Celebrities shed new light to Cyntoia Brown’s case

Cyntoia Brown was convicted in 2006 for the murder of 43-year-old John Allen, who picked her up for sex.

Her story

The then‑16‑year‑old says her boyfriend — a pimp who went by “Kut Throat” — forced her into sex work and repeatedly raped and physically abused her.

The john who hired Brown that fateful night was a Nashville real estate agent. He took her home, showed her his massive gun collection, and headed to the bedroom.

“He grabbed me in-between my legs — he just grabbed it real hard,” Brown told the court.

Brown said she panicked when Allen turned around, leaning as if he was getting something from under the bed. Thinking she was about to die, Brown took out the .40-caliber handgun Kutthroat had given her and shot Allen in the head.

Cyntoia Brown’s case

The then‑teenager faced trial as an adult. Prosecutors said she planned the attack because she robbed Allen of his wallet and guns before leaving the house.

Cyntoia has always maintained that she acted in self-defense. However, her admission did not hold in the court of her peers. Ultimately, a jury convicted her of murder and aggravated robbery and sentenced her to life in prison. She is currently serving her time at Tennessee’s Prison for Women with a chance for parole at 67.

Why is the Cyntoia Brown case resurfacing now?

For a decade, Brown’s lawyer Charles Boone has been pugnacious, adamantly vocal that his client was a victim of sex trafficking. He appealed the case on the grounds of ineffective initial counsel and the Eight Amendment prohibiting cruel and unusual punishment.

Cyntoia Brown’s case documentary

Brown’s case would first get attention in a compelling 2011 PBS documentary directed by filmmaker Dan Birman.

Years of trauma

The documentary would shed light on years of abuse and trauma Brown endured. First, starting as a baby when her mother testified in court she consumed alcohol while pregnant with Cyntoia. Cyntoia would later show telltale signs of fetal alcohol syndrome, which slows brain development.

Cynotia not only faced trauma but dealt with a history of mental illness. Her birth mother tried to death by suicide. Her grandmother and grandfather both died as a result of death by suicide. If that isn’t enough, Brown’s mother and grandmother were both victims of rape.

Adoption

Brown eventually entered an adoptive family in Clarksville, Tenn., after her mother’s struggles with drug addiction and other issues made it impossible for her to care for her.

Cyntoia dropped out of elementary school and ran away to Nashville. By the age of 16, Cyntoia Brown was living in a motel with a pimp named “Kut Throat”, who raped and abused her, while forcing her to become a sex worker.

“This is a young girl who’s at the tail end of three generations of violence against women,” Birman told Fox 17 News. “She had no chance.”

Cyntoia Brown’s case law

The documentary was so powerful that it changed Tennessee’s laws for children like Brown in 2011.

Now, anyone 18 or younger can’t be charged with prostitution. But despite its impact, Brown still sits in jail after a traumatic childhood that led to the fatal incident.

Cytonia Brown’s case today

Brown’s advocates told the Times that she has been a model inmate, earning a G.E.D. and an associate degree over her thirteen years behind bars. Brown, now 28, is also reportedly aiming for a Bachelor of Arts by next year.

On social media, new attention has shed light on Cyntoia Brown’s case with celebrities such as Kim Karadashian, Rihanna, and T.I. rallying to get Brown out of jail, calling what happened “a grave injustice”.

#FreeCyntoiaBrown

In a twitter post, Kim Kardashian stated she going to see if her lawyers can do anything to help with the case.

The system has failed. It’s heart breaking to see a young girl sex trafficked then when she has the courage to fight back is jailed for life! We have to do better & do what’s right. I’ve called my attorneys yesterday to see what can be done to fix this. #FreeCyntoiaBrown pic.twitter.com/73y26mLp7u

— Kim Kardashian West (@KimKardashian) November 21, 2017

Free da GOAT🐐 #IGotSomethingOnTheApeal

A post shared by TIP (@troubleman31) on Nov 20, 2017 at 11:20pm PST

The hashtag #FreeCyntoiaBrown has also been picking up momentum on Twitter.

New hope

Charles Boone, the lawyer in Nashville who took Brown’s case pro-bono, told the New York Times, they were appreciative of number of celebrities who joined their plight and Cyntoia was thrilled by the fact people really cared.

While Cyntoia’s case happened a decade ago, it sheds light on the treatment of juveniles in the criminal justice system.

Charles Boone, is hopeful a new appeal will go through, having the court, legislature, or ultimately the governor considering her case and shorten her sentence.