The Sordid Tale Of Cyntoia Brown

[ZiprHead]

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/cyntoia-brown-766645/

Cyntoia Brown was only 16 when she was sentenced to life in prison, and the Tennessee Supreme Court ruled this past week that she will have to serve 51 years before she could be eligible for release.

Brown was convicted of murder and robbery for killing 43-year-old Johnny Mitchell Allen in 2004 after he solicited her for sex and brought her to his home. Brown claimed her actions were in self-defense because she was afraid Allen was going to kill her.

Brown said she had run away from her adoptive family weeks before and was living with her 24-year-old abusive boyfriend known as “Kut Throat.” Brown’s lawyers alleged that Kut Throat raped Brown and forced her into prostitution, making her a sex trafficking victim, as she was not an adult at the time. Brown claimed that on the day of the murder, Kut Throat had hit her and insisted she go out and bring home money.

 

[Worldtraveller]

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/cyntoia-brown-766645/

Cyntoia Brown was only 16 when she was sentenced to life in prison, and the Tennessee Supreme Court ruled this past week that she will have to serve 51 years before she could be eligible for release.

Brown was convicted of murder and robbery for killing 43-year-old Johnny Mitchell Allen in 2004 after he solicited her for sex and brought her to his home. Brown claimed her actions were in self-defense because she was afraid Allen was going to kill her.

Brown said she had run away from her adoptive family weeks before and was living with her 24-year-old abusive boyfriend known as “Kut Throat.” Brown’s lawyers alleged that Kut Throat raped Brown and forced her into prostitution, making her a sex trafficking victim, as she was not an adult at the time. Brown claimed that on the day of the murder, Kut Throat had hit her and insisted she go out and bring home money.

Clearly, she's a threat to society at large and should be locked up.

WTF is wrong with our court system?

 

[Jolly_Penguin]

It seems she murdered somebody, and she shouldn't just walk away from that, but the sentence seems long given the circumstances as presented in the OP (if that's an accurate account), especially in a country where "Fearing for your life" has been used by other killers (a few of them police officers) to escape the justice system altogether.

Some more notable bits of the article posted in the OP

According to Brown’s appeal, Allen picked Brown up at a Sonic drive-in and brought her to his home. The two got into bed after Allen showed Brown some of his guns, but Brown resisted him. When Allen reached under his bed, Brown thought he was going for a gun, so she pulled her own gun out of her purse and shot him. She then took money from his wallet, drove his truck to a Walmart, and left it there. She was later arrested. The lawyers also claimed that Fetal Alcohol Syndrome “played a part in [her] actions on the night in question.” Prosecutors argued, however, that Brown had gone to Allen’s home with the intention of robbing him.

Guns were involved. He "showed his guns to her". She also had her own gun. He shows his gun collection to a hooker he picked up off the street? She goes with a john and brings a gun? Whaaat? That's life in Tennessee I guess.

Tennessee law has since changed—prompted by Brown’s case—and minors can no longer be sentenced to life in prison, but that law, sadly, does not apply to Brown herself. She will have to wait until she is 67 before she can go before a parole board, unless outgoing Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam decides to grant Brown clemency by shortening her sentence.

This is also weird. Why should her case determine that other minors can't get life in prison? Either that should be a thing or it shouldn't. I don't see why her particular case should decide that in principle, nor why it should decide any particular case that isn't hers. There could be a cold blooded killer kid who unlike her clearly intends to kill again.

 

[Derec]

She robbed and murdered him. That is not self-defense. That is first degree murder, and there need to be consequences. 50 years sounds pretty reasonable. Without her young age, it should be life without parole.

She was hooking, and he picked her up. Should that be a death sentence? He likely didn't even know she was under 18. So I do not get people blaming the victim here. Note: even if her story of being abused and forced into prostitution is true, she did not kill "Kut Throat". She murdered some innocent, lonely guy in order to rob him.

I am sick of all these people always assuming that when a woman murders a man he somehow had it coming and that she should get a slap on the wrist at most.

 

[laughing dog]

This is also weird. Why should her case determine that other minors can't get life in prison? Either that should be a thing or it shouldn't. I don't see why her particular case should decide that in principle, nor why it should decide any particular case that isn't hers. There could be a cold blooded killer kid who unlike her clearly intends to kill again.

One would think that civilized people would be against life imprisonment for a minor.

 

[laughing dog]

She robbed and murdered him. That is not self-defense. That is first degree murder, and there need to be consequences. 50 years sounds pretty reasonable. Without her young age, it should be life without parole.

