Former teen sex worker, Cyntoia Brown walks free TODAY, after serving 15 years of a life sentence for killing man, 43, who bought her for sex when she was 16 – Her sentence was commuted in January by Tennessee Gov.
Cyntoia Brown walked into jail as a teen 15 years ago, expecting her life to end there
Wednesday morning, now 31, she walked out a free woman from the Tennessee Prison for Women in Nashville before sunrise
Cyntoia Denise Brown, in prison for murder, had her life sentence commuted by then Tennessee Gov Bill Haslam in Jan after celebrities including Kim Kardashian and Rihanna rallied for her release
She will remain on parole supervision for 10 years on the condition she holds a job and does not violate any laws
Brown said she was a sex trafficking victim when she shot dead real estate agent Johnny Allen in 2004 when she was just 16
She shot Allen in the back of the head at close range after he picked her up at a drive-in restaurant in Nashville to have sex with her
Brown has maintained she feared for her life and thought he was going to kill her
Prosecutors had argued during her trial that she killed Allen in order to rob him because she fled in his truck with two of his rifles and $172
In July 2008, the appellate court upheld the ‘harsh sentence’ of life in prison for first-degree murder, felony murder and aggravated robbery by the lower court
She would have served 15 years on release and was eligible for parole in 2055, after 51 years
Brown earned her GED and completed an associate degree program with a 4.0 GPA in prison
She also completed her bachelor’s degree program in May, 2019
Cyntoia Brown has been granted clemency by Governor Bill Haslam – Cyntoia Brown, [photo right, circa 2018 and left her mugshot in 2006)], walked out of Tennessee Prison for Women early Wednesday after serving 15 years of a life sentence for murdering a man who bought her for sex when she was 16
The 31-year-old walked out of Tennessee Prison for Women before sunrise on Wednesday following a clemency grant by former Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam after celebrities including Kim Kardashian and Rihanna rallied for her release.
Brown, who shot dead real estate agent Johnny Allen in 2004, will remain on parole supervision for 10 years on the condition she holds a job and does not violate any laws.
In a statement following her release, Brown said she wants to help other women and girls suffering abuse and exploitation.
‘I thank Governor and First Lady Haslam for their vote of confidence in me and with the Lord’s help I will make them as well as the rest of my supporters proud,’ she said.
Her attorneys said she is requesting privacy and transition time before she makes herself available to the public.
Brown said she was a sex trafficking victim at the time she killed Allen.
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Tennessee woman serving life sentence on a teenage felony conviction granted clemency by Tennessee gov, Monday Cyntoia Denise Brown, in prison for murder, had her life […]
Cyntoia Brown’s conviction was as a result of shooting death of 43-year-old Nashville man, Johnny Allen (above), in 2004 when she was a teen prostitute. She was granted full clemency after serving 12 years in prison
In 2004 16-year-old Brown was sentenced to serve a life time in jail in 2004, eligible for parole after 51 years
Brown was granted full clemency after serving 12 years in prison for the 2004 shooting death of 43-year-old Nashville man, Johnny Allen, when she was a prostitute
She was convicted in 2006 of first-degree murder and was originally ordered to serve at least 51 years in prison before being eligible for parole.
Brown had run away from home at the time and linked up with a man known as ‘Cut Throat,’ who she said later became her pimp. She said that man trafficked her, beat, raped and plied her with drugs on a near-daily basis.
She encountered Allen after he picked her up at a drive-in restaurant in Nashville so he could have sex with her.
Brown said Allen insisted on taking her back to his house after saying he was an ex-Army sharpshooter and showing off his firearms.
She has previously said his behavior made her nervous and that he ‘grabbed’ her forcefully between her legs while they were on his bed.
‘He just gave me this look. It was, like, a very fierce look,’ she said in a 2011 documentary based on her incarceration.
‘But then, he rolls over, like he’s reaching to the side of the bed or something. So I’m thinking, ‘he’s not going to hit me, he’s going to get a gun’.’
Brown [circa jail in 2018], will remain on parole supervision for 10 years on the condition she holds a job and does not violate any laws. She was released today after serving 15 years for the killing of Johnny Allen in 2004. She was 16 at the time
Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam granted Cyntoia Brown clemency in January, stating that a life time sentence, eligible for parole after 51 years, was too harsh as restitution for a crime committed by a teenager, especially one who had so dramatically turned her life around
Free at last: After she was granted clemency, Brown who now mentors troubled girls and young women while behind bars issued a statement pledging she will do everything to justify Gov. Haslam’s faith in her. She also thanked her family for their support
Brown has maintained she shot Allen in the back of the head at close range with a gun she had in her purse because he kept reaching under the bed and she thought he was going for a weapon.
After she shot him, Brown took two of Allen’s rifles, stole $172 and fled in his truck.
Prosecutors had argued during her trial that the teenager killed Allen in order to rob him.
‘When I was 16-years-old, I did a very horrible thing, and that has been with me for a very long time,’ she said during her trial.
‘He didn’t deserve to die. I was wrong. I was wrong. And I can’t fix it.’
Her case drew the attention of Hollywood stars, including Kim Kardashian and Rihanna.
In the lead up to his clemency decision in January, Gov. Haslam’s office was inundated with letters and pleas urging him to show Brown mercy.
Several Democratic Tennessee lawmakers also held events calling for Haslam to offer mercy.
Cyntoia Brown was a 16-year-old sex worker [photo, in court in 2006] when she committed the 2004 murder of a John that led to her conviction on first-degree murder and sentencing to life in prison in 2006
Kim Kardashian West tweeted ‘Thank you Governor Haslam’ after clemency was granted back in January
Jada Pinkett Smith, Alyssa Milano, and Viola Davis were among the other stars who celebrated Brown’s clemency earlier this year
Gov. Haslam observed that the sentence was too harsh a condition for a crime Brown admitted to committing as a teen, especially given the steps she has taken to rebuild her life.
While behind bars, she earned her GED and got a college degree from Lipscomb University in prison. Brown also became a mentor to troubled girls and young women while behind bars.
The model prisoner has since met with prison counselors to design a plan for her release, which will include time in a transition center and continuing coursework with the Lipscomb University program.
She plans to have a book published in mid-October and a documentary about her is set to be released this year.
After being granted clemency, Brown issued a statement saying she will do everything to justify Haslam’s faith in her and thanked her family for their support.
‘I am thankful for all the support, prayers, and encouragement I have received. We truly serve a God of second chances and new beginnings. The Lord has held my hand this whole time and I would have never made it without Him. Let today be a testament to His Saving Grace,’ she said at the time.
‘Thank you to my family for being a backbone these past 14 years.
‘I am thankful to my lawyers and their staffs, and all the others who, for the last decade have freely given of their time and expertise to help me get to this day.
‘I love all of you and will be forever grateful. With God’s help, I am committed to live the rest of my life helping others, especially young people. My hope is to help other young girls avoid ending up where I have been.’
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