Just days before leaving office, Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam granted clemency to Cyntoia Brown, a Tennessee woman convicted of murdering a man who purchased her for sex when she was 16-years-old.
In a statement released by her lawyers, Brown thanked Haslam "for your act of mercy in giving me a second chance. I will do everything I can to justify your faith in me.
"With God's help, I am committed to live the rest of my life helping others, especially young people. My hope is to help other young girls avoid ending up where I have been."
Brown's legal team has worked tirelessly to overturn her 2006 conviction and in an exclusive interview with NBC Nightly News, they discussed their client's reaction to the news.
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"She did a little dance. I did a little dance," said her attorney, Charles Bone.
The full interview will air on NBC this evening as part of a new “Justice for All” series, focusing on unjust sentencing, unreliable convictions, and the wrongfully accused.
Speaking with Refinery29, NBC News anchor Lester Holt discussed the many mitigating factors in Brown's case and told Refinery29 that it, "shines a light on the underlying issue of kids who were tried as adults and are now serving life sentences."
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