Aug. 7 (UPI) -- Cyntoia Brown, a Nashville woman who was serving life in prison for killing a man while she was a sex trafficking victim, was released early Wednesday from the Tennessee Prison for Women.
Brown, 31, was convicted of murdering Johnny Allen, a real estate agent, in 2004 when she was 16 years old. She was tried as an adult in the case.
Brown served 15 years in prison before former Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam commuted her sentence. She was released at about 3:30 a.m. Wednesday. As a condition of her release, Brown must participate in regular counseling sessions, maintain employment or educational enrollment and perform 50 hours of community service with at-risk youth.
Brown said her then-24-year-old boyfriend and pimp sent her to meet with Allen for sex. Allen picked her up at a Nashville Sonic restaurant and bought her food and then took her home where the murder occurred.
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The case made national news with celebrities like Rihanna and Kim Kardashian-West supporting her. It became a symbol for many people about child sex trafficking and racial inequalities in the justice system. Brown is African American.
"I'm blessed to have a very supportive family and friends to support me in the days to come," Brown said in a statement. "I look forward to using my experiences to help other women and girls suffering abuse and exploitation."
Haslam said he decided to free Brown after getting a deeper understanding of her troubled background and her transformation while in jail. She earned her GED and an associate's degree while in jail. She also became a mentor for other women.
"She, in her own words, did something horrible," Haslam said. "She made a really bad decision as a very young woman. We want to believe that incarceration works."
Allen's family released a statement saying they are at a loss for words.
"We feel like the judicial system has failed again for victims everywhere," Allen's family said in a statement. "This world is all about power and money and not what is important such as honesty and fairness for those that work hard and try to help others. We are very saddened about this event. Our hearts are broken because we feel like Johnny never got to defend himself. We never got to be a voice for him. Please keep us in your prayers."
