You're listening to an iHeart Podcast. Get this. Adults with financial literacy skills have 82 percent more wealth than those who don't. From swimming lessons to piano classes, us parents invest in so many things to enrich our kids' lives. But are we investing in their future financial success? With Greenlight, you can teach your kids financial literacy skills like earning, saving, and investing. And this investment costs less than that after-school treat. Start prioritizing their financial education and future today with a risk-free trial at greenlight.com slash iHeart.
greenlight.com slash iHeart. With comprehensive reports on local schools you won't find anywhere else, homes.com is the only place to find the in-depth info home shoppers want. Very in-depth info. Curious about where a school ranks in the state?
Look no further. Percentage of teachers in their first or second year? We've got it.
Lowest student-teacher ratio? No problem. The best cafeteria lunch in the district for your nine-year-old food blogger? Would it surprise you if we said yes?
homes.com. Bingo! We've done your homework.
This is Matt Rogers from Lost Coach Rhesus with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang. Have you ever felt that uneasy anxiety when the 4 p.m. hour strikes? The creeping meal-related distress that happens when you don't quite feel prepared? You know, dinner dread? Let's get rid of that unpleasant feeling forever with one word, Stouffer's. No matter what happens, you'll have a dinner plan that everyone loves with Stouffer's. Some chicken enchiladas are a cheesy chicken and broccoli pasta bake is always welcome whether it is plan A or plan D. Delicious.
Not gonna lie, I eat the lasagna once a week and that's a fact. When the clock strikes dinner, think Stouffer's. Shop now for family favorites. This season, let your shoes do the talking. Designer shoe warehouses packed with fresh styles that speak to your whole vibe without saying a word. From cool sneakers that look good with everything, the easy sandals you'll want to wear on repeat, DSW has you covered. Find a shoe forever you from the brands you love like Birkenstock, Nike, Adidas New Balance and more.
Head to your DSW store or visit dsw.com today. This is Lee Habib and this is our American Stories and we tell stories about everything here on this show. And our favorite stories to tell are just ordinary American redemption stories, second chances, even third chances that this country allows people to have and to pursue.
It's a beautiful part of our nature. Cintoya Brown served 15 years of a life sentence for killing a 43 year old real estate agent when she was 16 years old after being forced into prostitution by a man called Cutthroat. The now married Brown Long has never denied her crime but alleges she acted out of self-defense. Here's Cintoya to share her story. So I was born Fort Campbell, Kentucky, which is a military base right on the line, Kentucky, Tennessee. And I was raised there in Clarksville by my adopted parents. My father was military and my mother, she was a teacher. I was really my dad's sidekick when I was younger.
I considered sidekick. I guess he would consider it apprentice because anytime he would build something, I always had to go fetching the tools. I guess it was pretty convenient for him, but those were one of my favorite pastimes with my dad is helping him build stuff, helping him fix stuff around the house. And my mother, it was the same. Whenever my father retired from the military, he actually started driving trucks.
So he would be gone for long periods of time. So it would just be my mom and me. And she was really into gardening. I wasn't, but I did enjoy kind of just hanging outside with her, watching her plant. So up until the point that I turned 16, I thought school was the worst possible thing to have ever happened to me in my life. I should have been really great in school. I was smart. I was always getting good grades, but for some reason I was always finding myself in the principal's office. Whether that was because I didn't want the teacher to help me with work, I just wanted to figure it out for myself. Whether I had a smart remark for the teacher, just any little thing would get me sent to the principal's office and found myself getting suspended.
I believe I was 11 when I was first expelled from school. I had brought a bottle of No-Dos to class, which is caffeine pills. I had found them in my sister's husband's truck.
He left the truck there whenever he was deployed and they went to Hawaii. And I was just playing around one day and found these caffeine pills, took them to school for show and tell. And next thing I know, I was expelled for zero tolerance drug policies.
I didn't consider them to be a drug, didn't know they were a drug, but that didn't matter. I was kicked out of school and couldn't return to public school. It seemed like they were just really looking for an excuse, so part of me wasn't necessarily surprised. And it really just added to that feeling that, you know, I just wasn't wanted there and it wasn't a place for me. I never really fit. I was kind of an outcast.
Like I said, when I was growing up, my dad would always tell me all the stories about him, you know, and war and what he did when Charlie was coming at three o'clock and how they did. And so I thought, okay, well, this is a game that I want to play with my friends. And so my neighbor, my friend from down the street and some other kids in the neighborhood, we were all together playing random games, you know, bubblegum, bubblegum in a dish and any many, many more. And I said, well, how about this new game? Let's play war.
And they were like, well, what is that? I said, well, we're all going to get some rocks. You stand on that side of the street. We're going to stay on this side of the street. We're just going to throw them at each other and see what happens. And that's what we did. And I ended up picking up the biggest rock that I could that I found. Why?
