Before sunup Wednesday morning, Cyntoia Brown walked out of the Tennessee Prison for Women, a free woman after 15 years.
Her case was the subject of a Scene cover story in 2011. Brown was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison in 2004 for shooting and killing a 43-year-old man who had picked her up for sex. She claimed self-defense. At the time, Brown was just 16, and she'd been living with a man who, she later said, had abused her and put her on the street as a prostitute for drug money.
Under Tennessee's life-sentence law, Brown would not have been eligible for parole until she was 67. But activists worked for years to bring attention to her case, which went internationally viral in 2017 after Kim Kardashian West and Rihanna posted about her on social media.
Before he left office earlier this year, Gov. Bill Haslam granted her clemency, clearing the way for her release.
Brown, now 31, released a statement through her legal team earlier this week.
"While first giving honor to God who made all of this possible, I would also like to thank my many supporters who have spoken on my behalf and prayed for me. I’m blessed to have a very supportive family and friends to support me in the days to come. I look forward to using my experiences to help other women and girls suffering abuse and exploitation. I thank Governor and First Lady Haslam for their vote of confidence in me, and with the Lord’s help I will make them as well as the rest of my supporters proud."'
Her lawyers did not publicize when she would be released, and Brown will not be giving interviews. She reportedly wrote a book about her life during her incarceration, which is set to be released this fall.
Although Brown has become internationally famous, her case is far from unique. Earlier this year, The Tennessean examined 185 Tennessee cases in which people were serving life sentences for crimes committed while they were juveniles.
