Cyntoia Brown is someone whose name came up on numerous occasions in the news in 2019. This is because she was released from a Nashville, TN prison in August of 2019 after serving 15 years for murdering a man when she was at the age of 16. Something that caused a fair amount of debate and discussion. Here are 10 things that you may or may not have known about Cyntoia Brown:
1. Born In Fort Campbell, KY
Brown was born in a place called Fort Campbell, KY. For those who are curious, Fort Campbell is a U.S. Army installation situated on the border between the states of Kentucky and Tennessee, meaning that its name is more literal than what interested individuals might have expected. The installation is home to a number of units, with an excellent example being the 101st Airborne Division that might be better-known under their nickname of the Screaming Eagles.
2. Her Biological Mother Drank During the Pregnancy
Brown’s biological mother has testified that she drank a fifth of whiskey on a daily basis when she was pregnant with Brown. This is important because Brown’s defense attorneys used this to support their claim that she had been born with fetal alcohol syndrome, which is the most serious version of the fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. Said condition can mean a wide range of symptoms that include but are not limited to low body weight, low intelligence, and behavior problems, with the result that sufferers are likelier to experience school problems, legal problems, and the abuse of alcohol as well as other drugs.
3. Was Given Up For Adoption
Given Brown’s biological mother started using crack cocaine once Brown had been born, it should come as no surprise to learn that she gave Brown up for adoption because she was unable to care for Brown. Reportedly, Brown was raised in a loving home. However, she started having encounters with the juvenile court system when she was still at a young age, with the result that she spent time with the Department of Children’s Services.
4. She Was a Runaway
Brown fled from the Department of Children’s Services on multiple occasions, which is how she became a runaway. Unfortunately, her status as a runaway is how she met a man named Garion L. McGlothen who bore the street name of Kut-Throat. Said individual is the one who forced Brown into involuntary prostitution through both physical abuse and sexual abuse.
5. Murdered Johnny Michael Allen
In August of 2004, a 16-year-old Brown was picked up by a 43-year-old man named Johnny Michael Allen for sex. She has testified that she agreed to have sex with Allen in exchange for $150, but the two never engaged in sexual intercourse because at some point in their encounter, she shot Allen in the back of his head with a .40-caliber pistol. Brown said that this was a matter of self-defense because after Allen had brought her to his house, he grabbed her by the genitals in a violent manner while otherwise behaving in a threatening manner. In any case, once Brown shot Allen, she stole $172 from his wallet as well as a couple of his firearms before fleeing from the scene in his truck. Eventually, she left the truck in a Wal-Mart’s parking lot before flagging down a SUV in order to get a ride home.
6. Some of Her Subsequent Actions Were Used Against Her
Some of Brown’s subsequent actions were used against her at the trial. For example, she threatened a nurse at the Western Mental Health Institute where she was sent for an evaluation when she wasn’t allowed to call her adoptive mother. Likewise, she said “I executed him” in reference to Allen when she called her adoptive mother. Unsurprisingly, these incidents were brought up in the news when Brown’s case was brought to the public’s attention.
7. Tried As an Adult
Although Brown was still 16-year-old, she was tried as an adult because the judge argued that it was too much of a risk to keep her in the Juvenile Court System. In the end, she was found guilty of first-degree murder, felony murder, and aggravated robbery, with the result that she was sentenced to life in prison. Under normal circumstances, Brown wouldn’t have been eligible for parole until she was at the age of 67.
8. Received an Education in Prison
Brown received an education in prison. First, she managed to earn a GED with a score of 656, which was in March of 2005. Second, she went to a private Christian liberal arts university called Lipscomb University, with the result that she earned an associate degree in Liberal Arts in December of 2015 and then a Bachelors of Professional Studies in Organizational Leadership in March of 2019. In both of these cases, Brown graduated with a 4.0 GPA.
9. Her Case Went Viral
In November of 2017, a number of celebrities such as Rihanna, Kim Kardashian, and LeBron James noticed Brown’s case, with the result that they spoke out to support her as well as express their outrage at her case. Thanks to this, her story went viral, thus providing a considerable boost to her clemency petition. This can be seen in how Brown’s clemency petition was heard by the Tennessee Board of Parole, which is notable because no more than 2 percent of clemency applicants manage to make it to that point. In the end, it was Governor Bill Haslam who granted her clemency on the basis that a life sentence requiring a juvenile to serve for at least 51 years before becoming eligible for parole was excessive for such a “tragic and complex case.”
10. Now Called Cyntoia Brown Long
Some people might have noticed that Brown is now called Cyntoia Brown Long. This is because she is married to a musician turned entrepreneur named Jaime Long, who was once associated with a R&B group called Pretty Ricky but now co-owns a healthcare business in the state of Texas.
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