The mother of Colt Gray, the teenager charged with the mass shooting at Apalachee High School in Georgia earlier this month, is facing charges related to her treatment of her mother.
Marcee Gray, 43, is being charged with elder abuse, false imprisonment, and several other crimes stemming from a November 2023 incident involving her mom, Deborah Polhamus. The development adds a new development to the shooting, which left two students and two teachers dead.
Gray was indicted this week for allegedly taping her then 73-year-old mother to a chair in her home in Fitzgerald, Georgia. The incident occurred after Polhamus refused to accompany her daughter on a trip to confront her ex-husband, Colin Gray.
Marcee allegedly became angry at her mother’s refusal and bound her to a chair, stole her phone, and damaged property inside the home, according to Fox News. She allegedly explained her actions by saying “she was going to tie [her] to a chair and take [her] phone so she wouldn’t call anyone,” according to law enforcement.
The incident took place on Nov. 3, after Marcee demanded her mother accompany her to confront her ex, Colin Gray, Colt Gray’s father.
When she refused, Marcee is accused of taping her mother to a chair, stealing her mother’s iPhone, as well as damaging a bathroom mirror and the back door of the older woman’s home.
The incident report accuses Marcee of throwing her mother against a wall, causing a cut on her left wrist. Marcee allegedly stated that since her mother wouldn’t go, she was going to tie her to a chair and take her phone so she wouldn’t call anyone.
Polhamus suffered an injured wrist and bruises but told cops she “did not want to see Marcee being a felon for the rest of her life,” per the report.
Polhamus was found about 24 hours later by a friend. Annie Brown, Marcee’s sister, became concerned after she could not reach her mother by phone and asked the friend to check on her.
Colin Gray, Colt’s father, is also facing legal troubles. He has been charged with four counts of felony murder and multiple other charges related to the school shooting. It was later revealed that Colt had been on the FBI’s radar for making threats online in 2023 to carry out a school shooting. However, after interviewing the 14-year-old, law enforcement officers concluded they did not have enough evidence that he made the threats to take action.
Colin is being accused of knowingly allowing his son to acquire the rifle he used in the attack.
Colin Gray is the father of Cole Gray. Colin Gray has been charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter, two counts of second-degree murder, and eight counts of cruelty to children. The charges “stem from Mr. Gray knowingly allowing his son to possess a weapon.” Colt Gray has been charged with four counts of felony murder
Following Hosey’s remarks, Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith addressed the media and reiterated his call to lift up the community, the students, teachers, and their families. He stated that he was happy to report that all nine of those who were treated at area hospitals following the shooting are expected to make a full recovery, which he notes is a testimony to the response of the medical staff who treated them. Two of the injured were adults/teachers; the other seven were students.
Marcee has a long list of criminal charges that involve drug use and property damage, according to Fox News. She later expressed remorse for the shooting. “To the parents and families of those affected by the tragic events at Apalachee High School, I want to say that I am so sorry from the bottom of my heart,” she wrote in an open letter following the incident.
