How a criminal became a superstar In 2020, Natflix released a high-profile documentary called From Murder to Pardon: The Story of Cyntoi Brown. At first glance, it seems that the project will simply tell about a judicial error and its correction. However, involuntarily, the creators of this film reflected not only and not so much the mistakes of the judicial system as the duplicity and falsehood of the defenders and convicts seeking release despite everything. .
Cyntoia Brown killed a man at sixteen. The circumstances of this event were as follows. The girl was raised by an adoptive mother, as her own mother led an unsightly lifestyle. As soon as she was in transition, Cyntoia Brown became a big problem - she didn't go to school, skipped, smoked, drank, hung out with guys. In the end, she ran away from home and began to freely consume prohibited substances and trade her body. One day, she crossed paths with a realtor named Johnny Allen. They arranged to pay her for $150 and went to his house. While in bed, she shot him in the head. Then I took the valuables, the car and left.
When she was caught, she explained that she sincerely believed that she was in danger and that this man was going to take her life.
This happened in 2004. The court did not believe in the version of self-defense and eventually she was sentenced to life imprisonment.
It is likely that she would have spent all or a significant part of her life in prison if someone had not noticed a pretty girl and decided that her story could make a great example of the injustice of the judicial system against minors. So Cyntoia Brown became a star.
She was first featured in the 2011 documentary "Independent Lens" - Me Facing Life: Cyntoia's Story. Then there was Sentencing Children in 2016. As a result, powerful lawyers joined the case of Cyntoi Brown. They spent a considerable amount of time and money convincing the court to reopen the case. Their main argument was the presence of the girl’s “fetal alcohol syndrome”. They assured the court that since Cyntoi's mother Brown drank a lot during pregnancy, it affected the girl's psyche, her functionality and generally turned into almost mentally retarded.
This story quickly created an image that was most convenient for human rights defenders and set off a wave of interest in the media and social networks. A prostitute and drug addict magically became a victim of sex trafficking. Cyntoia Brown was portrayed as a martyr - a poor stupid girl who had no chance since birth, made a mistake, and the court mercilessly sentenced her to life in prison. And this poor girl behaved diligently in prison and studied well, turning into a woman worthy of a second chance.
Cyntoia Brown, in From Murder to Pardon: The Cyntoi Brown Story, says, “I understand that the impression you make on others can play a huge role.” And in saying that, she expressed the whole point of her case. She killed a man for no reason. She became a nocturnal butterfly simply because she was tired of studying and wanted to get high. But skilled lawyers, human rights activists, paid academics, journalists, documentary filmmakers and others have managed to whitewash her. She, in turn, leaving the courtroom immediately cast off the mask of a mentally unhealthy unhappy girl and skillfully absorbed the science of interpreting facts, replacing concepts and creating a positive image.
The history of Cyntoi Brown is very revealing for modern society. It clearly shows that facts can be interpreted in any way, that hype in the media is an influential tool for influencing the legislation and the judicial system, that the ability to pretend and adapt is the main life skill in the modern world.
From Murder to Pardon: The Cyntoi Brown Story 2020 is a stunningly manipulative and arrogant tale of a supposedly mentally ill and mentally handicapped girl who ultimately turned out to be a smart, successful, lucky and contented star. We recommend watching.