On a tragic day in Rock Hill, South Carolina, 71-year-old Barbara Gregory's life was cut short in a devastating act of violence that also claimed the life of her 9-year-old granddaughter, Mia Rodgers. The events of March 21, 2014, unfolded inside the Gregorys' home on Idlewild Drive, a place that neighbors described as typically quiet and peaceful.
It was there that Barbara, who was confined to a wheelchair, and young Mia were fatally shot.
The sole suspect in the double homicide was Barbara's husband and Mia's grandfather, Ronald Fred Gregory, who was 67 at the time. After the shootings, Ronald turned the gun on himself in an apparent suicide attempt, but he survived the self-inflicted gunshot wounds. When sheriff's deputies responded to a 911 hang-up call from the residence, they discovered the horrific scene.
The motive behind the killings appeared to be rooted in a custody battle over Mia, compounded by Ronald Gregory's deteriorating mental state. He and Barbara had been embroiled in a dispute with Mia's maternal grandparents for custody of the child following the death of her mother. Prosecutors revealed that Ronald Gregory claimed he wanted to spare his wife and granddaughter the pain of living without him as he was feeling suicidal. It was also discovered that he had withdrawn a significant amount of money, around $40,000, from the bank before and after the killings.
In the aftermath of the tragic event, Ronald Gregory was arrested and faced two counts of murder and a weapons charge. He was formally indicted by a grand jury in May 2014. In July of the same year, Ronald Gregory pleaded guilty but mentally ill to the two counts of murder. He was subsequently sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The plea ensures he will receive mental health counseling in prison. The case left the community in shock and the families embroiled in subsequent legal battles over the estates of Barbara Gregory and Mia Rodgers.
