Cyntoia Brown was sentenced to life in prison at the age of 16 for killing a man who had allegedly solicited her for sex.
Her life story and the criminal justice system in the United States is the focus of a recently released documentary.
It details her life with a past dominated by violence at the hands of men.
Now, fourteen years after her first conviction, Brown's case has been thrust into the spotlight once again, with everyone from Rihanna to Kim Kardashian calling for her release.
Here's what you need to know about the Cyntoia Brown case:
What happened to Cyntoia Brown?
On August 8 2004, Cyntoia Brown was arrested in connection with the shooting of a 43-year-old man.
The day before her arrest, police responded to a 911 call and found the body of Johnny Allen, who they discovered had been shot in the back of the head.
Brown told investigators that she had killed Allen is self-defence after he paid her for sex and then brought her to his house, where he proceeded to show her his collection of guns.
She also said she had been living in hotels for a number of months with a man she referred to as “Cut-Throat.” She went on to detail their physically and emotionally abusive relationship, referencing how he repeatedly called her a “whore” and that nobody would want her “but him.” She claims he eventually forced her into prostitution.
Despite her age, she was tried in adult court. Prosecutors argued that Brown’s real motive was robbery, since she took Allen’s wallet after she murdered him.
Brown was charged with first-degree felony murder and aggravated robbery and sentenced to two concurrent life sentences.
Brown had an incredibly turbulent childhood; going into foster care at a young age and later becoming a teenage runaway, reportedly being the victim of multiple rapes and assaults.
Despite Brown’s mother admitting she drank heavily whilst she was pregnant, leaving her daughter with severe neurodevelopmental disorder, Brown’s attorneys chose to omit this from evidence.
What was the documentary Me Facing Life: Cyntoia's Story about?
Brown’s story caught the interest of filmmaker Dan Birman, who had been following her case for some time.
In 2011, he released a documentary about her case and life story which aired on PBS.
The film took a closer look at her case and analysed the current state of the juvenile justice system in the US.
As a result of the film’s topic matter, the law in Tennessee was changed. Now, children under the age of 18 cannot be tried for prostitution. If she were arrested today, Brown would be treated as a child human trafficking victim.
Reflecting on the impact he wanted the film to have, Birman commented: “I wanted an audience to understand not only what happened to Cyntoia Brown as a kid but also see what she was up against in a system.
“If you see my documentary, you find out that Brown was at the tail end of three generations of violence against women.”
Where is Cyntoia Brown now?
Following the success of the documentary, Cyntoia’s case began to capture the attention of several high-profile stars, including Rihanna.
Sharing a picture of Cyntoia on her Instagram, Rihanna wrote: "Something is horribly wrong when the system enables these rapists and the victim is thrown away for life! To each of your responsible for this child’s sentence I hope to God you don’t have children, because this could be your daughter being punished for punishing already!”
An overwhelming response to Brown’s case triggered the hashtag #FREECYNTOIABROWN, calling for justice.
In May 2017, Brown had a clemency hearing. The parole board was split on the decision, with two voting for, two against and two voting to make her eligible for parole after 25 years.
Brown’s lawyers argued that her sentence was unconstitutional, citing a 2012 Supreme Court ruling that found life imprisonment sentences for minors violate the Eight Amendment’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment.
Following pushback, the Tennessee Supreme Court issued a unanimous decision on December 6 elaborating that defendants convicted of first-degree murder on or after July 1995 and sentenced to life in prison become eligible for release after serving a minimum of 51 years in prison.
Now, Cyntoia’s supporters are pressing Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam to seek an executive intervention in the form of clemency.
What is clemency?
Clemency is the act of giving mercy to a convicted individual by order of an executive member of government.
In the US, clemency is granted by a governor for state crimes and a president for federal crimes.
Mr Haslam has said his team is still considering Brown’s clemency position and will deliver a verdict in January before he leaves office.
