This episode is made possible by capital. One getting paid up to two days. Early with direct deposit is another reason: banking with capital. One is one of the easiest decisions in the history of decisions, even easier than deciding to listen to another episode of your favorite podcast and with no these or minimums on checking and savings accounts? Is it even the decision? That's Thinking. Re imagined, what's in your wallet terms, apply see capital one dot com. Slash bank capital one any member after I see before there was the pod cas. There was radio before that, the stage before that. Well, you got the idea things of all technology changes and we do too these days. We can listen to a show wherever whenever, however, why should our work be any different? With slack were able to work with me

freedom, more flexibility, more inclusive, any and more choices. That's because lack is a digital headquarters that connects people, tools, customers and partners. All in one place, slack is where the future works: high crime, junkies, I'm your host, Ashley flowers and I'm bread, and I have to worries for you today, actually one that is unfolding right now in Wisconsin and another that began nearly two decades ago in Tennessee. They are stories about vulnerable girls who became victims first of sex trafficking and then of the justice system. Complicated stories with imperfect endings but stories that we all need to better understand? These are the stories of Crystal Keyser and sin toy eyebrow

It's just after five a dot m on Tuesday June fifth, two thousand and eighteen and first responders in Kenosha Wisconsin are racing to the scene of a house. Fire and neighbor had just woken up to see flames coming off the roof. The small house on the corner and they called nine one. One. Now firefighters focus getting the fire under control and once they do that's when they realise there had been some one in the house, a man according to demean Smith's reporting for

Journal Times, the man's body is badly burned too badly to make a positive idee. there are ninety nine percent sure that it's the homeowner thirty four years old, Randy Bowler, there also ninety nine percent sure that Randy didn't die in the fire. They suspect his death probably had more to do with the two bullet holes in the side of his head. Now that the house is a crime, seen right away police start looking around for anything that might help them figure out more about their victim and led them to whoever is responsible for his death, but they dont really find much like some empty, bottles. On the floor. Leftover pizza in the fridge several hotel room keys, but it's not so much what there that's interesting. Rather, it's what's missing that catches, their attention, neighbours tell officers that really

he's car, a Bmw, that's usually in his driveway, is missing. They can't put their finger on it, but something about the whole thing doesn't seem random to police, and so they went to retrace Randy's footsteps to understand his last movement, see if they can figure out if he saw anyone the night before and when they look at his credit card records. Something stands out right away. It's an goober ride. I mean you did just say that his car was missing from the driveway Right, but the ride was from Milwaukee to canosa at eight forty two p m the night before Monday night, so dear boy Maybe that was Randy making his way home if you left his car somewhere, but police are interested to note just maybe someone else had visited him that night, so they call up goober.

Who gives them the name of the driver who in turn says that? Yes, I did DR from Milwaukee to Randy's address on the evening of June. For but Randy wasn't the passenger. It was a girl. He described her to police as a short black girl named Chris stole the very next day their able to do a lot more with this information according Ashley Lutheran who reported on this from the Walkie Journal, Sentinel on Wednesday police, find Randy's Bmw abandoned in Milwaukee when they searched the car. It's kind of a mess of garbage and empty container. But amid all of that mass, they find two things they find a phone and they find a store. see dated Monday night now, when police code that store

They look out because it actually had functioning surveillance cameras and on that footage they see who they're looking for not one person but for its a group of teenagers, three boys and girls by all of the stuff that matched what police found inside Randy's, Bmw and there are the same people whose pictures police, and on that cell phone, that they found inside the car so to fleece, know who they are, or is this just visually matching people on the tape to the photos on the phone. visual mattering they'll have names for the faces yet but investigators, hand the footage Anna Self over to their intelligence unit and there are able to identify at least two of the individuals. police get in touch with one of them. He tells them the identity of the girl in the video and that's when things really start clicking into place. He does

The girl on the video is his sister Crystal Keyser. Crystal is the same name that that Buber driver gave and when police look into the address where the goober picked her up. It was an address tied to someone named. still Keyser so all roads or leading back to her again into Demean Smith, who reported on this story extensively for conversion news. It turns out the crystal that they're looking for is seventeen and they see that she'd actually been arrested before back just that Monday. The day before the fire Randy's house crystal had been in court pleading guilty to charges from an incident almost a year before when she fled from police after they tried to pull her over driving a story, car, so the Bmw wasn't even the first stolen car. Will it's not even the second, according to actually Lutherans peace for the Journal Sentinel by the time police? Finally, caught up with crystal after she ran from

the stolen car she admitted to being involved in about twenty other hearths. But here's where things truly get wild. They check her face but profile and they find, to their surprise, a selfie that she had taken inside Randy's house posted less than five hours before police arrived to find the place on fire and the caption under that photo says my mug shot. But despite all of this police, don't arrest crystal right away. Instead, they wait and they watch as she continues about her life and June eighth. This is now three days after the fire Randy's house. They watch a video of crystal going live on Facebook, holding a gun and ammunition, making references. two shooting a cordon quote: rich white dude and talking about giving her brother a Bmw and them

