NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Metro Council members passed a resolution allowing them to ask Governor Haslam to give Cyntoia Brown clemency.
The resolution passed 32 to 0 with two council members abstaining.
Brown was convicted in 2006 of first degree murder, felony murder, and aggravated robbery in the killing of Antioch realtor Johnny Allen. At the time of the crime, Brown was sixteen years old, and said Allen bought her for sex. A judge sentenced her to life in prison.
More than a decade after sentencing, Brown's case caught the attention of A-list celebrities like Rihanna and Kim Kardashian West who began advocating for mercy. Her story spread on social media using the hashtag #FreeCyntoiaBrown.
At her trial, she said her victim, Johnny Mitchell Allen, solicited her for sex and drove her to his house. There, Brown saw a gun cabinet in Allen's room, she said during her trial. She resisted him until he appeared to reach under the bed, at which point she believed he was going to kill her. Brown took a gun out of her purse and shot Allen, killing him. Prosecutors say Brown shot Allen in the back of the head while he was sleeping then stole his money, vehicle, and gun.
Brown was tried as an adult.
The Tennessee Supreme Court recently clarified that Brown must serve at least 51 years in prison before she's eligible for release. She will be 69 years old.
