Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam has granted executive clemency to Cyntoia Brown, who has been serving a life sentence for a murder she committed when she was 16 years old. Brown’s cause was championed by a number of celebrities, including Rihanna.
Brown’s supporters have said she acted in self-defense when she killed a man who had paid to have sex with her, describing her as a victim of human trafficking who was preyed upon when she was homeless. They also say Brown has remade herself while in prison — and on Monday, Haslam agreed.
Calling it “a tragic and complex case,” Haslam said that Brown “committed, by her own admission, a horrific crime at the age of 16.”
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