most banana thing. She saying that she isn't afraid to kill again now that is enough for police to make an arrest. So the next day they track crystal down at her boyfriend's house in Milwaukee, arrest her and bring her in. questioning at first she denies everything's. Then she didn't even know reality. So obviously she didn't shoot him, but they have that selfie of her in his house They challenge her on that and she tells him ok. Yes, I did know him, but I still don't shoot him. She says that, she and a friend were both at Randy's place that night and it was the friend who shot him. Would then police like okay. Well, what about that video you made on Facebook saying that you killed the guy and you would do it again. Finally, crystal sees the

writing on the wall and tells them ok? Yes, I did shoot Randy. Yes, I did set the house on fire and, yes, I did take his car an laptop, but she clarifies that says she wouldn't call it robberies. Hints Randy was gonna, give her both of those things anyway for her 18th birthday that seems like an awfully generous birthday present from a guy. She claimed to not even know five minutes ago right, that's the piece of the puzzle, that is really still missing like how are these two connected and once police start digging in to answer that question. They realise this is anything but a straightforward murder case. It turns out their victim Randy had his own run in with the police just a few months back, it was

February of two thousand teen. That's. When a fifteen year old girl made a nine one, one called in the middle of the night from his house saying that this guy had given her drugs and was going to kill her according to appease Jessica. Contrary wrote for the Washington Post police were bonded too. That call and found the girl out, wandering the streets in nothing but a bra and unzip jacket so by them should at least escaped the house. It sounds like we ever escaped, might not quite B right word or least that's not the way the girl saw it. I mean yes, she called nine when one and yet she was half naked on the street in the literal middle of the night. So clearly it had been a speedy exit, but one she's actually with police. She started to kind of walk that back. She told them that actually guy. She called about Randy Volar. He was her friend and you really want to get him trouble after all, hang on she's, fifteen and he's what like mid thirty. As you said, yeah

Ask what business does he have being friends of the fifteen year old, but the answer is not, he does not have a business yapping friends with a fifteen year old, nothing good, certainly and actually to clarify a point not that it even matters, but she was actually only fourteen when she met Randy the very first time and they met is that he had responded to an ad that she had on back page, which for any who doesn't know about. It was kind of like the yellow pages for sex work. Ok, but she's fourteen! That's not sex work, that's human trafficking, a thousand percent and listen! I don't owe the detail of what was actually on back page. Like I don't know if you'd posted the ad Orson was posting it for her, but I do know that the girl told police Randy had paid her for sex several times. did he know she was fourteen? Oh, he knew I mean she says that even told her one time about how he liked the bodies of younger girls so much better than women his own age. And the thing is this guy Oh said that she wasn't even the only teenager Randy was hanging around when she knew

that Randy had similar relationship with other under age, girls and she even had names and, of course, One of those names was crystal sure wise now, at the time that was happening. Of course, Crystal Lake was just a name in a police file. They had no idea who she was, mean anything, but they heard enough to know that at the very least he had at least one fifteen year old, who made that nine one one call who was clear and, admittedly being sexually abused by Randy and she's telling them, but there are more potential victims out there. So ten days

turn that nine, when one call police had knocked on Randy's door with a search warrant, and they had left with several computers and hard drives, which more than confirm their suspicions about Randy. They found so much child sex abuse, material, hundreds of photos and videos, some of which Randy had made it literally of him actually abusing victims and all of the material featured under age. Black girls, some of them looking as young as twelve, so eight Randy had been arrested for child sexual abuse or possession of child sexual abuse material.

something like that before he was killed. Arrested, yes, not necessarily charged according to more of demean Smith reporting for connection news, police arrested, Randy the same data. They had found all that stuff on his computers, Bert charges on suspicion of second degree, sexual assault of a child on child, enticement, prostitution and use of a computer to facilitate a child sex crime. Now all that happened on February twenty second. So what's he do, out on bail waiting to go to trial on those charges or what no lessons He had never been charged, get like they book him bade. You fingerprints. mug shot the whole nine yards whatever, but then police. Let him go no bail. Just like off you go, then They basically told him and at some time to expect a summons to come back because they wanna keep investigating and they did fully intend to charge him some time today, nope. So

the d A says that his office was literally just about to lay those charges when they got news that he had been killed. Ok, but that's like form flights from February two June, and they had all of that evidence like legit videos of him sexually abusing girls, videos of him what the hell was that here doing for four months waiting depressed these charges from what I can tell it, not necessarily the DA's office dragging its beak as they say that they didn't know anything about Randy or the investigation until May. Twenty four, the prosecutor assigned case a specialist in sex crimes. I guess reviewed the vile and told police that she needed more information in particular one of the identities in ages of the girls in the videos and the report from police with that information hit her desk on June Fifth, which is literally the same day that Randy's body was found burning in his house still not sure what was happening between February, whatever

