Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam granted clemency to Cyntoia Brown, according to local ABC affiliated WKRN.
Brown will be released on parole on Aug. 7 after serving 15 years of her original life sentence. In fall 2017, her story was given a national spotlight, grabbing the attention of celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Rihanna, and more due to the disturbing details of her case. Brown was only 16 years old when she killed a man who solicited her for sex.
In 2004, Brown was sentenced to life in prison and charged with the murder of a 43-year-old Nashville realtor named Johnny Mitchell Allen. Brown had reportedly been sold to Allen as part of a sex trafficking ring. Due to a series of law changes beginning in 2011, if Brown’s case were heard in 2017, she’d likely be tried as a sex trafficking victim and not an adult. In the past year, people on social media rallied around Brown, calling for her release using the hashtag #FreeCyntoiaBrown.
In a statement, Gov. Haslam said his decision followed "careful consideration of what is a tragic and complex case."
“Cyntoia Brown committed, by her own admission, a horrific crime at the age of 16. Yet, imposing a life sentence on a juvenile that would require her to serve at least 51 years before even being eligible for parole consideration is too harsh, especially in light of the extraordinary steps Ms. Brown has taken to rebuild her life," Haslam said. "Transformation should be accompanied by hope. So, I am commuting Ms. Brown’s sentence, subject to certain conditions."
Brown released a statement about her clemency. "Thank you, Governor Haslam, for your act of mercy in giving me a second chance," she wrote. "I will do everything I can to justify your faith in me.
Read her entire statement below.
“Thank you, Governor Haslam, for your act of mercy in giving me a second chance. I will do everything I can to justify your faith in me.