I don't know. But I threw it and it hit my neighbor square in the forehead. And that was the moment that I knew I'm about to get in trouble. Like this has gone horribly wrong. And she just started bleeding and screaming. And then everybody was like, this is all your fault. And I was like, wait a minute. You all wanted to play.
I thought we were having fun. So after that, nobody's parents really wanted their kids playing with me. And of course, I got in trouble.
My dad, he kind of understood. But it was just I think that was that was like one of the turning points when I kind of lost a lot of friends. So going to alternative school was a completely different experience. These kids had been involved in the justice system already. Most of them were on probation of some kind. Many of them had already been to facilities, and they returned back from the facilities to go to this school. They smoked freely.
Some of them did drugs freely. I had never been around that because I was raised in a military community. A lot of the kids that I was around were kids of military families.
They just you just don't do that. And what was different from me being in this alternative school around these kids is these kids didn't judge me. They didn't make me feel like an outcast.
They didn't make me feel like I wasn't wanted or I had to be this or be that to fit in with him. And so I really found that this is kind of where I fit. Like, this is a place for me. So we all decided to skip school.
And sometimes when we skip school, we would just ride the city bus around town, walk around downtown and just see whatever we could get into. But this day, Samantha says, you know, my mom, she's not home. We can go to my house and we could just hang out. And we're like, OK, cool. And when we get there, she's like, oh, man, I forgot my key.
And she's like, no worries, no worries. My bedroom window is open. So she opens the window and I'm the smallest one there.
So they pushed me through the window and I unlock the door. It is her house. But when her mother come home, she didn't feel that we were supposed to be in the house. She was very upset. Some things she claimed were missing from the house that were stolen.
And I mean, I don't know if anybody stole it or not. I can't be accountable for the other people that was with me. But we all ended up being charged not only for breaking and entering, but for theft of property. And you're listening to Cyntoia Brown and she's the author of Free Cyntoia, My Search for Redemption in the American Prison System. When we come back, more of this remarkable story here on Our American Stories. Folks, if you love the great American stories we tell and love America like we do, we're asking you to become a part of the Our American Stories family. If you agree that America is a good and great country, please make a donation. A monthly gift of $17.76 is fast becoming a favorite option for supporters. Go to our American stories.com now and go to the donate button and help us keep the great American stories coming.
That's our American stories.com. Time for a sofa upgrade introducing Anibay sofas where designer style meets budget friendly prices. Anibay brings you the ultimate in furniture innovation with a modular design that allows you to rearrange your space effortlessly. Perfect for both small and large spaces, Anibay is the only machine washable sofa inside and out. Say goodbye to stains and messes with liquid and stain resistant fabrics that make cleaning easy.
Liquids simply slide right off. Designed for custom comfort, our high resilience foam lets you choose between a sink and feel or a supportive memory foam blend. Plus, our pet friendly stain resistant fabrics ensure your sofa stays beautiful for years.
Don't compromise quality for price. Visit washablesophas.com to upgrade your living space today. Sofas start at just $699 with no risk returns and a 30 day money back guarantee. Get up to 60% off plus free shipping and free returns. Shop now at washablesophas.com.
Offers are subject to change and certain restrictions may apply. Avoiding your unfinished home projects because you're not sure where to start? Thumbtack knows homes so you don't have to.
Don't know the difference between matte paint finish or satin or what that clunking sound from your dryer is? With Thumbtack, you don't have to be a home pro, you just have to hire one. You can hire top rated pros, see price estimates and read reviews all in the app.
Download today. For period protection you can put on and forget about, nothing beats NYX leak proof underwear. North America's number one leak proof underwear brand. Let's face it, life can be unpredictable, but your leak proof underwear shouldn't be. That's why millions of people choose NYX. For periods, for light leaks, for everyday freshness.
NYX undies are super comfy, super absorbent and made to handle whatever your day throws at you. Day two of your period? Covered. Your daily run? No problem. That big sneeze? You know the one.
Yep, we've got you. And with styles like bikinis, boy shorts, thongs and high rise plus sizes from extra small to 4XL, NYX makes it easy to find your perfect fit. Say goodbye to stress and leaks and say hello to undies that work just as hard as you do no matter the leak. Find the style and level of protection you want at NYX.com and use code flow15 for 15% off.
That's KNIX.com code flow15 for 15% off. NYX for your leaks for your life. Hi, it's Jenny Garth. We all know the importance of taking care of our physical and mental health. But what about our sexual health? I've been there feeling totally stuck when it comes to my libido. That's why I started taking Addi.
