Murder to Mercy: The Cyntoia Brown tale, a documentary that is new on Netflix, revisits the way it is of Cyntoia Brown-Long. In the chronilogical age of 16, Brown-Long (nee Brown) ended up being tried as a grown-up and sentenced to life in jail for killing 43-year-0ld real estate professional Johnny Allen, a person she claims compensated $150 to possess sex along with her. Brown-Long, now hitched, hasn’t rejected her criminal activity, but alleges she acted away from self-defense, relating to NPR.
After tremendous outpouring of celebrity-driven support and appropriate help, Brown-Long ended up being given clemency because of the former governor of Tennessee in 2019, 15 years after she was sentenced. Now, Brown site here is gladly married and works being an advocate for unlawful justice reform. She will be on parole for the following ten years.
Both legislation and social mores have actually changed since Brown-Long ended up being sentenced in 2004, and labeled a teenage prostitute. Today, in Tennessee, anybody 18 or younger may not be charged with prostitution. A Tennessee legislation passed in 2012 defines any minor whom does a sex that is commercial as being a target of intercourse trafficking.
“If Cyntoia Brown had been arrested today, she wouldn’t be charged as being a prostitute. She will be considered a young girl whom’s involved with intercourse trafficking, ” Dan Birman, whom directed the Netflix documentary, also as an early on PBS variation about Brown-Long, stated while talking to NPR in 2019.
From Murder to Mercy songs this change in perception through the lens of Brown-Long’s instance. The only issue with Netflix’s documentary? Brown-Long says she wasn’t tangled up in its creating.
“I had nothing in connection with this documentary. I didn’t take part in in whatever way, ” Brown-Long apparently published with what is apparently a now-deleted twitter statement on April 15, per the source. (OprahMag.com has reached away to the movie’s creators for remark. )
Straight Back last year, Brown-Long ended up being showcased in Birman’s PBS documentary Me Life that is facing’s tale. Birman additionally is actually the manager of Murder to Mercy. In line with the regular Beast, Birman included interviews with Brown-Long conducted for the 2011 documentary alongside brand brand new insights from Brown-Long’s legal group and relatives (A agent for Netflix told The frequent Beast that Brown-Long is supposed to be marketing her guide along side Netflix’s documentary “in an interview that is exclusive along with her tweet had been afterwards deleted. )
Though she supposedly was not included, Brown-Long hopes the movie aligns along with her very own objective: Advocating for victims for the justice that is criminal like by by by herself. “I pray that this movie shows things incorrect in our justice system, ” Brown-Long apparently composed when you look at the since deleted Twitter post.
Here is what Brown, now 32, is so far.
She was met by her spouse, Jamie longer, whilst in jail.
Brown-Long married Jamie Long, a 34-year-old musician better referred to as J. Longer, while she had been incarcerated. Longer is really a member that is former of R&B team Pretty Ricky, now works as a Christian rapper. Per a job interview from the Breakfast Club radio show, Long additionally has a health care gear business.
A post provided by Cyntoia Brown Long (@cyntoiabrownofficial) on Feb 4, 2020 at 6:34pm PST
The couple recounted their unusual meet-cute on the same radio broadcast. Years back, longer viewed the PBS documentary Me Life that is facing’s tale, and recalled, “I felt Jesus inform me personally, stop and compose her, ” longer said. “we informed her fundamentally, Jesus told me personally to let you know you are getting away from jail. “
To longer’s shock, a reply was received by him. The few exchanged letters, and came across in-person four months later. “When we went directly into see her, we knew appropriate then she will be my spouse, ” longer said. Their instincts had been appropriate: They got involved 2 yrs later on. “we purchased my spouse’s a wedding ring while she had been nevertheless in jail, so we did not understand if she ended up being escaping., ” he proceeded.
Brown offered her perspective in a job interview with Essence: “He arrived at point whenever all my appeals have been rejected, and I also didn’t have hope. We prayed him i started working on my relationship with God through it, and because of. And that is when my appeal that is federal opened up, which can be unusual. ”
A post provided by Cyntoia Brown Long (@cyntoiabrownofficial) on Dec 23, 2019 at 9:38am PST
Today, the few is delighted to no more be divided by jail pubs. “we actually feel just like we live with my closest friend, ” Brown-Long told CBS Information.