So prostitutes do not have the right to self-defense. It is entirely possible that she killed him in self-defense, and then robbed him afterwards, since her pimp was expecting money.

I am sick of all these people always assuming that when a woman murders a man he somehow had it coming and that she should get a slap on the wrist at most.

I would think that these gigantic jumps to bogus conclusions would be very tiring. No one is arguing for a slap in the wrist here. If she killed him in self-defense, she ought not be in prison at all.

 

[Derec]

It seems she murdered somebody, and she shouldn't just walk away from that, but the sentence seems long given the circumstances as presented in the OP (if that's an accurate account), especially in a country where "Fearing for your life" has been used by other killers (a few of them police officers) to escape the justice system altogether.

If her story is true, she could have made a case that she feared for her life from "Kut Throat". But not the trick she robbed and murdered.

According to Brown’s appeal, Allen picked Brown up at a Sonic drive-in and brought her to his home. The two got into bed after Allen showed Brown some of his guns, but Brown resisted him. When Allen reached under his bed, Brown thought he was going for a gun, so she pulled her own gun out of her purse and shot him. She then took money from his wallet, drove his truck to a Walmart, and left it there. She was later arrested. The lawyers also claimed that Fetal Alcohol Syndrome “played a part in [her] actions on the night in question.” Prosecutors argued, however, that Brown had gone to Allen’s home with the intention of robbing him.

I think the prosecution case makes far more sense. Note also that her victim is not alive to defend himself. She can spin whatever yarn she chooses, but that does not make it truthful or even credible.
If it was really self-defense, why also rob him?

Guns were involved. He "showed his guns to her". She also had her own gun. He shows his gun collection to a hooker he picked up off the street? She goes with a john and brings a gun? Whaaat? That's life in Tennessee I guess.

She probably had the gun because she planned on robbing him from the beginning.

This is also weird. Why should her case determine that other minors can't get life in prison? Either that should be a thing or it shouldn't. I don't see why her particular case should decide that in principle, nor why it should decide any particular case that isn't hers. There could be a cold blooded killer kid who unlike her clearly intends to kill again.

I think she is a cold-blooded killer. Don't let her gender mislead you.

 

[Derec]

So prostitutes do not have the right to self-defense.

They do have the right to self-defense.
They do not have the right to rob and murder people.
The jury rejected her claims of self defense based on evidence.

Why do you accept her self-serving claims as absolute truth?

It is entirely possible that she killed him in self-defense, and then robbed him afterwards, since her pimp was expecting money.

It is possible, but is it likely? And I think she was in cahoots with her boyfriend/pimp rather than being afraid of him. If he was really abusing her/forcing her into prostitution, would he really have given her a gun?

I would think that these gigantic jumps to bogus conclusions would be very tiring. No one is arguing for a slap in the wrist here.

When Mary Winkler served 60 days for murdering her husband in cold blood, many on here defended that sentence. It seems whenever a woman murders a man, she is being defended.

If she killed him in self-defense, she ought not be in prison at all.

There is still the robbery. So even if the killing was self-defense, she was still guilty of a felony.
But yes if it was self-defense, she should not have been convicted of murder. However, many (including on here) assume that whenever a woman kills a man, it was self-defense.

 

[Jolly_Penguin]

This is also weird. Why should her case determine that other minors can't get life in prison? Either that should be a thing or it shouldn't. I don't see why her particular case should decide that in principle, nor why it should decide any particular case that isn't hers. There could be a cold blooded killer kid who unlike her clearly intends to kill again.

One would think that civilized people would be against life imprisonment for a minor.

Perhaps. But that's not my point. My point is that her case doesn't make that true or false. It stands on its own.

 

[Derec]

A different article, giving more details about the murder.

Prosecutors say Brown killed Johnny Allen, 43, in order to steal from him — she took several firearms and his pants, which contained his wallet. They also pointed to her past drug use and criminal juvenile record in an attempt to show a pattern in her life.

Cyntoia Brown Wasn't A Victim, Stole Money After Killing Johnny Allen: Prosecutors

So her victim was likely sleeping when she murdered him.

 

[Jolly_Penguin]

If her story is true, she could have made a case that she feared for her life from "Kut Throat". But not the trick she robbed and murdered.