And let me tell you, I've seen firsthand what a difference it can make in how you feel. Addi is the only FDA approved pill clinically proven to help certain premenopausal women have more interest in sex, have more satisfying sex and lower the stress from low libido. Addi has helped hundreds of 1000s of women get their drive back including me talk to your doctor or visit a DDYI.com to learn more about Addi the little pink pill individual results may vary. Addi or flibanserin is for premenopausal women with acquired generalized Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder HSDD who have not had problems with low sexual desire in the past who have had low sexual desire no matter the type of sexual activity, the situation or the sexual partner.
This low sexual desire is troubling to them and is not due to a medical or mental health problem problems in the relationship or medicine or other drug use. Addi is not for use in children, men or to enhance sexual performance. Your risk of severe low blood pressure and fainting is increased if you drink one to two standard alcoholic drinks close in time to your Addi dose. Wait at least two hours after drinking before taking Addi at bedtime. This risk increases if you take certain prescriptions, OTC or herbal medications or have liver problems and can happen when you take Addi without alcohol or other medicines. Do not take if you're allergic to any of Addi's ingredients. Allergic reaction may include hives, itching or trouble breathing. Sometimes serious sleepiness can occur.
Common side effects include dizziness, nausea, tiredness, difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep and dry mouth. See full P.I. and medication guide including boxed warning at Addi.com slash P.I. Addi. Visit A D D Y I.com to learn more about Addi. At Holmes.com we do whatever it takes to get you the in-depth info on local schools you won't find anywhere else things like student teacher ratio test scores and school programs and sometimes that requires attending school recitals so many recitals that's my son isn't he terrific yeah a real prodigy homes.com we've done your homework and we continue with our american stories and with Cintoya Brown's story let's pick up where we last left off with Cintoya being charged with breaking and entering and theft of property after skipping school with friends and then going to one of her girlfriend's homes where her mother would end up filing charges. Here's Cintoya. So after I was charged with my other three co-defendants um that's bad when you say co-defendants when you're talking about a 12 year old but I actually had to go to juvenile court and this was my first time ever in a courtroom my father he had to pay for an attorney to represent me so I spent some time in juvenile detention and the attorney ended up getting a deal where I got out and I was on probation so whenever I went to the court one of the first things they do is they send you for a mental evaluation and so they're in this facility which I definitely didn't feel like I fit in because this was like a real deal mental facility you had people who were struggling with autism you had people who had down syndrome you had people with schizophrenia it was kind of scary to be in there and again couldn't be around my parents couldn't contact my parents and what I found comforted me there was there was this woman who was teaching some of the girls there how to crochet and I started learning and that was something that would calm me so I just brought my crochet stuff to class and I would sit there and crochet whenever I finished with my work well one day I went to lunch and I remember that I had forgot my purse and so I went back into the classroom to get my purse and I saw that the teacher had been in my purse and she was actually going through it and she was pulling out the yarn saying you're not supposed to be doing this and I said well you're not supposed to be in my stuff and I said give me that and I took it out of her hand and all of a sudden she started screaming and hollering calling for the SRO next thing I know he's coming in and she's saying I've assaulted her and I said I didn't assault her I took my stuff out of her hand they said well did you snatch it I said well yes it's mine they said well that's assault and so I ended up getting charged with assault I had my probation violated and I was returned back to the facility but this time I was put in state custody so two months after I had turned 13 and in state custody you can have an indeterminate sentence or determinant sentence I was indeterminate meaning whenever they felt like they wanted to let me go back home to my parents is when I would go so I ended up spending a year and a half in state custody and to be honest with you the only reason I got out is because my mother had got fed up and she had threatened to actually file a suit against the state whenever they had allowed for my news my picture to be placed in a newspaper so I was 15 when I finally got out of state custody and it was on the ride home back from Nashville to Clarksville that my mom tells me that they had been divorced and the whole time she had been telling me you know he's gone to the store he's at his friend's house he's in the backyard working on the pool it was all I like he had been gone that whole entire time but she didn't want it to affect my progress in the program she didn't want it to overwhelm me or distract me from doing what I needed to do to come home so that was that was a pretty big bomb that was dropped on me first thing then all of a sudden here's this man that I know absolutely nothing about who apparently they had been friends from when she used to live in New York and now they were talking on the phone for hours and hours and hours and he came to visit there at the house and when he came to visit it's not like he was being a visitor he was telling me what I needed to do and trying to order me around and I was just like hold up wait a minute wait a minute and so I said well you know what that fine I'll just go back and hang out with my friends that I met when I was on the run from state custody and that's when I ran away so I called up some friends that I had met while I was on the run in Nashville and when I say friends these are older women these women are in their mid-20s and I was just 15 years old and they came and they got me they welcomed me back and there I was back living the life that I had lived on the run before and that meant having sex with adult men and that