Feature Image by @cnn
At just 16 years old, Cyntoia Brown was sentenced to life in prison for the murder and robbery of a man who bought her for sex. Now, at age 30, Brown has finally been granted clemency by Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam and will be released on parole supervision in August 2019.
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If you aren’t familiar with the case, Brown was abused and exploited by her alleged pimp (also known as Cut Throat) who threatened to kill Brown if she didn’t suffice to his human trafficking business. Consequently, Brown shot Johnny Mitchell Allen (the man who solicited her for sex) in the head while he was sleeping, then stole his money, guns, and his truck to flee the scene.
However, when the case went to court, prosecutors determined the killing wasn’t motivated by self-defense. Instead, Brown was tried and convicted as an adult for murder and robbery. The nearly 15-year-old case was brought back to light in 2017 by politicians and celebrities like Rihanna and Kim Kardashian as they expressed their outrage over the harsh punishment of a human sex trafficking victim.
Fortunately for Brown, she spent her sentence working toward a better life. She earned her associate degree from Lipscomb University in 2015 and is working toward a bachelor’s degree while in prison. Additionally, she’s using her experiences to mentor at-risk youth in collaboration with the Tennessee Juvenile Justice System. “I learned that my life was, and is, not over,” Brown said, according to CNN. “I can create opportunities where I can actually help people.”
xx, The FabFitFun Team
