Netflix released the trailer for the upcoming documentary on freed prisoner Cyntoia Brown on Wednesday.
Directed by Daniel H. Birman, Murder to Mercy: The Cyntoia Brown Story follows the trials and prison time of Cyntoia Brown, a 16-year-old trafficked sex worker tried as an adult and sentenced to life in prison for the murder of 43-year-old sex solicitor Johnny Michael Allen.
Although it appears that the trailer shows Brown in a positive light, she personally announced that she had nothing to do with the documentary.
“While I was still incarcerated, a producer who has old footage of me made a deal with Netflix for an UNAUTHORIZED documentary, set to be released soon,” she posted on Instagram. “My husband and I were as surprised as everyone else when we first heard the news because we did not participate in any way. However, I am currently in the process of sharing my story, in the right way, in full detail, and in a way that depicts and respects the woman I am today. While I pray that this film highlights things wrong in our justice system, I had nothing to do with this documentary.”
Brown’s polarizing case has reached the attention of celebrities such as Rihanna and Kim Kardashian-West. Brown would gain her freedom in 2019 when Governor Bill Haslam granted clemency for Brown.
Murder to Mercy: The Cyntoia Brown Story releases on Netflix on April 29.
See the trailer below.