being normalized that being permitted and even encouraged by the adults that I was around which is something completely completely different from what I had been raised with but I mean it had become the norm for me that also meant that I was getting high every day I was smoking weed every single day and that was the time that I had actually met my trafficker is during that time when I was 16 years old so I met Cut at a gas station here in Nashville and I actually met him I was riding with friends who were looking for another man who had just raped me just raped me and they were gonna you know take out some revenge on him and confront him about what he'd done and we stopped at the gas station and I wanted some some new ports and so we walked up I walked up to this guy and was like do you have a new port and he was like no and he offered to give me five dollars to get a pack if I would give him my number so I did after that you know we started talking on the phone he started coming to pick me up and hang out with me and I just pretty much just fell head over heels within a matter of days for this stranger this older guy who did not have good intentions for me at all but all that I saw when I was with him was that he listened to me you know my mind at that time it was like wow like he's really interested in me no one really pays me this level of attention no one really cares about you know my life story my thoughts my feelings what I'm into but here he's just like completely absorbed into it now I understand that he was looking you know for things that he could manipulate he was looking for things that he could exploit he was listening because he needed to find out how he could really get into my head and play me so when you're on the run you know you can't necessarily just go get a job I didn't have an ID or a license or anything like that I didn't have my birth certificate couldn't really make money by any kind of legal means but one of the women that I was staying with her boyfriend was actually a drug dealer and so there I was selling drugs and this project in North Nashville at the age of 16 but really just dove head first into it so whenever I would go out when Cut was sent me out to go get money he'd always sent me with his gun I never shot a gun didn't really anticipate ever having to use it it was just something where you know I had it I knew I had it it was just a safety measure but he always had it the safety was off there was a bullet in the chamber he said if something ever happens just squeeze the trigger so that time this guy had picked me up in this little white truck he got me something to eat while we're sitting there waiting on the food to come that's when he had asked me you know was I up for any action so I ended up going back to his house with him and while we was there you know I kept trying to like stall because he started acting weird like he started showing me guns on the drive there he was telling me how he used to be a sharpshooter in the military and it's like why is why does he feel the need to tell me all of these things and you're listening to centoya brown's story and one bad choice after another and just some really bad choices by the system too and by authorities and bad rule making and enforcement that almost makes no sense and you combine all that with a girl who finds out dad's gone and then she's gone and then in come the predators and one named cut short for cutthroat and she loved that he listened to her but of course he was listening for a reason he was getting into her mind he was looking for things he could manipulate things he could exploit that's why he listened said centoya when we come back more of this story a remarkable redemption story centoya brown's story here on our american stories time for a sofa upgrade introducing anibay sofas where designer style meets budget friendly prices anibay brings you the ultimate in furniture innovation with a modular design that allows you to rearrange your space effortlessly perfect for both small and large spaces anibay is the only machine washable sofa inside and out say goodbye to stains and messes with liquid and stain resistant fabrics that make cleaning easy liquid simply slide right off designed for custom comfort our high resilience foam lets you choose between a sink and feel or a supportive memory foam blend plus our pet friendly stain resistant fabrics ensure your sofa stays beautiful for years don't compromise quality for price visit washablesofas.com to upgrade your living space today sofas start at just 699 dollars with no risk returns and a 30-day money-back guarantee get up to 60% off plus free shipping and free returns shop now at washablesofas.com offers are subject to change and certain restrictions may apply avoiding your unfinished home projects because you're not sure where to start thumbtack knows homes so you don't have to don't know the difference between matte paint finish or satin or what that clunking sound from your dryer is with thumbtack you don't have to be a home pro you just have to hire one you can hire top-rated pros see price estimates and read reviews all in the app download today for period protection you can put on and forget about nothing beats nyx leak proof underwear north america's number one leak proof underwear brand let's face it life can be unpredictable but your leak proof underwear shouldn't be that's why millions of people choose nyx for periods for light leaks for everyday freshness nyx undies are super comfy super absorbent and made to handle whatever your day throws at you day two of your period covered your daily run no problem that big sneeze you know the one yep we've got you and with styles like bikinis boy shorts thongs and high-rise plus sizes from extra small to 4xl nyx makes it easy to find your perfect fit say goodbye to stress and leaks and say hello to undies that work just as hard as you do no matter the leak find the style and level of protection you want at nyx.com and use code flow 15 for 15 off that's knix.com code flow 15 for 15 off nyx for your leaks for your life hi it's jenny garth we all know the importance of taking care of our physical and mental health but what about our sexual health i've been there feeling totally stuck when it comes to my libido that's why i started taking addy and let me tell you i have seen firsthand what a difference it can make in how you feel addy is the only fda approved pill clinically proven to help certain pre-menopausal women have more interest in sex have more satisfying