.
Do they have some kinda of weird relationship????? His support of her makes me wonder
I hope not, but crossed my mind.
It is obvious he has had a sexual relationship with her. so, he is trying to trick her into believing that he is the only one that cares for her now. He does not want the truth to come out.
@@gblue128 oh for christs sake just stop
@@edw8889 😂😂
@@gblue128😂😂😂you have a big fantasy!!
Every person alive has a choice to make. They can either be good/kind or mean/ evil. She chose to be mean/evil. It's that simple.
Drugs were a part of this but many people take drugs and never choose to do this kind of thing.
She is a spoiled brat and her parents are enablers, but again, its still her choice.
So glad that the jury saw right through this. And now she will be locked away for everyone's protection.
From what I read and from 911 call he made, he seemed to be attached to his step daughter and detached from his wife. His words to 911 are , she shot her Mother, he repeats this a couple of times, not once did he say, she shot my wife. Both parents knew that she was on prescription drugs and took other drugs as well, yet the weapon was not secured.
Why is the stepfather not being investigated?
I expect the detectives investigated everything they thought needed investigating. I'm sure they are not going to tell you what they were or are investigating.
This young girl is like all the other murderers who have secrets they don't want to be revealed. The pretense of a perfect little girl about to be discovered that she's not that at all. That, combined with drug, use no doubt pushed her delusions to the point of thinking she could just kill her family and go on with her other life, kind of like Chris Watts. Craz-o's come in all sizes and shapes. Her stepdad is like many parents of these kind of people, (the Watts, the Sterns etc), they enable their children, and very bad things happen. Carly just happened to pop off early.
Agree, intelligent, maybe too much for her own detriment.
14 yrs old, her brain isn’t even developed. Drugs most certainly played huge part. Parents needed help with her.
The parents should have kept their gun locked up! obviously Carly hated her mom! taking the drugs was giving her ideas with no consequences! and we really don't know what was going on in their household! but I have to say the stepfather is a bit creepy!
@susankustich1720 yes they should. Access to the gun changed an episode of adolescent angst, maybe at worst some pushing or shoving, throwing things, running off to a friends, maybe it being the precursor to them contacting social services and asking for help - turned it into people with bullets in their head.
14, actually one month shy of being 15, knows right from wrong.
" she's always been a happy little girl."There is no such thing as being happy all the time. And why does he still see her as a little girl? She's moving toward a womanhood.
His stepfather is involved somehow in this case
Thank you for this best coverage of the case. 🚀🌟 She looks very cool and calm as she is deliberately texting him to set him up for shooting. This footage was damning and I’m sure greatly influenced the jury.
Two things here. 1. Don't spoil your kid 2. Keep them away from social media
If she looked scared, it could be because he was in a struggle with her for the gun and maybe she was scared she’d get shot or hurt.
Her Muppet haircut 💈😮☝️😬
Yes, but be fair - some of my best friends have Muppet haircuts, and only a few of them are murderers. 😏
@@PaulTaylor1a few? 😂 funny you!
Little orphan girl
@@PaulTaylor1 giggle
Ocuh je mitio nesto sa njom.Stalno ju je branio i gledao u pod dok je svjedocio.Stalno joj je saputao:Volim te",to nije normalno😮
My thoughts also.
Agree
I think Carly was selling drugs why would a teenager like her I have so many burner phones she must be a drug dealer sounds goofy I don't think she just was using drugs I just think she also was selling it too
Thanks for this, Nick - so many good points. I do wonder about the stepfather - he's not only in denial, but is there collusion with her? The whole family seems to be in denial. This woman was terrified of her ex-husband hurting her, but her killer was in her home. Poor Ashley - crazy ex-husband, husband who loves her daughter more than her, and a devil of a daughter who actually kills her. There's more than meets the eye here.
Mental health, drug use and its affects on a developing brain, history of neglect/inappropriate behaviour with at least one parental figure, prescribed medication and it's sideaffects/interactions with street drugs, strained dynamics in the household, 14 year old hormones, the poor impulse control that is part and parcel of adolescence. Now, what would be a good idea to put the cherry on the cake? I know, an accessible gun (guns in fact) lying around in the home. What could possibly go wrong.
There is something alarming about the step-father. From seeing others discuss this, there is a vibe that she may have been groomed by him somehow. She was obviously suffering from trauma from a young age, that is usually why kids start using things like v@pes and other such things - to cope with pain. His behavior may not seem right because HE is not right...
It get a funny feeling about the step dad and her. Why else would she want to cancel them?
