Amber Guyger granted parole 7 years after Botham Jean murder
Former Dallas police officer Amber Guyger has been granted parole after serving seven years of a 10-year sentence for the 2018 murder of Botham Jean. Jean's family confirmed the upcoming release on Thursday, though officials have not said when she will leave prison. The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles approved early release after denying her in 2024.
Key Takeaways
- Amber Guyger received parole after seven years of a 10-year murder sentence tied to Botham Jean's 2018 death.
- The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles cited her prison conduct and program completion; no release date is set.
- Jean's family and civil rights attorney Lee Merritt strongly opposed parole and called the decision deeply disappointing.
- A 2024 civil jury also found Guyger liable and ordered roughly $98.6 million in damages to Jean's family.
The announcement renewed attention to a case that shook Dallas and drew national protests. For readers following true crime and unsolved mysteries, the parole decision is the latest chapter in a high-profile police shooting that ended in a rare murder conviction.
Why was Amber Guyger granted parole now?
According to the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, as reported by NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth, Guyger's record showed no documented pattern of violent or assaultive arrests or convictions. Officials also said she maintained a satisfactory institutional adjustment and completed programs meant to support stable employment after release.
Guyger was first eligible for parole on Sept. 29, 2024, and was denied that year. She had been scheduled for another hearing on Oct. 10, according to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, before Thursday's grant of parole.
What happened the night Botham Jean was killed?
On Sept. 6, 2018, Guyger returned from a long Dallas Police Department shift and entered Jean's apartment at the South Side Flats, believing it was her own. Jean, 26, was in his home. Guyger shot him twice after saying she thought he was an intruder, then called 911. He died at a nearby hospital.
Guyger lived one floor below Jean. She was arrested three days later, fired from the department about 18 days after the shooting, and convicted of murder in October 2019—the first Dallas officer convicted of murder since 1973. A Dallas County jury rejected manslaughter and sentenced her to 10 years.
How did Botham Jean's family respond to the parole?
Jean's family confirmed Guyger's upcoming release and, through attorney Lee Merritt, said they were deeply disappointed. Merritt noted that Jean was in his own home, eating ice cream, when he was killed, and that the family and community had urged that the full sentence be served.
In 2024, Jean's family, the Dallas County District Attorney's Office, and more than 6,000 people signed a petition opposing early release. After that denial, a civil jury found Guyger liable for Jean's death and ordered her to pay about $98.6 million. The Dallas Police Department said parole decisions rest with the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles and expressed continued thoughts for the Jean family.