sex and lower the stress from low libido addy has helped hundreds of thousands of women get their drive back including me talk to your doctor or visit addy.com to learn more about addy the little pink pill individual results may vary addy or flibanserin is for pre-menopausal women with acquired generalized hypoactive sexual desire disorder hsd who have not had problems with low sexual desire in the past who have had low sexual desire no matter the type of sexual activity the situation or the sexual partner this low sexual desire is troubling to them and is not due to a medical or mental health problem problems in the relationship or medicine or other drug use addy is not for use in children men or to enhance sexual performance your risk of severe low blood pressure and fainting is increased if you drink one to two standard alcoholic drinks close in time to your addy dose wait at least two hours after drinking before taking addy at bedtime this risk increases if you take certain prescriptions otc or herbal medications or have liver problems and can happen when you take addy without alcohol or other medicines do not take if you're allergic to any of addy's ingredients allergic reaction may include hives itching or trouble breathing sometimes serious sleepiness can occur common side effects include dizziness nausea tiredness difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep and dry mouth see full pi and medication guide including boxed warning at addy.com slash pi visit a ddy.com to learn more about addy we got one play everything we work for comes down to this quick question speaking of workouts how would you rate your athletic program bro we're in the middle of the state championship oh so like a b plus then dude get out of our huddle well at homes.com we leave it all on the field to get you detailed information on local schools off the field off the field copy all right go sports how'd he even get in here homes.com we've done your homework and we continue with our american stories and centoya brown's story let's pick up where we last left off with 16 year old centoya at the home of a man who had picked her up for as he called it action she said he was acting weird and showing her his guns and talking about how he was a sharpshooter here's centoya why does he feel the need to tell me all these things um he tried to tell me that he wrote the song by lee greenwood um proud to be an american which obviously i know that was a lie like it was really strange it was really uncomfortable and like with him talking about this gun then when we got to the house you know showing me this gun it's like i felt that i felt that he was trying to intimidate me and at that point i just wanted to leave so i kept trying to stall so i said well you know what i'm just gonna go up and i'm just gonna pretend like i'm asleep i'm gonna ask him if i can have a nap real quick and so that's what i did and while i was laying there pretending like i was asleep um he kept getting up and going into the next room then coming back just like staring at me like looking over at me going into the bathroom going to the next room and like this whole time like i'm just freaking out i'm like what is he doing like what's really going on there was a moment like when he got into the bed and he had reached over and grabbed me and i was like ah and i was you know it was a little bit more emphatic than just like you know somebody who is really sleeping that may just kind of shrug away and i'm like oh he knows i'm pretending now now he's he's going to be pissed off and he rolls over and i'm thinking he's reaching for something and all this is happening like all these thoughts are happening like within the space of like two seconds and that's just just a small fraction of the thoughts like i can't even explain like how my mind was just racing at that time just panic was just really setting in and he goes and i see his body turn and that's when i had grabbed the gun out of the nightstand out of the purse that was on the nightstand and i shot him it was like this pop and then it was like quiet so i went back to the hotel room and cut was there at the room and i came in and i was like i think i just killed somebody and he was like what like he thought i was playing i was like i'm i'm so serious i just shot someone and like he didn't believe me but he just told me to go wipe down the car right down the truck and park it in the walmart parking lot and so that's what i did so we were laying down and the cops knock on the door and so they come in with these shotguns and like these big old guns pointed at me like cocking these guns so i was tried um there in the juvenile court they had a transfer hearing about november so i actually sat there and you know told the judge everything that had happened you know in the hopes that she would see okay well this isn't like this wasn't a malicious situation this isn't something that she should be prosecuted for murder for i'll just keep her in the juvenile system and treat her but then you have the district attorney who was saying no like she's incorrigible there's there's nothing else that that you can do for her she needs to be tried as an adult and as a matter of fact i believe all of this was premeditated two weeks after the hearing i was called down to the visitation area and i was told by my public defender that i was tried as an adult that i was going to be transferred and i felt like the world just like fell from beneath me because now i went from okay maybe i'll spend three years in the treatment facility here going through dcs again to know i may end up spending the rest of my life in prison so i was taken to the adult jail to cca i had to be housed in segregation just basically stuck in a box until my child and my child didn't happen until two years after i first went to the the adult jail very difficult because you can't like talk to people on a regular basis you can't have visitation with your family phone calls anything like that so the child lasted several days and i think it was like six hours they took to deliberate to deliberate and they came back in i started looking like looking at them each and everyone as they came in because i'm like i need any kind of sign i need to know what are they about to tell me and like none of them will look at me and this one guy the the only black guy who was on the jury like he just like kind of just shook his head and hung his head and that's what i knew i was like yeah yep it's not good and they convicted me