I don't know what "Showed her his guns" means. It could mean he threatened her. She felt afraid. Perhaps she killed him "in self defence" just like the "Stand your ground" or some of those cops have killed in "self defence" because they were afraid and couldn't be sure, etc. If the logic applies there, it seems to apply here. I don't personally agree with the logic.

I think the prosecution case makes far more sense.

I don't know all the details. But the onus is on them to prove it beyond a reasonable doubt, right?

Note also that her victim is not alive to defend himself. She can spin whatever yarn she chooses, but that does not make it truthful or even credible.

Same goes for the stand your ground people and cops who have killed people.

Guns were involved. He "showed his guns to her". She also had her own gun. He shows his gun collection to a hooker he picked up off the street? She goes with a john and brings a gun? Whaaat? That's life in Tennessee I guess.

She probably had the gun because she planned on robbing him from the beginning.

Could be. It is odd that she'd carry a gun. How many clients would be ok with that? That's terrifying.

I think she is a cold-blooded killer. Don't let her gender mislead you.

Don't let it mislead you either. I don't claim to know if she is or isn't. Its not like she has a long rap sheet of killings and robberies. Or does she? That could be relevant here.

 

[Jolly_Penguin]

It is possible, but is it likely? And I think she was in cahoots with her boyfriend/pimp rather than being afraid of him. If he was really abusing her/forcing her into prostitution, would he really have given her a gun?

That is a very good point.

It seems whenever a woman murders a man, she is being defended.

So is that. But it doesn't mean the woman is always guilty either. Gender shouldn't be used in either direction.

So her victim was likely sleeping when she murdered him.

That's also a good point left out of the OP article.

All the stuff about her being a victim of sex trafficking and being abused by her boyfriend I think DOES colour how people view this and judge whether or not she acted in self defence. It shouldn't. It is irrelevant to that. It should not have been admitted into evidence at all. It is highly prejudicial.

 

[Derec]

And this long read gives background on Cynthoia Brown's childhood.
Life Begins at Sixteen
By all accounts, she is very bright, but has an anger problem. She has been drinking since she was 10. She stole some jewelry at 12. She likely made a false rape allegation out of anger too.

During a psychological evaluation, the examiner was troubled when the girl began speaking in a high-pitched sing-song voice, threatening to kill her father and cursing staff members. She was "completely out of touch with reality," an observer noted. Medication, likely Thorazine, was administered immediately. Cyntoia told staff members of abuse she suffered at the hands of her father. Then she leveled a devastating accusation, that he'd raped her. Cyntoia later recanted the statement, saying she was angry with him at the time. To this day, she maintains the rape never happened. But Ellenette, who filed for divorce not long after Cyntoia's accusation, has never been able to completely dismiss the possibility.

More violent behavior.

The following April, Cyntoia violated her probation when she assaulted a teacher. That December, she was charged with escape after pulling the fire alarm at a secure juvenile detention facility and attempting to break out.[...]She was involved in roughly 20 assaults on other students. At 14, she was placed on a heavy-duty cocktail of psychotropic drugs for depression and anxiety, and she was entered into alcohol and drug treatment. In psychological evaluations at the time, doctors noted that Cyntoia often behaved irrationally, suffering from wild mood swings.

She was selling crack before she met her boyfriend/pimp. And her usual MO as a dishonest sex-worker was to take money and bolt. Hardly ethical behavior.

It also mentions that after she was arrested, she was laughing about the murder and attacked a nurse. Later, in prison, she would attack guards.

Then she attacked a nurse when she was refused a call to Ellenette.
"I shot that man in the back of the head," she allegedly screamed, "and bitch, I'm gonna shoot you three times in the back of the head and would love to see your blood splatter on the wall."[...]Through 2004 and 2005, Cyntoia was the kind of inmate who gave prison guards night sweats. She was written up repeatedly for hitting, kicking, punching, spitting and threatening the guards.

She also admitted to her adopted mother that it was not self-defense.

"I probably won't have a life anyway, Ma. It don't matter how I behave. You don't understand what I did. I killed someone."
"I know you did."
"I executed him."

Given all this, robbery and cold-blooded murder is a much more likely explanation than self-defense killing and robbery.

I don't get all these people who view Cynthoia Brown as some sort of innocent victim just because she is female.

 

[Derec]

I don't know what "Showed her his guns" means. It could mean he threatened her.

Another article goes into more detail and it looks like he just showed her his gun collection.

