Tennessee governor is looking into Cyntoia Brown’s case after viral rally for justice

Cyntoia Brown, a Nashville woman who was trafficked as a child prostitute and later sentenced to life behind bars for killing a man while fearing for her life at the age of sixteen, has finally received some good news.

After celebrities such as Rihanna and Kim Kardashian took to social media to advocate on behalf of Brown, with the rally for justice, in turn, going viral, it has since been reported that the governor of Tennessee is now looking into the case.

According to a spokesperson for Gov. Bill Haslam, he is “aware of the Cyntoia Brown case,” something that is an integral component of being granted a clemency. First, the Board of Parole will have to review a clemency application and give their recommendation, with the governor then able to grant or deny clemency.

At the time of this report, Brown is now 29 and without clemency, wouldn’t be given the chance for parole until she has served 51 years.

“I would be really surprised by the end of the year,” Haslam shared with reporters, adding that a decision to grant clemency could arrive next year. “I think we’re just starting to gather the information.”

According to Brown’s former public defender, Kathy Sinback, she is “appreciative and overwhelmed” by the attention, with the hashtag advocating for her release, #FreeCyntoiaBrown, garnering hundreds of thousands of retweets. Kardashian has also recruited her own lawyer, Shawn Holley, to help with Brown’s case.

More on this story as it develops.