they found all the stuff on his computer to may twenty forests when it seems like the actually did something about it, but ok, whatever yeah police and prosecutors, had taken a ton of heat. For that for sure I got is not clear what police were doing in that time brain. We know they are working to collect more evidence or working to identify the victims and their videos, since the days office had to like tell them to do that. So it seems like it's likely that the case just didn't get high priority. I'm sorry! If a serial child sex abuse perfectly getting them off the streets isn't a top priority, I'm not sure what is to be honest, neither do I but Jessica. Contreras raises an excellent if a little disturbing point in her article four, the post, that many law enforcement still see, victims of trafficking as willing

participants in that police report from February that lead investigators to Randy in the first place it actually refers to the fifteen year old, who placed the nine hundred call, as quote prostituting herself out, end quote so, basically in their minds. He just wasn't that dangerous of an offender, because it psyches snatching rules off the street they're coming to him again, I don't know What investigators we're thinking or why it took so long descend the file to the d A, but I know oh, that, when the detectives investigating Randy's murder start trying to figure out who he is and again how he knew crystal and why she may have killed him. What they uncover is that file, which is just pages in pages of still shots of under age girls that had been pulled from the videos Randy made, so that police could start finding the identities of his victim so is crystal when the girls in the file she is, and as she sits in

jail on a one million dollar bond. She starts to fill in some of the details for detectives, not only about what happened in those early morning, hours of June bid, but the nearly two years before that crystal says that she met Randy in the fall of two thousand sixteen at the time she was just sixteen, and her life was less than ideal. The year before her mom had fled and abusive relationship move crystal her brother and her two sisters from their home town of Gary Indiana, two Milwaukee, and it was tough. I mean they lived in a shelter for several months and even by two thousand. Sixteen crystal says that she met Randy. The whole family was still working too back on their feet. She says that they needed money for snacks and school supplies, and a friend had suggested that maybe she post an add on back pay,

try to make a little money that way which she did and the very first person to respond was Randy Crystal says that he paid her two hundred fifty dollars that first time in exchange for sex and soon they were seen each other once a week. He would take her four meals at nice, restaurants. He bought her clothes and jewellery and would even give her cash to sometimes like five hundred dollars at a time that she shared with her siblings, who were, of course in the same position. She was who, after that, she didn't bother posting on back page anymore, and I assume he knew she was sixteen well Crystal says that the first time she actually told him she was nineteen, but I find it honestly really hard to believe that anyone would look at crystal and think she was nineteen of anything like what I look at her. I think she looks even younger than she is, but here's a thing even if he did believe her like at the very beginning. It didn't take him long to learn the true since she says that he bought or cupcakes on her seventeenth birthday,

So during the almost two years that Randy and crystal work quitting quote friends, that's how she thought of him at the time. She says that he didn't just pay her for sex, but he also sold her two other men for sale she says that Randy would drive her around two different hotels to meet men for thirty minutes at a time, sometimes more than once a day, and she always and the money over to him and she says she never really question that arrangement, because one he was an adult, and she was a kid and two. She felt like she owed him for all of the dinners and clothes and money that he had given her paint. That is legit the definition of human trafficking. You could dot paint a clearer picture if you tried absolutely- and it is child sex abuse to

she has sixteen and seventeen during this time, and I mean the men that she was meaning those hotels or at least twice her age, if not much older right. So what does crystal say? Habit on June fifth in Randy's house like what What's her version of what went down we'll Crystal tells police that, after she left court that day in Milwaukee, she and her boyfriend immediately started fighting and it just like kept escalating. He had been violent toward her before she was worry, so she texted Randy to see if she could come to his place until things blew over. So that's when he called her that you were to take her from a walkie to canosa when she got two realities play. She said they ordered a pizza, and the plan was to just like chill out and watch a movie at some point

Randy offered her drinks and drugs. I'm not sure if you drink any alcohol, but she says she did take the drugs which started to hit her. While they were watching the movie, then she says Randy started to touch her, but Crystal told him she wasn't interested as she tells posed reporter Jessica. Contrary quote, I didn't want to do that stuff anymore, because I was trying the change and quote, but she says that Randy wasn't taking no for an answer. She says he started telling her that she owed him for everything he done for her, including baling. Her out of jail to the tune of four hundred dollars, and eventually she says that she was on the floor and Randy was on top of her trying to take her pants off while she tried to get away and she did get away somehow at some point, which is when she grabbed the gun that she hadn't

part one that she'd been carrying only for a few weeks at this point for protection and she shot reality in the head. She says that she doesn't remember pulling the trigger, but according to appease from box six news Milwaukee after the shooting she put her dishes in the dishwasher and tidy up, and then she used tissues and toilet paper to start the fire, something she says she's on an episode of criminal minds. If you can believe that- and she did, this is a way to get rid of the evidence and she left with the laptop she left with some cash and Randy's Bmw. Now at first glance, it seems that she has a pretty decent case of self defence, but the evidence is actually telling police and prosecutors a different story, one that to them looks a whole heck of a lot like

free, meditated, murder. In addition to that Facebook live video crystal made a few days after the murder, essentially admitting that she'd killed. Someone may also find Facebook messages crystal sent before the murder messages to friends about how she was going to get a Bmw, soon and text literally the night of the murder that are even more incriminating and actually I'm gonna get you to read a few of them right. This is from Jessica, Contreras piece in the Washington Post away. It says, quote the knight of the crime according to prosecutors crystal as texting to people, but where the key Tuesday Quote cart was and that she had learned how to start it.

