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Amber Guyger to leave prison Friday after parole board approves early release
Former Dallas officer Amber Guyger is scheduled for parole release Oct. 16, seven years into a 10-year sentence for killing Botham Jean in his apartment. Jean’s family opposed her early release, while the parole board cited her prison conduct and participation in reentry programs.
Former Dallas police officer Amber Guyger is scheduled to be released on parole Friday, Oct. 16, after serving about seven years of a 10-year sentence for the 2018 murder of Botham Jean, according to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles approved Guyger’s release last week, nearly three years before her sentence was due to end. The board cited her satisfactory conduct in prison, the absence of a documented pattern of violent or assaultive arrests or convictions, and her participation in programs aimed at helping her find stable employment after release.
Jean’s family has repeatedly opposed Guyger’s early release and called for her to serve the full sentence. Their attorney, civil rights lawyer Lee Merritt, said the family was deeply disappointed by the decision and emphasized that Jean was in his own home when he was killed.
“The family still lives with this loss every day,” Merritt said in a statement. “No parole decision can return what was taken from them.” He also said the decision raised questions about whether accountability is applied equally.
Guyger was convicted of murder in October 2019 and sentenced to 10 years in prison. A jury found that she shot Jean, a 26-year-old accountant, in his Dallas apartment on Sept. 6, 2018. Guyger testified that, after finishing a shift in uniform, she mistakenly entered Jean’s apartment one floor above her own and believed he was an intruder. Jean was eating ice cream when she shot him.
The parole decision follows the board’s rejection of Guyger’s first parole request in 2024. At that time, Jean’s family, the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office and more than 6,300 people who signed an online petition opposed her release.
Guyger’s release also comes after a federal civil jury in 2024 found her liable for Jean’s death and ordered her to pay his family $98.6 million in damages. The city of Dallas, which was initially named in the lawsuit, was later removed. Guyger did not appear in person or have a lawyer represent her at the civil trial; her former criminal defense attorney said she could not afford one.
The Dallas Police Department said it understood the parole decision could renew painful emotions for Jean’s family and others affected by his death. The department said it had no role in the decision, which is made by the state parole board.
The killing and Guyger’s conviction drew national attention and fueled debate about police accountability and racial justice. A section of Lamar Street beside Dallas police headquarters was later renamed Botham Jean Boulevard in Jean’s honor.