@@themysteriousdomainmoviepalace yea S A
I agree that addiction becomes the most important part of life
A lot of us who watched the trial (RA) felt there’s something really off with this stepdad.
Everybody is peculiar in his or her own way.
@@GH-oi2jf me being no exception
The Step Dad has to have known that Carly told her friend that she put 3 in her mom, and had 3 left for him?? Why after knowing that and also the video, and how Carly was so calculated, texting him, pretending she was his wife. All this known information is more than enough to known, Carly wanted him dead also. His behaviour is very bizarre , and also all the family members that are supposedly standing by Carly, knowing what she did in cold blood. It really is a crazy world, also the fact that so so many people are becoming desensitised when it comes to children taking illegal drugs. Carly was a risk taker, and has proven to be extremely dangerous. A child psychopath, with no remorse for what she did. Regards from Ireland 🇮🇪
Maybe in his testimony he's not so much trying to imply there could have been an intruder - more, he's trying to illustrate that such was her mental state, her apparent 'fear', that she was behaving as if an intruder or something conjured from the dark recesses of her mind - was after her. That she didn't recognise him as the non threat he was. He's saying she was out of her mind. It can be hard to get your mind round the fact that your child/stepchild has elected to kill you.
Why the hell was a loaded firearm available to this kid? If there weren’t one, none of this would have happened. Parents have to be held accountable!
most heavy drug users do not murder a parent in cold blood
No, but there are many case where that does happen.
In this case if you take away the drugs, you take away the murder.
@@TCRS True, however major underlying mental health issues, personality disorders, dysfunctional family dynamics = equals the perfect storm major underlying mental health issue
He might be abusing her
Thanks for covering this case Nick. Well done!!
My brother reading this case therorize that Carly was somehow physically and sexually abused by her dad, her mom and her stepdad
If a 14-year-old girl is wearing a Nirvana t-shirt that's a red flag there.
No. I think this "man" has a deeper relationship with this kid....
This man was & is in deep denial. His brain can't comprehend that his little girl would try & end him. His brain is in huge conflict with who he believes his daughter to be & who she truly it. He needs trauma therapy asap. He's stuck! She was screaming out of her mind bc she thought ending him was going to be as easy as her mother. Yet it wasn't & she freaked out bc at that point she had to think fast on her feet. She's a calculated cold-blooded murderer. I just hope he gets extensive help before he remains stuck in that unrealistic realm he's in. He has to move into the next phase of grief. No, I don't think drugs had anything to do with it what she did. Many people vape or use MJ & are fine even daily heavy MJ users. I'm saddened that her friend who spoke to her Mom about her behavior & told Carly that he was going to do this may have set her off into a panic mode. The natural, oh crap my mom knows now....if this friend knew of her vaping, boyfriend, etc. other friends must have been wise to it as well. It's unfortunate how it gets to this point. RIP to her, Mom & I pray her Step Dad gets the much needed help he needs.
How is the friend not an accessory to the attempted murder of the step father?
@@RtTrningGrl They didn’t charge her with anything in exchange for her testimony.
Could this be a Sabrina Zunich situation? Heath’s injuries were so minor compared to Lisa’s. Just a thought.
When you said about how drugs became more important than her own mothers life, you are so right. The thinking is soooooo warped. Reminds me of watts and how the affair with Kessinger became more important than Shanann & his children’s lives.
Thanks for covering this case ( and all the others too ! ) - I love your perspective on things. You go into the psychology yet also “ tell it like it is “.
I love watching these videos and look forward to the next one coming out, they are so in depth, thoughtfully analysed and well presented, but I am deeply disappointed with it going down the same road as the other videos I enjoy by adding annoying silly clips from time to time from other videos. It ruins the ambiance, making it seem rather childish and destroying the professionalism it deserves
Our two year old grandson shows unhappiness, especially since he now has a new baby brother. 😊
You raised some valid points!
I said before. Who calls their stepfather HONEY. Was there a relationship between the two ?
She was using her mother's phone, pretending to be her. She wanted to know when he would get home.
A 14 year old with that level of use is not right, and will - more often than not - denote wider dysfunction and family problems. We know there was problems with her birth dad, were there any problems in this newer family set-up? The murder kicked off because a school friend had told her mum about vapes Carly had and her mum was searching her room for them. My question is did mum & stepdad know about the drugs previously ? Did they call in social services, child psychology, any of the adolescent substance misuse organisations, health providers? Mum was a teacher so would have been well aware of the case for seeking help, for making referrals, the safeguarding concerns.
I believe he is still in shock and in an instant (his) what seemed like a nice family life was gone.