at one thousand and forty two p dot m. She texted when you want me to do it bay at eleven or nine p, dot M none, but I couldn't do it right now, though, one thousand one hundred and thirteen p dot m, I'm finna. Do it one thousand two hundred and three a dot m just order some pizza, so I'm awake, it's just going to split everywhere. I looked up on Google and it's a pillar. I'm will wait until he's asleep end quote. I mean it doesn't look great for crystal do we doing know who she was talking to the police? They were involved like conspirators so We don't know who they are. The source material just says that she was texting friends and to mine No one else is facing charges in this other not consider conspirators at your saying. So what does does we'll have to say about all that. What this point she hasn't explained it, which is why the self Defense story isn't flying with police

prosecutors know they don't deny that crystal was a victim of sexual abuse at the hands of Randy, even that she was trafficked by him, but they also don't think that it was the root cause of the murder. But you can't separate crystal if it down with crystal the person on trial for murder, if she's, only one person, I'm not saying killing Randy, their crime, abusive though he was to her, but it has to be more nuanced, and that right I mean that's the problem with the large pretty black and white right now,. doesn't leave a lot of room for contacts, and we don't talk about this kind of contacts in Africa Will they even begin to understand how to Ross's in wrap their minds around it. Everything she experienced in life, the sexual abuse by him, the tracking by him, even if I wasn't to witness as a child and then live through herself later on, like all of that informs who she is for sure. The story crystal telling doesn't match up with evidence. Police have gathered like the text in the Facebook post, but

in time, she wouldn't have even known Randy if it hadn't been for early ship that he initiated. That was completely of user from the start right, but the other thing prosecutors make a point to say, and this goes back to ever. Bing, being very cotton dry, no room for interpretation. Is they say you know what look at Randy and Bank Merriwig. We're not gonna bother prosecuting that murder because he was a predator who would have likely been charged for sex crime anyways. I was he a bad dude. Yes! Does that make it ok to kill him? No, but as crystal sits in prison on that million dollar bond shall never be able to raise herself support for her starts to spread and grow fuelled in large part by Jessica, Contreras piece in the Washington Post. Basically, her supporters want the d to drop the charges entirely and let her go. They say that

still is a victim and her behaviour during those we hours of June Fit to doesn't eighteen when she was just seventeen years old is a direct result of being trafficked. They say you can't untangle crystal the victims of human trafficking from Crystal the person who pulled the trigger dislike you set, and the advocates are saying we shouldn't be locking her up and is throwing away. The king should be getting her help the help it she needs as a victim of a crime herself as a survivor, for of child sexual abuse and human trafficking. No one is saying she didn't do it. No one is disputing the facts of this case. What they're saying is that none of this would have happened if crystal hadn't been trafficked in the first place and that's pretty much the argument. Her legal team, once you using court, is actually called an affirmative defence which exist under Wisconsin law. Large provide victims of human trafficking. You from prosecution for crimes related to that trafficking, does it apply in a murder case, though I mean, I guess, I thought

was more about charges related to sex work, specifically like maybe even daft, that kind of thing not more so you're you're right, the affirmative defence has never been used in a murder trial. Like I don't think it's been used, Annie, or in a murder trial, not just with concept. This would be the first time, so it's one of the reasons is actually a really big deal. It could set a precedent for other cases, and the other is that it is a complete defence, which means that if a jury agrees that the murder was a direct result of trafficking and find her not guilty crystal would be free to go, and this kind of affirming a defence hasn't been used in court. But not the concept is brand new self defense is in and of itself on affirmative defence, and so as insanity yeah, but you know just to throw this out. There is not as easy as her defence team decide

like geologists use this strategy. It actually has to go up to a judge to decide if it's even something crystal can argue in court. Oh and yet, in December of two dozen nineteen, the judge actually says no, the affirmative. law does not apply in a murder case. However, her lawyers appealed that decision. They took it to a higher court who decide in June of twenty twenty one that crystal can use. These in its defence a trial and is that what she does will not so far because the case still hasn't gone to trial, crystal has been out on bond since June of twenty twenty bow, and the last I heard the day is still moving forward with first to re, murder charges, but there's no trial date set or anything like that, at least not as of this recording. So it's always possible that the case will not now