of first-degree murder and sentenced me to life in prison on the spot automatic life sentence i didn't cry i didn't hold my head down or anything and then when i got into my cell i just broke down it was night time by that time and i just remember crying and praying and i said god if you get me out of here i'll tell the world about you like you know just let him know i'll do anything if you just get me out of here please don't let me spend the rest of my life in prison so there was about two weeks between the time that i was convicted and sentenced until i was actually transported to the the prison and during that time some of the women who had already been to prison and who were back in the county they were trying to coach me and tell me well this is how you need to carry yourself and you need to walk around like this when you walk on the compound and make sure your head's held high and let me show you how to throw a punch and so they were going through all this and i'm thinking oh man like it's gonna be rough like i'm thinking visions of you know the show Oz and every prison movie that i've ever watched it's like man like this this is no joke and you know i start stuffing my face with pop tarts and and pretzel pieces thinking i gotta buff up because you know i'm headed to the to the big house and i get there and it's like a college campus like you know and i'm like well this is not what i expected um i mean it was more psychological warfare and psychological oppression more psychological attacks than there was like the physical attacks but i actually found that like that was worse so you know my attorney had told me before i had ever got to the prison he was like you know you can go in there you can start acting all crazy and i mean you can do that life sentence or you can go in there you can take every program that they accept you into you can act like you have some sense and you can have a chance at getting out of prison someday and by the grace of god i ended up getting into the college course came out of prison with not one but two degrees so mrs c brooks was the principal there at the prison but what i will always appreciate most about miss c brooks is that she was the person the first person that told me god's not going to let you out of here until you come to him you will not be free until you come to christ and at that time i had just like fallen into this state where i didn't even believe anymore and at least i said i didn't believe really i was just angry because i felt that you know i i did what i was told in sunday school and god he didn't hold up his end of the bargain and so i just can't be true but really i was just upset and at the time i just brushed it off i was like nah miss c brooks that's not how the law works i'll get out with my attorneys argue before the appellate court and the appellate court overturns my sentence and she said all right i'm telling you what i know and you're listening to centoya brown talking about her sentence the mindset that she had to adopt and some people who started to care about her she talked about the psychological attacks which as she put it were worse than any potential physical attacks and this one lady miss c brooks who kept telling her telling her that god had the answers for her she was putting her faith in law and lawyers when we return more of centoya brown's remarkable life story a great redemption story here on our american stories you tired of spills and stains on your sofa wash away your worries with anabay anabay is the only machine washable sofa inside and out where designer quality meets budget-friendly prices that's right sofas start at just 699 dollars enjoy a no risk experience with pet friendly stain resistant and changeable slip covers made with performance fabric experience cloud-like comfort with high resilience foam that's hypoallergenic and never needs fluffing the sturdy steel frame ensures longevity and the modular pieces can be rearranged any time shop washablesofas.com for up to 60% off site-wide backed by a 30-day satisfaction guarantee if you're not absolutely in love send it back for a full refund no return shipping or restocking fees every penny back upgrade now at washablesofas.com offers are subject to change and certain restrictions may apply avoiding your unfinished home projects because you're not sure where to start thumbtack knows homes so you don't have to don't know the difference between matte paint finish or satin or what that clunking sound from your dryer is with thumbtack you don't have to be a home pro you just have to hire one you can hire top-rated pros see price estimates and read reviews all in the app download today for period protection you can put on and forget about nothing beats nick's leak-proof underwear north america's number one leak-proof underwear brand let's face it life can be unpredictable but your leak-proof underwear shouldn't be that's why millions of people choose nyx for periods for light leaks for everyday freshness nyx undies are super comfy super absorbent and made to handle whatever your day throws at you day two of your period covered your daily run no problem that big sneeze you know the one yep we've got you and with styles like bikinis boy shorts thongs and high-rise plus sizes from extra small to 4xl nyx makes it easy to find your perfect fit say goodbye to stress and leaks and say hello to undies that work just as hard as you do no matter the leak find the style and level of protection you want at nyx.com and use code flow 15 for 15 off that's knix.com code flow 15 for 15 off nyx for your leaks for your life hi it's jenny garth we all know the importance of taking care of our physical and mental health but what about our sexual health i've been there feeling totally stuck when it comes to my libido that's why i started taking addy and let me tell you i've seen firsthand what a difference it can make in how you feel addy is the only fda approved pill clinically proven to help certain pre-menopausal women have more interest in sex have more satisfying sex and lower the stress from low libido addy has helped hundreds of thousands of women get their drive back including me talk to your doctor or visit a ddy.com to learn more about addy the little pink pill individual results may vary addy or flibanserin is for pre-menopausal women with acquired generalized hypoactive sexual desire disorder hsdd who have not had problems with low sexual desire in the past who have had low sexual desire no matter the type of sexual activity the situation