‘Murder to Mercy’ Details Cyntoia Brown’s Complex Murder Conviction and Fight for Clemency

Sandra Miska

Cyntonia Brown, the formerly incarcerated Tennessee woman whose plight earned her the support of the likes of Rihanna and Kim Kardashian, is the subject of a new Netflix documentary, “Murder to Mercy: The Cyntoia Brown Story.” In his second documentary about Brown, director Daniel Birman details his subject’s legal battle from the beginning, presenting a compelling portrait of the woman behind the hashtag

“Murder to Mercy” starts from the very beginning, in 2004, when Brown was charged with first-degree murder. Most people know that Brown, then 16, killed an adult man, Johnny Allen, who had picked her up for sex, but those who did not follow her case closely do not know many details beyond that. Birman brings the viewer up to speed through courtroom footage and interviews, including revealing interviews with Brown herself. 

The gist of the case is this: The defense argued that Brown, who was being sex trafficked by her older boyfriend, felt threatened by Allen during their encounter and killed him in self-defense. The prosecution presented the case that the murder was premeditated, pointing to the fact that she left the scene with money from Allen’s wallet, two guns and his truck. At the end of her criminal trial, she was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison.

The documentary doesn’t try to portray Brown a saint or sensationalize her story, but rather it rationally makes the case that she was failed by the system. Tennessee has some of the strictest laws when it comes to minors charged with murder, and the decision to transfer her to an adult facility early on deprived her of the proper psychiatric treatment she so desperately needed. While 2004 may not seem like that long ago, society has come a long way when it comes to how we precieve sexual abuse and trafficking of minors. Back then Brown was legally classified as a prostitute, despite being underaged. Mercifully, the law caught up to the times by the time Brown’s case went viral, leading to her successful appeal to the governor for clemency in 2019.

Birman also explores the nature versus nurture debate as it pertains to Brown. From the age of two, Brown was raised in a stable home with a loving adoptive mother, Ellenette Brown, but still had issues that led her to run away from home as a teen. Through interviews with Cyntoia’s biological mother Georgina Mitchell, as well as Mitchell’s own mother, it is revealed that there is a family history of mental illness, and Mitchell also discloses that she drank heavily while pregnant, which led to Brown being born with Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. Everyone knows it’s harmful for an expectant mother to consume alcohol, but most people don’t know the long-term effects of FAS, but here we learn how it may have affected Brown’s impulse control.

What’s most striking about “Murder to Mercy” is Brown herself, whom we see grow tremendously through her trials. Evidence of her resilient spirit is seen in her reaction to her initial sentencing; she is more worried about the effect it will have on Ellenette than herself. Despite FAS, she is remarkably intelligent, and even earned two degrees in prison, completing both with a 4.0 grade point average.

“Murder to Mercy” is not without its controversy. Many have pointed out that Birman repurposed footage from his 2011 documentary “Me Facing Life: Cyntoia’s Story.” In addition, the filmmaker has also received heat for the fact that much of the footage of Brown was filmed when she was still underage. But the biggest argument against its release is the fact that Brown, who married in 2019 and now goes by Cyntoia Brown Long, has disavowed the film, stating on Twitter that she had no prior knowledge of it. 

While “Murder to Mercy” offers few new revelations to those who saw Birman’s first documentary and closely followed Brown’s subsequent case, it presents an eye-opening narrative for those who know only the basics of her story. At the very least, it offers valid critiques of the U.S. legal system, especially when it comes to juvenile offenders and abuse victims.

“Murder to Mercy: The Cyntoia Brown Story” begins streaming April 29 on Netflix.