'Murder to Mercy': From books to public speaking, Cyntoia Brown is on a journey to share her story post release
Last August, Cyntoia walked out of prison a free woman after serving 15 years behind bars for a violent crime that had left many in her community reeling. During her time in prison, Cyntoia proved to be the model prisoner and utilized her time well by burnishing her academic credentials. Netflix's documentary 'Murder to Mercy: The Cyntoia Brown Story' has put the spotlight back on Cyntoia, and it's pertinent to ask: Where is she now?
She was just 16 in 2004 when she was tried as an adult and convicted of first-degree murder, as well as a slew of other charges, and sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 51 years. She did not deny killing the victim, 43-year-old Johnny Michael Allen. Instead, her lawyers argued that she had acted in self-defense after the real estate agent's behavior had left her fearing for her life.
While that argument ultimately did not sway the jury, it took on a new light more than a decade later when Tennessee passed a new law that meant, had she been tried then, she would have been viewed as the victim, and not the perpetrator. Indeed, the night she had met Allen, she had been forced into the street to prostitute herself by 24-year-old Garion McGlothen, a pimp who would regularly beat her and raped her.
The new law, as well as a Fox News report on her case, brought the injustice she had faced back into the spotlight and saw the likes of Rihanna, Kim Kardashian, T.I., and Kobe Bryant champion her cause. The renewed scrutiny caught the attention of the Tennessee Parole Board, which spoke favorably of her to then-Governor Bill Haslam, and the rest, as they say, is history.
But it wasn't just the virality and the media fawning that earned her freedom.
During her incarceration at the Tennessee Prison For Women, Cyntoia had proved to be the model prisoner -- the kind who consistently displayed that she was willing to rehabilitate herself and had learned from her mistakes.
She earned her GED with a score of 656 in March 2005 and went on to earn an associate degree in Liberal Arts with a 4.0 GPA in 2015 from Lipscomb University. Just a few months before her release, she also graduated with a Bachelor of Professional Studies in Organizational Leadership with a 4.0 GPA from the same university.
Romance was seemingly a part of the deal as well. She built a relationship with recording artist J. Long, formerly associated with the R&B group Pretty Ricky, and married him while she was still behind bars.
The couple got married over the phone, according to the Tennessee Department of Corrections. She wasn't present at her own wedding, with a proxy -- someone legally designated to represent her -- standing in her place.
Cyntoia made up for the lost time after her release from prison and has become a champion of criminal justice reforms.
In an Instagram post made on the musician's page shortly after she walked free, she could be seen wearing a white dress and a massive ring while he rocked a blue suit.
Then, in October, she released a memoir about her 15 years in prison titled 'Free Cyntoia: My Search For Redemption In The American Prison System.' For its promotion, she made appearances on numerous high-profile talk shows, including CBS News and The Breakfast Club.
She is also signed with the Ambassador Speaker Bureau, an organization that states its goal is to help its speakers "share their stories, talent and artistic expression in a way that celebrates life, adds dignity to our humanity, and honors God."
Cyntoia's remarkable story has been chronicled in 'Murder to Mercy: The Cyntoia Brown Story,' which is currently streaming on Netflix and which she said she did not participate in and has spoken out against.
In a now-deleted post, she wrote, "While I was still incarcerated, a producer who has old footage of me made a deal with Netflix for an UNAUTHORIZED documentary, set to be released soon. My husband and I were as surprised as everyone else when we first heard the news because we did not participate in any way."
"I am currently in the process of sharing my story, in the right way, in full detail, and in a way that depicts and respects the woman I am today," she continued. "While I pray that this film highlights things wrong in our justice system, I had nothing to do with this documentary."