or the sexual partner this low sexual desire is troubling to them and is not due to a medical or mental health problem problems in the relationship or medicine or other drug use addy is not for use in children men or to enhance sexual performance your risk of severe low blood pressure and fainting is increased if you drink one to two standard alcoholic drinks close in time to your addy dose wait at least two hours after drinking before taking addy at bedtime this risk increases if you take certain prescriptions otc or herbal medications or have liver problems and can happen when you take addy without alcohol or other medicines do not take if you're allergic to any of addy's ingredients allergic reaction may include hives itching or trouble breathing sometimes serious sleepiness can occur common side effects include dizziness nausea tiredness difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep and dry mouth see full pi and medication guide including boxed warning at addy.com slash pi visit a d d y i.com to learn more about addy homes.com is the only place where you can find specialized neighborhood guides with the in-depth insider info home shoppers want very in-depth info want to know if there's homes for sale in the area we've got it how long has a home been on the market we'll know it average lot size uh-huh proximity to local parks of course insight into your neighbor's divorce we're working on it homes.com we've done your homework and we continue here with our american stories and with centoya brown's story let's pick up where we last left off it's 2006 and centoya brown has just been convicted of aggravated robbery and first degree murder for killing 43 year old real estate agent johnny allen while in prison she began going to college we had just heard her principal had once told centoya that she needed to know christ if she ever expected to leave but centoya put her faith in the law and the process here's centoya with the rest of the story so when i was first arrested all over the news i was painted as this horrible person like the news just vilified me i was this dangerous individual the streets were safer without me but my attorney had actually met a documentary filmmaker through one of her other cases and had invited him to come in and start filming my process to the court system and interviewing me and he took all those interviews and he created a documentary and you know a lot of people like started writing me from that and just like being really supportive and i started noticing like even within the media like kind of like that tide was changing there was some support for me all of a sudden i get this letter from a man in texas so i read the letter i opened it up and immediately the thing that stood out was that the edges of the letter was burnt and okay that was the second thing i noticed the first thing i noticed is that he was really fine because he had sent these two pictures of himself and so i ended up writing because something was like i'm gonna write him back i need to write him back and from that one letter we started writing several letters we started talking on the phone he started telling me about christ which you have to know that everyone else who would try to tell me about jesus i brushed it off i dismissed it i didn't want to hear it but there was something about when jamie was talking to me about them so we continued writing not long after that i won him over and we just decided that no matter what happened no matter what the court said god said i was going to get out and we were going to walk in that faith and we were going to trust in that and we weren't going to focus on the appeals because my very last appeal had been denied we weren't going to focus on what the lawyer said we were just going to focus on the lord we were going to focus on building a relationship with him and when we kept our focus there all of a sudden things started picking up on the outside things started picking up with the appeal the appeal that was closed in the federal court and then the federal court it all of a sudden opened back up six months after he first wrote me and told me what he said i look on the news and it's a trending topic i look on the news and people all over the world from all walks of life are now talking about free centolia and jamie said are you surprised and i'm like well yeah and he said what did i tell you about my god and i was like well i know what i know what you said and i believe it but it's like it's happening he said i told you what he said like he doesn't lie and it's like it just it just gave me goosebumps and that was just that was just one thing months after that um jamie and our pastor minister tim mcgee he said that i was going to get a date in march he said he didn't know what kind of date it was he didn't know if it was an out date or what date but it was something that was going to lead to me getting out something that was necessary to me getting out and we said okay so march comes by first week goes by second week till march goes by nothing no word no anything and then in that third week of march jamie had an encounter with the holy spirit and i remember calling him and he just said you're coming home and he started crying and my husband like he doesn't cry like he's a man's man like you know jujitsu champion like he's not sitting here crying on the phone with no one but he just broke down he said god is bringing my wife home i was like okay did the lawyer call you he's like no i said oh did you see something on the news he said no i said well okay yeah baby i'm coming home he says no you're coming home god told me i heard it clear as day the next week comes it's the last week of march getting down to the wire and all of a sudden march 30th my attorneys call jamie and say we got a date for a hearing and the hearing that they're talking about is one that less than one percent of people get for clemency petitions it's it's next to impossible to get a hearing with the parole board and i got one and we got that date march 30th at the conclusion of the hearing i ended up getting four votes for me to be granted clemency and then two votes for me not to be granted clemency so at this time the governor of tennessee was bill haslam and so it was up to him to make the decision and you know i thank god that i had jamie there was like you need to remember that he is not the one making the decision god has made the decision and he's already said what's going to happen and you need to make sure that your faith is