Former Dallas Officer Convicted Of Killing Botham Jean Granted Parole
1 day ago
DALLAS — Former Dallas police officer Amber Guyger has been granted parole after serving seven years of a 10-year prison sentence for the 2018 murder of Botham Jean.
The Texas Board of Pardons and Parole approved Guyger’s release Thursday, two years after rejecting her first request for parole. The state prison system will determine when the 38-year-old is released.
Guyger was convicted of murder in 2019 for fatally shooting Jean, a 26-year-old accountant from St. Lucia, inside his Dallas apartment.
Guyger testified that she had just finished a long shift as a Dallas police officer and mistakenly entered Jean’s fourth-floor apartment, believing it was her own apartment one floor below. She said she believed Jean was an intruder and shot him.
Jean was unarmed and eating ice cream in his apartment when Guyger entered.
Guyger was arrested three days after the shooting and later fired from the Dallas Police Department. A jury convicted her of murder and sentenced her to 10 years in prison.
The Texas parole board said Guyger’s record did not show a documented pattern of violent or assaultive arrests or convictions. It also cited her behavior while incarcerated and completion of programs intended to help her find and maintain employment after prison.
Jean’s family strongly opposed Guyger’s release. Civil rights attorney Lee Merritt, who represents the family, said they had repeatedly asked that she serve her full sentence.
In 2024, a federal civil jury also ordered Guyger to pay Jean’s family nearly $100 million in damages after finding her liable for his death.
The Dallas Police Department said it played no role in the parole decision and acknowledged that Guyger’s release could bring renewed attention and emotion surrounding Jean’s death.
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice has not announced when Guyger will leave prison.
The Texas Board of Pardons and Parole approved Guyger’s release Thursday, two years after rejecting her first request for parole. The state prison system will determine when the 38-year-old is released.
Guyger was convicted of murder in 2019 for fatally shooting Jean, a 26-year-old accountant from St. Lucia, inside his Dallas apartment.
Guyger testified that she had just finished a long shift as a Dallas police officer and mistakenly entered Jean’s fourth-floor apartment, believing it was her own apartment one floor below. She said she believed Jean was an intruder and shot him.
Jean was unarmed and eating ice cream in his apartment when Guyger entered.
Guyger was arrested three days after the shooting and later fired from the Dallas Police Department. A jury convicted her of murder and sentenced her to 10 years in prison.
The Texas parole board said Guyger’s record did not show a documented pattern of violent or assaultive arrests or convictions. It also cited her behavior while incarcerated and completion of programs intended to help her find and maintain employment after prison.
Jean’s family strongly opposed Guyger’s release. Civil rights attorney Lee Merritt, who represents the family, said they had repeatedly asked that she serve her full sentence.
In 2024, a federal civil jury also ordered Guyger to pay Jean’s family nearly $100 million in damages after finding her liable for his death.
The Dallas Police Department said it played no role in the parole decision and acknowledged that Guyger’s release could bring renewed attention and emotion surrounding Jean’s death.
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice has not announced when Guyger will leave prison.
