In 2004, then 16 years-old, Cyntoia Brown was forced into prostitution through sex-trafficking. The girl was suffering from mental problems and feotal alcohol syndrome, due to her mother’s alcoholism. One day, she was picked up by Johnny Mitchell Allen, who forced her to go home with him. Frightened by this individual who owned several weapons and who forced her to have sex with him, Cyntoia ended up killing him by shooting him in the head in the middle of the night. In court, she confessed to this murder and was sentenced to life imprisonment.
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In 2017, the story surfaced again following a documentary broadcast on television. From then on, several celebrities stepped in and publicly supported Cyntoia Brown, such as Kim Kardashian, Rihanna, Meek Mill, Reese Witherspoon, Alyssa Milano and Sophia Bush.
Her sentence commuted by the governor
This collective action by celebrities moved America about the young woman’s ordeal. Governor of Tennessee Bill Haslam announced Monday, January 7th, that he was commuting Cyntoia Brown’s sentence. ‘She has committed, by her own admission, a horrific crime, but imposing a life sentence on a minor, which prevents her from applying for release before the age of 51, is too severe,’ he said, noting that the young woman had ‘taken extraordinary steps to rebuild her life,’ despite her ‘tragic and complex’ ordeal.
Following this decision, Cyntoia Brown, who is now 30 years old, will be released on August 7th. She will, however, remain on parole until 2029. In a statement, the thirty-year-old wanted to thank the people who defended her and the governor. She announced that she would ‘do everything to justify the trust placed in her.’
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