Amber Guyger, a former Dallas police officer convicted of murdering Botham Jean in 2018, has been granted parole after serving seven years of her 10-year sentence. The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles approved her release despite opposition from Jean's family and civil rights advocates.
- Amber Guyger was convicted of murder in 2019 for killing Botham Jean inside his Dallas apartment.
- She was sentenced to 10 years in prison and became eligible for parole after five years.
- The parole board cited her good behavior and completion of rehabilitation programs in granting parole.
- Botham Jean's family and their attorney opposed Guyger's release, stating the sentence was already too short.
- Guyger was ordered to pay nearly $100 million in damages to Jean's family in a separate 2024 federal civil case.
Former Dallas Police Officer Amber Guyger Will Be Released After Serving Seven Years of a 10-Year Sentence for Killing Botham Jean Inside His Own Apartment
Former Dallas police officer Amber Guyger has been granted parole after serving seven years in prison for the murder of Botham Jean, the 26-year-old Black accountant she shot and killed inside his Dallas apartment in 2018.
The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles approved Guyger’s parole Thursday, Oct. 1. A specific release date has not been announced, with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice responsible for determining when she will leave prison.
Guyger, now 38, was convicted of murder in 2019 and sentenced to 10 years in prison. She first became eligible for parole in September 2024 after serving five years, but the board denied her request. More than 6,000 people, including members of Jean’s family, had signed a petition opposing her release at the time.
Botham Jean Was Killed Inside His Own Home
On Sept. 6, 2018, Guyger returned to the South Side Flats apartment complex after working a lengthy shift with the Dallas Police Department.
Guyger lived on the third floor but went to the fourth floor and entered Jean’s apartment, which was directly above hers. Guyger testified that she believed she had entered her own apartment and mistook Jean for an intruder before firing her service weapon. Jean, who was originally from St. Lucia, was inside his home eating ice cream when he was shot.
Jean was taken to a hospital, where he died.
Guyger was arrested three days later and was eventually fired by the Dallas Police Department. During her trial, prosecutors argued that her mistake did not justify the shooting. Jurors rejected the possibility of a manslaughter conviction and instead found her guilty of murder.
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Guyger could have received a sentence ranging from two years to life in prison. Prosecutors asked jurors to sentence her to 28 years, but she received 10.
Jean’s killing drew national attention amid a broader debate over police violence and the deaths of Black men at the hands of law enforcement officers.
Jean’s Family Opposed Guyger’s Release
The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles said Guyger’s record did not show a documented pattern of violent or assaultive arrests or convictions. The board also cited her satisfactory adjustment while incarcerated and her completion of programs intended to improve her ability to obtain and maintain employment after release.
Jean’s family strongly opposed granting Guyger parole.
Civil rights attorney Lee Merritt, who has represented the family, said the original 10-year sentence was already far shorter than the loss Jean’s loved ones have endured.
“A 10-year sentence was already a fraction of what was lost,” Merritt said in a statement. “Releasing Ms. Guyger after seven years makes that loss feel even smaller in the eyes of the system. It is not smaller.”
Merritt said Jean “did nothing wrong” and argued that accountability should apply equally when an innocent person is killed.
The Dallas Police Department said it had no role in Guyger’s parole application or the board’s decision, while acknowledging that her release could renew attention and emotion surrounding Jean’s death.
In a separate federal civil case in 2024, a jury ordered Guyger to pay Jean’s family nearly $100 million in damages.
Guyger will receive the conditions of her parole and be assigned a parole officer before her release.