According to Cyntoia's statement to police, and her testimony during the juvenile transfer hearing, she and Allen ate their dinner and chatted. Allen, Cyntoia says, claimed to be an expert marksman, trained in the Army. He showed her a chrome pistol, a double-barrel shotgun and a .22-caliber rifle, she testified. At some point they went downstairs and watched TV.

Also, no gun was near him when he was murdered. He could not have gone for one.

She felt afraid. Perhaps she killed him "in self defence" just like the "Stand your ground" or some of those cops have killed in "self defence" because they were afraid and couldn't be sure, etc. If the logic applies there, it seems to apply here. I don't personally agree with the logic.

Maybe she was afraid because of drug induced paranoia. But even if it were so, that would not make the shooting justified. Self-defense rules use the "reasonable person" standard.
I don't believe she was afraid though. I think she planned it.

I don't know all the details. But the onus is on them to prove it beyond a reasonable doubt, right?

The details are pretty damning.

Same goes for the stand your ground people and cops who have killed people.

True. SYG and police officers do not usually shoot and kill people while they are lying in their beds naked though.

Don't let it mislead you either. I don't claim to know if she is or isn't. Its not like she has a long rap sheet of killings and robberies. Or does she? That could be relevant here.

She hadn't killed anybody before, but her first theft was at 12. She has a long history of assaults, both before and after her arrest for murder.
She also sold crack before she met Cut-throat. It's not like he took some innocent little girl and corrupted her.

 

[untermensche]

A sordid tale of life in a US slum, with concentrated poverty and drug prohibition creating danger for everyone.

 

[Tom Sawyer]

Ya, this doesn't sound like much of a miscarriage of justice.

While I'm not overly concerned about the death of some dipshit who was raping an underaged sex slave, her story about how she thought he was reaching for a gun doesn't match up with the coroner's report about how the body was found face down with his hands under his head like he was sleeping and the fact that she took the time to rob him before leaving undermines her credibility even more.

Based on what I've seen, I'd have voted to convict her. Her only real defense seems to be her own testimony and she doesn't seem to be at all believable. The circumstances of her life which led up to the murder truly sucked and I'd have taken that into account as a mitigating factor when determining the sentence, but this looks to be a straight up robbery and murder and not a case of self-defense.

 

[laughing dog]

It is fascinating to watch the double standard here. When there is only one witness to a killing in such a situation, and that one witness is a police officer or some white guy and the victim is person of color with a criminal record, there are plenty of people here who will accept the killer's version verbatim. However, when the killer has a criminal recor, those same people will disregard the killer's story completely and accept "likelihoods" rather than "beyond a reasonable doubt".

 

[Loren Pechtel]

Ya, this doesn't sound like much of a miscarriage of justice.

While I'm not overly concerned about the death of some dipshit who was raping an underaged sex slave, her story about how she thought he was reaching for a gun doesn't match up with the coroner's report about how the body was found face down with his hands under his head like he was sleeping and the fact that she took the time to rob him before leaving undermines her credibility even more.

Based on what I've seen, I'd have voted to convict her. Her only real defense seems to be her own testimony and she doesn't seem to be at all believable. The circumstances of her life which led up to the murder truly sucked and I'd have taken that into account as a mitigating factor when determining the sentence, but this looks to be a straight up robbery and murder and not a case of self-defense.

Yeah, I'm not buying the claim of self defense, either.

I'm not even that sure the circumstances make much difference here--yes, she had a really shitty life, but will she go straight when she's let out?

 

[Loren Pechtel]

It is fascinating to watch the double standard here. When there is only one witness to a killing in such a situation, and that one witness is a police officer or some white guy and the victim is person of color with a criminal record, there are plenty of people here who will accept the killer's version verbatim. However, when the killer has a criminal recor, those same people will disregard the killer's story completely and accept "likelihoods" rather than "beyond a reasonable doubt".

What you seem to be missing is that her version of events don't remotely match up with the evidence. That's why we aren't accepting them.

 

[laughing dog]

It is fascinating to watch the double standard here. When there is only one witness to a killing in such a situation, and that one witness is a police officer or some white guy and the victim is person of color with a criminal record, there are plenty of people here who will accept the killer's version verbatim. However, when the killer has a criminal recor, those same people will disregard the killer's story completely and accept "likelihoods" rather than "beyond a reasonable doubt".

What you seem to be missing is that her version of events don't remotely match up with the evidence.

What you are missing is that has never stopped the usual suspects (including you) from concocting explanations and possibilities that explain away the "evidence". Yet here, crickets chirping.