It's possible that the mother and daughter had arguments not in front of him 😔🙏
No, not in denial. He is being pressured by the family who blames him for not keeping guns locked up in the house. He is partially to blame for this tragedy.
If she really did have mental health problems and heard voices, taking cannabis would be a very bad idea.
Glad you covered this as I watched the court sentence.
The camera footage of her before, during and after is really horrific. The dogs were more concerned than her 🙀
I’m assuming he’s in shock and just can’t accept what she’s done after losing her mother.
Just shows what drugs can do combined with that with PMT maybe . I find this case really sad .
Good video & analysis.
Great insight. Thank you! I haven’t seen much coverage on this case
I thought from the get go there us something odd with her step-dad. Hopefully the whole truth will come out in the wash
The drugs are an issue. Of course in an otherwise mentally healthy, stable home, lack of other risks, then a puff of something experimental is unlikely to do major harm. But there is increasing evidence @ the effects on children's developing brains from cannabis, especially regular use. Including development of schizophrenia or psychosis in some who might have a predilection anyway through genetics, brain chemistry, life experiences. This can be an isolated episode of episodes, or it can be the beginning of a lifetime illness. Factor in on top of that family strains, maybe not 100% good mental health, prescribed medication and interactions.
YES 🙌 Anybody that thinks it doesn't have anything to do with drugs is blind. Both parents have diagnosed mental illnesses, father has addiction, etc. Carly has had a traumatic upbringing. She definitely needs a mental health analysis. Prison is not the place for her. She is a child. Thank you for verifying drugs contributed to her mom's demise.
I still wonder about her stepdad. Something seems off with him.
@@camiburchett9602that is what her stepdad, maternal grandparents, and aunt were wanting for her, not to walk out of that courtroom free as a bird, but to go to a mental facility until a time (if ever), when she was no longer a danger. They all felt she needed mental health instead of prison. I had watched one of her attorneys, Bridget Todd, speak on this case twice with Melanie Little, and she gives a great deal of insight. IMO She also answers some of the questions that commenters have had as well.
maybe he bought her drugs in the past and hes doing some damage limitation lol
This step dad is involved somehow. He is very strange.
He’s got PTSD
@@KariVance66no. S. a b u s e
“She was after you, dumbo” 😂
Sarah Boone at 13.
Yes, it does make sense that her drug addiction was more important than her mom and stepdad. Thank you!
@@gelsiegiulia So that's it? She was on drugs, case cleared. You don't wonder how a 14-year old girl could sustain an addiction of weed, cocaine, and mushrooms? Or how she became a homicidial maniac? Kids usually don't take to deadly violence?
@@ingvarhallstrom2306 She did
@@gelsiegiulia Yes, but why? Drugs isn't the answer, it's an indication that something was wrong with her.
@@ingvarhallstrom2306I think sadly all the things are true at the same time in this case. her having mental issues with a brain not yet fully developed, plus the drugs. and 3rd, people that looked away, enabled and even helped her to do drugs, especially her natural dad.
I personally think the 2 of them were his whole entire life, that they were what he lived for so now the wife’s dead all he’s got left is Carly, I do believe he’s still in complete denial n some shock! I mean maybe this entire family had some mental issues it’s terribly sad
The fact the she's a drug user of those amounts means she's really fucked up. It should have been a warning that something isn't right with her. 14 year olds doesn't normally do cocaine and mushrooms. Shit like that are usually cause for a wellness check by the authorities and possible placement in foster care. I don't believe children are inherently evil, whatever is wrong with her was done to her by others.
Some are born sociopaths.
@@malindaallen718 Yes, but not without warning signals and previous anti-social behavior. What we have here is a 14-year old girl with a recent behavior of "acting weird", self harm, and substance abuse. Which are clear indicators of harm done to her.
My psychotic break was directly related to marijuana use. It's a hard thing to talk about because weed helps a lot of people but it created a toxic and dangerous situation for me with my PTSD. I no longer use weed because it did lead to psychosis for me. I'm not sure she was in a psychotic state but studies do show marijuana when used in adolescence can hurry the onset of psychotic illnesses, at least that's what my psychiatrist says
I think the first thing he said in the 911 call was something like "She's killed her mother!"
Her stepfather was in an extreme state of both shock and confusion. The entire time from when he began opening the door until she was disarmed was no more than a few seconds. The human brain cannot process logic and reason that quickly while in a sudden episode of shock. The brain fills in gaps very quickly to try to make sense of what is happening. It is a trauma response. He likely never expected her to try to kill him. His brain came up with his intruder theory to unscramble his thoughts enough for him to defend himself. Had he thought "my stepdaughter is trying to murder me", his brain would have then tried to figure out why. This would have left him briefly unable to protect himself due to the trauma response in his brain becoming overwhelming. This is why he thought "intruder." That makes sense in a very short amount of time and allowed him to fight back as she was trying to murder him.
