Murder of Johnny Allen
On the night of August 5, 2004, 16-year-old Brown met 43-year-old Johnny Mitchell Allen in the parking lot of a Sonic Drive-In on Murfreesboro Road in Nashville, Tennessee. Allen was a real estate broker and a United States Army veteran.[11] Based on what Brown told investigators, Allen asked her if she was hungry and if she was homeless.[12][13] Brown answered yes to both questions and accepted Allen's offer to take her to his house. Brown and Allen ordered dinner and Allen drove the pair to his home.[14][15] At a later hearing, Brown testified that she agreed to have sex with Allen for US$150, but claimed that they never actually engaged in sexual intercourse.[9][15][16][17] At some point during the encounter Brown shot Allen in the back of the head using her .40-caliber handgun. She then left the house in Allen's Ford F-150 in possession of Allen's wallet, containing US$172,[18] and two of his firearms.[19] Brown left the truck at a Wal-Mart parking lot and flagged down an SUV for a ride home. Police later found Brown and McGlothen at the nearby Intown Suites.[17]
Arrest and trial
Brown was arrested and charged with homicide, especially aggravated robbery, handgun possession and criminal impersonation.[9] Despite being under 18 at the time of the killing, she was tried as an adult. This decision came from Metro Juvenile Court Judge Betty Adams Green on November 14, 2004, who argued that it was too much of a risk to the community to keep the 16-year-old stay in the Juvenile Court System.[20][9]
Brown never denied shooting Allen; however, she argued that the act was committed in self defense,[19] making the act manslaughter rather than homicide.[citation needed]
Brown stated that Allen had intimidated her by repeatedly standing over her while she lay in his bed. As further motivation for the act of self defense, she stated that she believed Allen was reaching for a firearm as the two lay in bed. Thus prompting her to shoot Allen with her own firearm, which she got from her boyfriend for her own protection.[19][15][12][9] Police noted that no gun was found under or near the bed.[9] Based on the position in which Allen's body was discovered, investigators believed that Allen may have been asleep when he was shot. Forensics noted that, postmortem, Allen was laying with his hands underneath his head.[19][15][9] This gives credence to the prosecution's argument that the act was a homicide motivated by Brown's intent to rob Allen.[21] Additionally, Brown admitted to stealing Allen's cash and property and expressed her intention to pawn the stolen rifles.[15][non-primary source needed] Prosecutors took the stance that Brown had not been in danger and that she had murdered Allen in order to steal from him.[22] She was found guilty of first-degree murder, felony murder and aggravated robbery and sentenced to 51-years-to-life in prison.[23][24]