four go all the way to trial. Maybe they'll make a plea agreement or me: no they're, almost one and a half million signatures on a petition calling for the data drop. The charges against her entirely, but advocates and survivors of human trafficking say that even just the ability to argue the affirmative defence in or is huge me outward, then it's a signal that things are changing, that the justice system is starting to see victims of human trafficking as truly victims, one who need treatment and support just like any other victim, but all of us kind of recognising its freely we think complicated, yeah, an honest kind. Our minds me of story. We told a few months back about Billy Stafford, the guy who was shot by wife after years of domestic violence, again not again, Do it right now, but the prosecution argued basically what the DEA in this case a that being about, do, does make murder anymore. Ok- and I mean I'm a hundred years, in agreement with that, when it comes down to it, its victim blaming really but

being a victim either of human trafficking. My crystal or domestic violence like Billy's, wife, Jean it does change the context of the crime and it should be taken into consideration by everyone from police to prosecutors, to corrections like all the way. along the process. Yet just like you said, Jane Hersman Ability Stafford. I think that's a great example, because the crown remember this was a canadian case was like hell, bent on first to be murdered charges. They wouldn't reduce the charge to me and said or anything like that. They refused to day, trotted their argument in court and what did the jury decide? They found Jane Innocent and that's the risk that I think the DA's facing in this case too. If you go in guns, blazing with first Ray murder and that jury finds her not guilty, then what right and I'm just thinking about some of those special courts out there like drug cord, spittle health cords, domestic violence courts, and whether there may be an option that bridges the gap between prosecution, defence, one that helps get justice for Randy

but also acknowledges that crystal would benefit more from like actual rehabilitation and hard times I mean it's certainly, a lot more progressive than the approach to justice system took, in another case a strikingly similar case that happened fifteen years earlier in Tennessee and actually wanted to try something a little different with this episode. So I asked you to dive into the second case, so I could really focus on crystals. So I'm going to pass it over to you to tell the next dory okay. So The story I have read today start on August. Seventy two thousand for in Nashville Tennessee, it's a little after some that day, when a call comes in to nine hundred and eleven dispatch, dispatcher asked the usual. What's the address of your emergency and the color, a woman gives them a street address on mossdale drive. The next question, of course, is: what's the emergency what's going on over there and the color responds with just one word: homicide and according to court documents, offer your tries to get warm

but the collar hangs out before answering any more questions. This has got to be one of those like this is a frank. Is it not moments, but the operator dispatches first responders right away when police arrive they get no answer the front door, but are thankfully able to get and through the garage- and it doesn't take them long to find what they're? Looking for therein the bedroom lying naked face down on the bed, a pool of blood is a man. It looks as though he's been shot and his hands are kind of lace together under his face, almost like he'd been sleeping, and when the paramedics arrived, they confirm what officers already knew the man is dead. Please identify him as forty three year old Johnny when an right away. They get to work, searching home for evidence. They find one showcasing under the bed, which is really all the expected to find, since there seem to be only one bullet at play here that went straight through Johnny's head and into the wall. Was there like any kind of gun to know they don't,

find a gun which, along with the position of the body, is what makes some pretty confident other with a homicide and not a suicide. No, I wasn't able to find a ton of detail about the investigation, except to say that something leads them. First, he's truck, which they find abandoned, Walmart parking Lot and then to a motel just on the street now by now the We hours of August ate like full on middle of the night and their standing outside room through knocking on the door, a man things that are open and police immediately, Poland, outside and within seconds a young.

women a naked young woman named Sequoia Brown comes flying out the door saying cut, didn't do it I'll, tell you everything cut, isn't toys boyfriend and I know you can't see me right now, but heavy airports on the word boyfriend in her book, freeze, employer. She writes about card at that time in her life, when she was essentially homeless, AIM was using drugs and hustling to get by. He was every single kind of use of physical, emotional, sexual, but also she was pretty much dependent on him to anyway. Police bring them both in for questioning, but the person they really want to talk to is the woman

She tells them that her name is some Toya Denise Mitchell and that she's nineteen years old she tells him that she'd met the man for the first time, two nights before on August sex at about eleven p M when he pulled up next to her in his truck at a sonic and asked if she was hungry, she tells pleased that she was hungry this guy looked safe, like a businessman, someone who had an actual job a career, so she climbed into his truck and they headed to the sonic drive it she's as Johnny bought her a burger and offer to let her stay at his place, and she agreed and during the drive to his place and twice as he told her, he was a real danger and he here in the community and was no kind of this man about town, he seemed like a nice enough guy and everything seemed fine. That is, she tells please until they got to his place. That's one thing started to get a little strange and I get the sense that what she means is that his demeanor changed. She says he started showing her other rifles. He hasn't it