People should give this guy a break. His response was perfectly natural, and he is one of her victims.
Thanks
I fervently believe the stepdad was somehow involved and that's why he was spared. He doesn't pass the straight faced test, and my BS meter is definitely correctly calibrated.
Should I be lucky to be here typing because my son was heavy into drugs at a young age and has a couple diagnoses?
Something else is wrong that the defense was given inadequate time to discover. There are WAY more unanswered questions than answered here, and Carly belongs in a treatment facility, nit an adult prison!
In defense of the stepfather, the man had no idea as to what he was walking into. Im sure he was totally traumatized by the screaming and the look on her face when she shot him. He didn't know then that his wife was dead. He and the family have a long road ahead of them.
There is no reason for the parent of a minor living under their roof where there has been a suspicion of drug use, not to use the accurate and affordable home drugs testing kits readily available online. A lot of problems can be resolved by having accurate knowledge. Interventions can be implemented and monitored at home. Better than the alternative. Desperate times call for desperate measures.
She went to school with her mother in the morning, during that day one of her friends told her mother of her behaviour and the mother would have tried to deal with the matter,which made her decide to kill her mother and her stepfather. I would say temper at the thought she would be prevented from from leading the life she wanted.
Maybe they had a relationship, maybe her mom found out about their affair so she killed her mom.. I just thought..
Carlys mother should have had the gun locked up in a combination lock safe,I believe this murder would not ever happen if the gun was locked up
I think it was her friend, witness BW, who gave her/sold her weed. Her friends also told her mum they were worried about her usage.
Two things. Stepdad must be afraid she'll do away with him.
He also may have a unhealthy close relationship with the girl. She wanted to do away with it all
I agree there is something strange about the step father I was thinking the same thing you were
I wonder if the police did a drug test on Carly the day of the crime to see what all she had in her system. As far as Carlys stepdad, I also wonder if he is doing what he feels Carlys mom would want him to do.
I feel like his denial is probably normal for a parent. If my child lost their mind and did something horrific like this, I’d still love him. The kind of love a parent has for their children is unconditional, unbreakable
I don't think it should be when they are a convicted murderer for killing their own mother, but that's me.
First, step parent. Second, stepfather. You might *think* you have *unconditional* love, but unless you are placed in those circumstances, you just *don’t* know.
The picture of her smiling with the long hair and certificate, well she does look kind of sweet there. I wonder when /why she cut her hair?
With Carly being so unstable and having mental illness why was a gun kept in the house she had access to it.
I'm sure it did not occur to the mother that Carly would take the gun and shoot her. She may have even thought it was hidden from her.
And I can't stand it when someone says it takes a village to raise my child because those words came out of Hillary Clinton's mouth and I can't stand it because my child is not raised by my community it is raised by good parents and not those other people around me so that's one comment that I must make.
It’s an old, old saying sweetheart. It’s been said LONG BEFORE Hillary . There are lots who need help with raising their children, some might not need the help. But indeed it takes a village. You actually do have a village… teachers, doctors, etc.. If people could help when they see a troubled kid, they should help. There are things we need to get back to and helping each other in this world, should DEFINITELY be one and at the top of the list. If we don’t help each other, we are doomed. To deny that, only furthers our deterioration of society.
Very sad... She was clearly mentally ill and just a kid. Man
Carly's drug use is certainly not a mitigating factor. It's just that most people (of whom I know) who use weed are not turned homicidal by it.
Dig deeper and I’m betting there’s more to their relationship.
Guns don't go off, people pull triggers.
🗨️👩🏽🎓
Americans and guns sadly
💯 👍
I didn't follow this case when it happened, so thank you for showing the step-father's testimony.
There's something off about Heath, almost as if he loves Carly far more than he ever did her mother. Was there any investigation into Heath Smylie? Is there possible sexual abuse between Heath and Carly? Something stinks here.
Her own mom 😢 sad 😢
Passive-aggressive defiance in a silent way and got found out Time to get even. I just don't know why she would have thought that she would not have gotten found out and if she'd killed her father did she not think that she would be found out. You may have been booksmart but she wasn't Street-smart to figure that out. Because she skipped a grade maybe she missed some things in interacting with her Ju peers I just don't know.. It's very immature