A former Dallas police officer was granted parole Thursday, just under seven years after she was convicted of murdering her neighbor in a 2018 shooting.
Amber Guyger, 38, was granted parole by the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, the board said in a statement. In 2019, Guyger was convicted of murdering Botham Jean, a 26-year-old Black man.
Guyger told authorities that she shot Jean after she mistakenly walked into his apartment, believing it to be her own, according to officials. She told authorities she believed Jean was an intruder. Jean was eating ice cream in his living room and was not armed, according to authorities.
Guyger was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Prosecutors had asked jurors to sentence her to at least 28 years.
Former Dallas police officer Amber Guyger in court in 2019. She told authorities that she shot her neighbor after she mistakenly walked into his apartment, believing it to be her own. Tom Fox / The Dallas Morning News via AP
The Texas board said that Guyger was granted parole because she did not have a documented pattern of violent arrests, she “maintained a satisfactory institutional adjustment,” and she completed programs “that should enhance chances to obtain and maintain full-time stable employment” during her imprisonment.
Guyger initially became eligible for parole on Sept. 29, 2024. Her initial review occurred Oct. 10, 2024, and resulted in a parole denial, with her next review being scheduled in or about this month.
During her trial, questions were raised about the role race may have played in the killing.
Prosecutors revealed racist text messages Guyger sent, unrelated to Jean or his killing.
One of the texts was about the Martin Luther King Jr. parade in Dallas in 2018.
“When does this end lol,” an officer wrote to Guyger.
“When MLK is dead … oh wait …,” she joked.
Two days before Guyger killed Jean, she texted someone who had just adopted a German shepherd.
The dog’s owner wrote that the dog “may be racist.”
Guyger replied: “It’s okay … I’m the same.”
Prosecutors said Jean was watching television and eating a bowl of vanilla ice cream in his living room just before 10 p.m. when Guyger burst inside and shot him.
Guyger testified that she used her electronic key fob to open Jean’s door and that she immediately drew her service weapon once she was inside.
The prosecution said the trajectory of the bullet showed that Jean was either getting up from his couch or cowering when Guyger fired at him.
A lawyer for Jean’s family, Lee Merritt, said in a statement to NBC News Dallas-Fort Worth that the family was “disappointed by the decision.”
“A 10-year sentence was already a fraction of what was lost,” Merritt said. “Releasing Ms. Guyger after seven years makes that loss feel even smaller in the eyes of the system. It is not. The family still lives with this loss every day.”
Jean’s family asked for privacy in a statement Thursday.
“To all of the many well-wishers who have continued to say Botham’s name and carry his memory, they wish to give their thanks for the continuing support,” the family said.
Jean’s brother, Brandt Jean, said he forgave Guyger during her sentencing in 2019.
“I personally want the best for you,” he said at the time. “I wasn’t even going to say this before my family, but I don’t even want you to go to jail. I want the best for you, because I know that’s exactly what Botham would want you to do — to give your life to Christ.”
The Dallas Police Department said in a statement that it had “no role in this decision.”
“The Dallas Police Department understands this decision may bring renewed attention and emotion surrounding the tragic death of Botham Jean,” it said. “Our thoughts remain with the Jean family and all those impacted by his loss.”
Jean grew up in St. Lucia before he came to the U.S. to go to Harding University in Arkansas, which he graduated from in 2016. He was working as an accountant for one of the most prestigious accounting firms in the world, PricewaterhouseCoopers, in Dallas when he was killed.
He would have turned 35 years old Tuesday.
SOURCE: nbcnews.com