ways and tells her how he used to be a sharpshooter in the military. That kind of stuff is like happening and look at in intimidating way. Yet totally and she says they finish their food and then watch tv for a bit, and then she told me she was really tired and asked if he would mind if she slept for a little bit and he was like sure, that's fine. She tells police that what she was really hoping for is that he would fall asleep, so she could sneak out without any sort of scene, but according to some toy out, while they were lying in bed, the man started touching her and whispering to her at first. She was just like can have shifting around in the bed, pretending to be asleep in kind uncomfortable and annoyed. But then she says he grabbed her hard between the legs and when she tongue around the face him. She saw this terrifying look in his eyes and aggressive look. She says her first thought was my God. He is gone, to hit me, but instead of hitting her, he rolled away in the opposite direction, which is what it does

on her that no he's not gonna hit me he's going to kill me. She says she was sure he was reaching forgotten and in a split second, since one says she reach into her person the nightstand grabbed the gun. She'd started carrying just a couple weeks before pointed at Johnny and pulled the trigger, but there are parts of sin to his story that artfully adding up to place its other. They think that everything she sang is lie. They can see these nuggets of truth in it, but what she's telling them basically that she shot Johnny in Self Defence, but that's not what it looked like to police at the scene to them rubber look like he been asleep when he was shot. So, if they're not see assault friends, what's their theory at this point, or do they still leave name? Have one now dead? please think that's a toy escaping over an important detail that she's a sex worker and that she Johnny Ellen? While he slept so, she could rob him or reassigned

missing from the house besides his truck. So when they arrest centre at the motel, they find his wallet and some guns, both of which have been stolen from the house and eventually she says that she ended up taking a hundred and seventy three dollars for him. So with this please feel they have enough to charge and toilet with first every murder which they do and according to court documents, it's only after the arrangement that police learn that this nineteen year old son, toilet niece Mitchell is in fact, sixteen year old Son Toilet Denise Brown and we now we're talking about a minor which I wouldn't gin changes the charges or or even a theory of what happened like? Does it for them not at all. In fact, the prosecution is planning to ass, the judge to transfer some toy it to adopt court, which would mean the minimum sentence if she's convicted on charges is sixty years with no

civilian for all four fifty one years, and I assume that life is probably an option to them if she is being looked at as an adult. Oh yeah, absolutely secondary murder to mercy. This enjoy a brown story. They actually say that Tennessee has the harshest mandatory minimums in the country when it comes to juveniles being tried an adult court which actually happens way more frequently than I think we even

acknowledge or know about. Even for those of us in the truth, crime, community and Cynthia is one of them. Her case is transfer to adult court and, when the time finally comes to put it before jury she's, eighteen years old and while that still so so young this, Inter Alia, the jury Seas is not the sixteen year old in actual legit Patel Braids, who was arrested back into doesn't for its a slightly older, suddenly more mature, looking Sequoia and a story she tells, but the night of August Sex is actually not markedly different from the one she told please do not first interrogation. What is different, though, is what she shares about: every

thing that led up to the light of August Sixth, which is like, for example, how scenario is born when her biological mother was just sixteen years old and even at sixteen, she was drinking heavily every day, all throughout her pregnancy, her by among kept drinking after some toy it was born, but then she discovered crack cocaine and soon found herself with a full blown substance use disorder. top of the alcohol use this whole time, Exxon Toil living with her like dejection, keep custody of Sequoia This'Ll time yeah. She did often on until see Interior was adopted at age to be heard the other element said on the murdered Remercie Mercy Documentary that she and her husband had been caring for Sequoia, since she was only six months. Old and even though her mom and dad provided a loving home for Sequoia. By the time she was a teenager, her life was already off the rails. It seemed like she was always getting in trouble for something by the time

he pulled the trigger and Johnny Alan's bedroom? She already been kicked out of school arrested and serve time in juvenile detention, and so when she like I cut the one she was living in the motel with an he convinced, her dessert, extending sex for money. She was I honestly shore, whatever you very again, Sixteen no one's a sex workers like she herself is a victim of trafficking, whatever role cut played anatomy totally totally, but totally totally two back in two thousand and six at murder trial. That's not the way the jury sees it because that's not the way the prosecution presented it. So, after only six hours of deliberation, the jury comes back with a guilty verdict guilty of first remoter guilty of felony murder, guilty of aggravated robbery and its entire ascends to life in prison. With no possibility of rural for fifty one years and to say that some toy changed in prison with kind of b. The understatement of ale

if time, actually, while their supply of finishes high school and starts working towards an association to re, she earns another degree, a bachelor as this time in organizations development graduating with a four point, o GPA. She starts writing the book, though I mentioned earlier called freezing Toya. I mean she's, literally a new and completely different person, but despite all that work, it was never enough to get some toy it anywhere with appeals. The court's rejected every request her team made, but then into those seventeen a reporter happens, dimensions into his case in a story about a new Tennessee law, one that prohibits minors from being charged and sentence as sex workers, and it is exactly what's in toys. Defence didn't even know that they always needed so on the heels of that story comes an absolute flood of support, Rihanna postmen social media about since

