Amber Guyger, ex-Dallas officer who killed Botham Jean, released from prison
Guyger, 38, served seven years of a 10-year murder sentence for the 2018 killing of Botham Jean, 26, in his Dallas apartment; she remains under supervision.
At a glance
- Amber Guyger, a former Dallas police officer, was released from prison after serving seven years for murdering Botham Jean.
- Guyger, 38, was sentenced to 10 years in 2019; Texas parole officials approved her release despite opposition from Jean's family.
- Jean, 26, was shot in his Dallas apartment in 2018; Guyger testified she believed she was in her own home and feared for her life.
Amber Guyger, the former Dallas police officer convicted of murdering Botham Jean after entering his apartment and shooting him in 2018, was released from prison on Friday morning after seven years in custody.
Guyger, 38, was freed a little more than two weeks after the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles approved her release, over opposition from Jean's family. She remains subject to supervision for the remainder of her sentence.
A 10-year sentence
A jury convicted Guyger of murder on 1 October 2019 and she was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Her parole was approved exactly seven years after that verdict.
She had first sought parole in 2024, and the board denied that request. When she became eligible to apply again, the board reversed course and granted it, allowing her to serve the rest of her term under supervision.
Prosecutors had pushed for a minimum of 28 years, a figure they chose to represent the age Jean would have reached at the time. Guyger had faced a possible sentence of life imprisonment.
The shooting
Jean, 26, was shot and killed inside his own Dallas apartment in September 2018. At trial, Guyger said she had accidentally parked on the fourth floor of the garage at the complex where both of them lived; Jean's apartment was one floor above hers.
She testified that she believed she was entering her own home, that her key pushed the door open, and that she mistook Jean for a burglar and fired because she feared for her life. Jean had been eating ice cream and watching television when Guyger entered and shot him.
Guyger was taken into custody three days after the shooting and was dismissed from the Dallas police department before standing trial.
Family's response
After the parole decision, Jean's family told CBS News Texas they were still grieving and asked for privacy. In their statement, they said they had remembered and celebrated their son and brother two days earlier, on what would have been his birthday, and thanked those who continue to say his name, honor his life and carry his memory forward. They said they were processing the development as they navigate their grief.
Guyger's release on Friday ends her time in custody over the 2018 killing, but she remains under supervision for the rest of her sentence.
Source: The Guardian World.
Questions and answers
- Who is Amber Guyger?
- Guyger, 38, is a former Dallas police officer convicted of murdering Botham Jean in his apartment in September 2018. She was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2019 and was released on parole.
- Why was Amber Guyger released from prison?
- The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles granted her parole after denying a first request in 2024. She was freed after seven years in custody and remains under supervision for the rest of her sentence.
- What did Botham Jean's family say about the release?
- The family opposed the parole and, in a statement to CBS News Texas, asked for privacy while they process the decision and continue to navigate their grief, thanking supporters who honor Jean's memory.
