SALT LAKE CITY (ABC 4 News) – The Attorney General will appeal the exoneration of Debra Brown. It’s a decision that’s heartbreaking to a woman who’s just trying to adjust to life behind bars.
Only a few weeks out of prison and Debra Brown looks like a whole new woman.
“It’s been a new adventure,” says Brown.
Gone are her prison grey sweats, and her curls. Today, she wears a red suit jacket, and she got her hair done.
“I’ve never had anything like it in my life. They put foils in my hair and gave my scalp a massage,” says Brown.
Debra is finding great joy in the simplest of things.
“It’s the hugs, and the access to everybody. I love bathtubs, and it’s cool to have pajamas,” says Brown.
She also loves the feel of carpet beneath her toes.
“It’s so soft, I couldn’t believe it. I guess you just don’t realize those things when you have been away from them for so long,” says Brown.
Debra spent the past 17 years of her life in prison, convicted of killing her former employer. Her conviction was recently overturned by a judge after a new law allowed him to find her “factually innocent”.
For her children, having her home is a very emotional experience.
Alana Williams, her daughter says, “It’s amazing. I can’t connect with her all at once. It’s hard. I can’t explain to her in 1 week what’s happened in 17 years.”
It’s an amazing experience for a woman who’s now experiencing so many firsts for her.
“We came out of a big (she pauses) what’s the name of that store? Costco, I think, the doors open and close for you. It’s a good thing not to hear that metal clanging behind you,” says Brown.
It’s a sound associated with years of memories, she’s ready to leave behind.
“I have been embraced by a real loving world believe it or not,” says Brown.
The appeal process could take up to 18 months.