Kim Kardashian does too Lebron James T. I wanted all right and all of a sudden hashtag free, Cyntoia Brown has a million tweets and is growing by the day, and just to give you a flavour of the tone shift like culturally and thirteen years and all this started. Can you just read reactors posed for us sure she writes quote. Imagine at the age of sixteen being sex trafficked by a pimp named cut throat after days have been repeatedly drugged and rate by different man. You were purchased by forty three year old child edit who took you to his home to use you for sex, you end up finding enough courage to fight back and shoot and kill him you're arrested as a result tried and convicted as an adult and sentenced to life in prison. This is the story of sin. Toya Brown she will be eligible for parole when she is sixty nine years old. End quote her. That's heavy yeah, laying it out that way that she

even be eligible for parole until she's, almost seventy, because of about five seconds of time that happen when she was sixteen there is actually a picture of the on unreality, Instagram Post and again she looks so young and that's what would have looked like on that night. Johnny Alan picture up outside at the sonic for the express purpose of taking her back to his house for sex, which again the prosecutions theory all along of what happened, and eventually, what's in toys admitted to again, like the actual like black and white events. Don't change its all about this context? She was a child. She looks like a child. It just seems the others to me that anyone would look at this girl and think anything other than that they like. How can you look at her and call her an adult? I know- and I think so I had to do with the life that's enjoy had been leading up to that point like before. She was arrested for them

not to mention the way she acted when you first locked up, which you can probably guess, was super aggressive, defiant violent. But I mentioned before the change of law. Two thousand seventeen leaned human trafficking is the one that kick started. The whole freeze enjoy a brown movement. Well, there's another important way. Public sentiment is at least starting to shift. First came a Supreme court decision in two thousand, and that said guys, juveniles can't be sentenced to life without for all for non homicidal. Violence is an two years later into us in twelve Kalen Ford reported for ABC News that a second Supreme Court decision said we take that back actually life without for all for any juvenile for any crime including my constitutes cruel and unusual punishment, do either of those actually apply to sit toys. I may know that, technically she isn't serving life without parole. She can get parole that sixty nine, but isn't that effectively life in prison like what was it you of her life of the first time she stepped into the

I'll just sixty nine years old right. So first thing, small correction to the Vienna treat you read before. She would actually be sixty seven, because she d get some credit for time serve. But honestly, neither here nor there, but neither of the rulings apply this entire because Tangley, like you said her sentence, is a life without for all, but that almost doesn't matter because by this time she got all this momentum building behind her. Since she has changed, the world has changed, so Cynthia and her team decide to ride this wave of support and make their one final Hale Mary PATH, which is to ask the governor for clemency and, when I say hell, Mary pass. This is truly a hail. Mary pass the very very last possible opportunity for someone to look at some toy as two thousand for crime and two thousand six conviction and consider how appropriate the punishment,

he is given all that has changed in the meantime and in May two thousand eighteen and toilet goes before the board of Pardons Pearls in Tennessee to essentially plead her case and gesture clarity. Her going before the parole board isn't really necessarily about proving guilt or innocence. Right, like my understanding, his parole board, is you have to like show that you change and you should be considered for release, even though her sentence would necessarily allow for right exactly so what her team is asking the boy direct many of the governor is that some toy a be commuted from first degree, murder to second degree murder, which means that, even if there are successful she may still have to serve time, whether behind bars or on parole. Chills still have a record all that stuff, but even with

In those confines, a commutation to second degree, murder would give some a second chance. One of the people who testifies on her behalf at that hearing is actually a Tennessee state prosecutor, the one who argued against centurions appeal and was ultimately successful, because the verdict was upheld, but he tells the board he had. No, no idea that the person he just argued should stay in prison for fifty one years was the same person sitting in his classroom, making straight AIDS and once he knew that he realized he needed to do something about it. Ultimately, the board is essentially split, two of them vote for clemency, to vote against it and to say that she should be eligible for poorer after twenty five years. So what did he mean? Well, it means the governor has a lot to consider making his decision. I mean these nations go to him and in theory the board

ways, one way or the other, and you can say like everyone's, an agreement on this when, let's do this, he's got it completely? Split vote but it's actually not until January two thousand nineteen, eight months after the hearing that some toy finds out that the decision has been made, the governor has decided to commute Sequoia sentenced to fifteen years, which doesn't mean she's free to go right there, there she still has seven months to go. You ever there's a big difference between seven months in fifty one years paint not to mention of big given Jeanne being released from prison at sixty, seven or thirty one, which is howls and twitter is when she walks out of that Tennessee women's present for the first time since she was sixteen years old and to save the time in prison change into it is again almost not the right word she is transform during those years she has always been smart ass. I call it is to evaluate its entire way back in two thousand for and testified that her, I Q. Is it a ninety percent I'll