in him not in the process not in not in what anybody else down here on this earth is doing they're saying you need to trust what god has said and i said you're right and when i tell you like that is so much easier said than done so it was a struggle it was a struggle for jamie as well it was a true test of faith at one point you know jamie was like there has to be something like something more you know that we need to be doing you know with our faith there's something more with our relationship you know with christ that that we're not doing because like why is it there's nothing why is it we're going through this wilderness period and so jamie decided i've got to step out on faith he sold everything that he owned in texas and when i tell you everything i mean everything all in the space all in the space of one day he had gotten rid of his mercedes he had gotten rid of his bentley which was his dream car he had gotten rid of every stitch of furniture in his condo and i remember just boo hoo and crying i said you don't have a bed to sleep on what are you gonna sleep on he said you don't get it he said you don't understand he said i am going to get my wife i'm going to move to tennessee and get my wife because god says you're coming out and i believe him so i'm going to act accordingly so he sold everything and he moved up to tennessee and a couple weeks after that is when my attorney's got the call from the governor's office from the lieutenant governor that the governor wanted to meet with him and he met with him he let them know that he was going to grant me clemency so one of the things that i learned you know even for me sitting in prison seeing people come back and forth back and forth in and out of those doors is the thing that made the people who stayed out different from the people who came back and forth in is was these are the people who understood like what really went in to that action what really went into that night that ended up with me getting charged what are the real impacts of what i've done and you know by going through that thought process you really understand like how your actions affect other people and until you understand that your actions do affect other people until you understand you know we live in community with one another we have to be accountable not just for our own actions but we have to be accountable to each other like you're not going to learn how to live in the free world you're not going to learn how to be successful as a citizen you're not going to be successful as a person like how can you have any healthy relationships how can you have any kind of of healthy dealings whether it be personal business or otherwise if you don't get that basic concept so we actually got married while i was still incarcerated unbeknownst to me he had already picked out a ring with my mom my mom had went to texas he flew out to texas for cowboys versus texans game they you know him and her like they had already had this planned out where tim was going to pick me up in the van with jamie and then tim was going to do the ceremony right there on the spot all this that and the other but when you know they came with the news to say that i was getting out of prison that's when he told me all about that i was like oh how sweet we don't have to wait so he was like what do you mean we don't have to wait i said oh we don't have to wait we can do this now he said well how are we going to do it now i said not to worry don't worry i'll take care of it and what a laugh and that is centoya brown telling her story and what a love story folks yet just you can't imagine someone doing that kind of thing for you free centoy is the book my search for redemption in the american prison system i urge you to get it and if you have anybody in your family struggling with the law struggling with drugs struggling with life itself this is a book worth reading centoya brown's story here on our american stories did you know women are more likely than men to develop dry eyes which may be due to hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle or after menopause and the use of oral contraceptives give your dry burning or irritated eyes a daily refresh with refresh optive mega 3 lubricant eye drops a preservative free formula that provides fast acting lasting relief refresh optive mega 3 is safe to use as often as needed find refresh online or in the eye drop aisle at all major retailers with a detailed agent directory you won't find anywhere else homes.com is the only place to find the in-depth info home shoppers want very in-depth info looking for a listing agent's contact info we've got it the agent with the most sales in your price range easy specialized agents with all the up-to-date info on your dream neighborhood we'll know them a pisces who enjoys long walks on the beach you've got other sites for that homes.com we've done your homework this is matt rogers from lost culturesis with matt rogers and bowen yang have you ever felt that uneasy anxiety when the 4 p.m hour strikes the creeping meal related distress that happens when you don't quite feel prepared you know dinner dread let's get rid of that unpleasant feeling forever with one word stoppers no matter what happens you'll have a dinner plan that everyone loves with stoppers some chicken enchiladas are a cheesy chicken and broccoli pasta bake is always welcome whether it is plan a or plan d delicious not gonna lie i eat the lasagna once a week and that's a fact when the clock strikes dinner think stoppers shop now for family favorites beauty inspires beauty and the striking kohler veil smart toilet inspired creative director and fashion designer laura kim to create a stunning couture dress design changes design changes everything veil smart toilet in honed black only from kohler find out more about the partnership from kohler with laura kim at kohler.com get ready for mission impossible the final reckoning tom cruise strikes once again performing his own jaw-dropping stunts from scaling some of the most complex and dangerous sequences cruises dedication to thrilling action is unmatched with breathtaking locations like the arctic south africa and the uk this finale promises unforgettable moments themes of loyalty friendship and sacrifice bring ethan hunt's journey full circle the cast is stellar featuring haley atwell simon pegg ving rames angela bassett and more experience epic edge of your seat cinema see mission impossible the final reckoning in theaters may 23rd you're listening to an i heart podcast
