Published: January 7, 2019

TENNESSEE GOV. BILL HASLAM GRANTED EXECUTIVE CLEMENCY TODAY (MONDAY) TO CYNTOIA DENISE BROWN BY COMMUTING HER SENTENCE OF LIFE IMPRISONMENT.  ACCORDING TO A PRESS RELEASE, BROWN, WILL BE RELEASED TO PAROLE SUPERVISION ON AUGUST 7, 2019, AFTER SERVING 15 YEARS IN PRISON.  IN 2006, BROWN WAS CONVICTED BY A DAVIDSON COUNTY JURY OF FIRST-DEGREE MURDER AND AGGRAVATED ROBBERY FOR THE 2004 MURDER OF 43-YEAR-OLD NASHVILLE REAL ESTATE AGENT JOHNNY ALLEN, WHICH OCCURRED WHEN BROWN, WHO WAS 16 AT THE TIME, WAS PICKED UP BY ALLEN AND TAKEN TO HIS HOME.  SHE RECEIVED A LIFE SENTENCE WITH THE POSSIBILITY OF PAROLE AFTER SERVING A MINIMUM OF 51 YEARS IN PRISON.  GOVERNOR HASLAM ADVISED THE DECISION CAME AFTER CAREFUL CONSIDERATION OF THIS TRAGIC AND COMPLEX CASE AND AFTER THE TENNESSEE BOARD OF PAROLE ISSUED A POSITIVE RECOMMENDATION TO THE GOVERNOR IN FAVOR OF GRANTING BROWN A COMMUTATION EARLIER THIS YEAR.  THE EXTRAORDINARY STEPS BROWN HAS TAKEN TO REBUILD HER LIFE HAVE ATTESTED TO HER TRANSFORMATION INCLUDING EARNING HER GED AND COMPLETING HER ASSOCIATE DEGREE IN 2015 THROUGH THE LIPSCOMB LIFE PROGRAM WITH A 4.0 GPA.  IT IS ANTICIPATED THAT SHE WILL COMPLETE A BACHELOR’S DEGREE IN 2019.