of the entire population, but prison had given her the time and space to focus that intelligence hang up. Are you actually saying for one's of I've never heard this prison actually worked? Ok, do not put it's in my mouth I would say that time work mean who's to say what kind of impact the right kind of trauma informed, counselling and treatment would have had Anson toys life if she had been given those opportunities, you're right from the start, if she been recognised as a victim of human trafficking facing impasse while situation every day of her life, rather than as an adult who knowingly unintentionally, committed murder. I think it's easy for us to like look at enjoy a story here. Her story and things like, while things of real change were acknowledging that things were more complex and the system allowed for at the time whatever, but is in border river commutation is not exoneration. Sin toy is still technically a convicted killer, and

is a lot that comes along without job. She can get whether it is able to vote like again she's out of jail, noted a huge step, but it is not. You know giving her a hundred per cent of her life back that she lost again. Certainly Sir thing, but I wouldn't call it a clear wind for advocates of human trafficking survivors. I do think it illustrates really well how much things can change in a pretty short amount of time now, public sentiment towards VIC but also laws and the way that their implemented it. Also again, you guys shows you the power that you have those million tweets like that's what got people paying attention to those cases, and I think that's where all of our crime junkies come in, and I always kind of wonder, like Woodson. Toya story have unfolded differently if it happened today, rather then in two thousand for- and you know, I think there's a way for us to kind of know that I think we'll all be watching crystals case to find out

you can find- while the source material for this episode on our website, crime, junkie, podcast, dot, com, ambition, however, our instagram at crime Donkey podcast, but do stick around because we're getting its you a little bit early, but we have our profit of the month coming up,

crime junkie is an audio chuck production. So what do you think check? Do you? roof. Ok, I'm gonna be honest. This might be one of the most inspiring puppet of the month. Submissions I've ever gotten high bar okay. It is a story about a pug, but it also a story about so so much more. I tried, while reading this suspicion when I spoke to her listener alleys, who submitted the story and the whole time I was preparing this segment. So just gonna warn you right now, a few, ago, our Lester Emily's found herself in an abusive relationship with guy. Now I'm gonna call the jerk and, as we see so often, he started out really sweet and doting towards ITALY's, but soon became. trolling and manipulative. He would take her money and not repay her degraded in front of people with no regard for her life.

but her family made her text whom, like every two hours, to keep track of what she was an actually. I know this will specifically making spiral with rage. He especially utilise his face to manipulate her to be more obedient and submissive to none of you all again, all you guys. This is not just a jerk. This is like all signs of like an emotionally abusive relationships, are red flag, red five August or the jerk Very much, not a good, dude and analysed was really struggling any. She was lonely because he had completely isolated her. She was so depressed Sought in no way out, she even contemplated taken home life just to escape her situation, and she knew that these thoughts were dangerous and they terrified her. But she decided that there was one thing that might help at least with her loneliness, and that was getting the dawn so police and the Turk go off to and adoption event and all the dogs they are getting all the pets and the cuddled

pension, and that's why I can't go to adoption events. Remark that come with dogs and all the dogs again asking all the love, except for Arthur Arthur was a twelve year old pug who was coming lately, Duff had her loss due to a wee allergy and pretty much had no t platform. Honey. Look like he was rounding, the ban to Rainbow Bridge real fast and even though she had We need a younger dog that she could spend years and years, whereas the jerk actually pushed ITALY's towards Arthur, saying things like now just take. no one else once in any way and in Hindsight ITALY's believes that he did that expecting Arthur not to live long and ITALY's within turned to him for comfort. Using this poor. Geriatric This is another way to manipulate her and her emotions and like how this power hanging over her head. However, Arthur outlasted, the jury, the purpose of her words? Not even wine Arthur

raw enemies. The joy that gave her the confidence to leave the companionship. that showed her. What love really actually looks like since he looked and acted a bit like a cantankerous old man Arthur taught ITALY's to laugh again but never manipulated or of the little her when she just needed a good cry. Emily's got out of her views of relationship and Arthur Hell do it and when she was ready, helped her in forging the relationship with her. Now has been trying to also did with Arthur immediately and loved him. Immensely trend and analysed gave Arthur his best and most amazing life until he passed peacefully in his sleep last year at the age of seventeen,

he said that, though the aggrieved Arthur more than I thought they ever would or could be possible. She knows that he left her with a brand new life and shall always be grateful to him for being her friend when she desperately needed one, and she adopted Arthur from the Pacific pug Rescue, which will be linking to honour website, along with pictures of Arthur, who was so freaking adorable and evidently had been adopted out and returned back to the rescue three times before alleys met him, which is just wildly because one I don't Arthur seems that he was the perfect dog and too talk about fate. Oh my god, I'm like a piece of work. We bid. Ok. Ok, so I did you take some deep breaths, because the story is not quite or of On top of this amazing story of a girl and her cranky OPEC and now works at an organization dedicated to

being women heal from the damage of domestic violence is the innovation is called abuse, recovery, ministry services and she is incredibly passionate not only about helping others recover from situations. Ethnic violence, but raising awareness that domestic homicides are domestic violence cases and there is help out there. So we'll be linking the that organization, as well as specific progress you and hosting pictures of Arthur on our website crimes, gps, dot com,