Amber Guyger to be released early from prison Friday following murder conviction
DALLAS, TEXAS - SEPTEMBER 3: Fired Dallas police Officer Amber Guyger listens to her former police partner testify on the witness stand. She is facing a murder charge in the 204th District Court at the Frank Crowley Courts Building in Dallas, Monday,
GATESVILLE, Texas - Former Dallas police officer Amber Guyger, who was convicted of murdering a man inside his own apartment, will be released from prison today.
What we know:
Guyger is scheduled to leave the Christina Melton Crain Unit in Gatesville, Texas today, after serving seven years of her 10-year sentence.
The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles listed several reasons for Guyger's early release:
- No documented pattern of violent or assaultive arrests or convictions.
- Maintained satisfactory institutional adjustment.
- Participation in and completion of programs and activities in the individual treatment plan.
The board approved Guyger for parole on Oct. 1.
Dig deeper:
Guyger was previously denied early release in October 2024 after she served half of her sentence. More than 6,000 people, including Jean's family and the Dallas County District Attorney, signed an online petition against Guyger's parole request at that time.
Botham Jean's family reacts to Amber Guyger's parole
Amber Guyger, the convicted murderer who fatally shot Botham Jean at a Dallas apartment in 2018, was granted parole on Thursday. FOX 4's David Sentendrey has reaction from Botham Jean's family and supporters.
Reactions to Amber Guyger's Release
What they're saying:
Defense attorneys and professionals who work in the criminal justice space spoke to FOX 4's Shaun Rabb. They said Guyger's early release is standard procedure.
"Given the fact that she had been denied once already in 2024, and then kind of comes back, finishes all her classes, does well. I believe she was considered a model inmate by the system," Prison Consultant Bruce Cameron said. "And here we are, seven on 10. And quite honestly, people might not like it, but that's kind of a fair ratio of time served on the 10."
Anthony Farmer, an attorney not involved in the case, explained the parole assessment process.
"After that assessment, they make a determination, combined with the offense severity, whether this individual should be allowed back into society," Farmer said. "They did that assessment, and they determined that she was a candidate."
Botham Jean’s family released a statement addressing the toll the murder continues to take on their lives.
"The past eight years have been an incredibly traumatic and painful experience for Botham Jean’s family. The loss of Botham has left our family forever dismembered, and that is something we continue to live with every day," the family said.
Attorney Lee Merritt, who represented Jean's family until 2022, released a statement as well.
"Releasing Ms. Guyger after seven years makes that loss feel even smaller in the eyes of the system," Merritt wrote. "Justice cannot be selective when a life is taken without cause. Accountability has to mean something to everyone. Today's decision tells grieving families that it can be cut short."
Merritt has not been a part of the family's legal team since February 22, 2022.
What did Amber Guyger do?
Timeline:
On Sept. 6, 2018, Guyger returned to her home after a more than 13-hour shift and mistook Jean's apartment for her own.
Both Guyger and Jean lived in the South Side Flats near Downtown Dallas. Guyger lived on the third floor. Jean lived on the fourth floor.
Guyger said she did not notice she was on the fourth floor, or see the red doormat outside of Jean's apartment. She walked inside, and shot Jean twice, believing he was a burglar.
Guyger called 911. First responders took Jean to a nearby hospital where he died.
Authorities arrested Guyger three days later. The Dallas Police Department placed her on paid administrative leave and fired her 18 days later.
In 2019, a Dallas County jury convicted Guyger of murdering Jean and sentenced her to 10 years in prison.
The murder of Botham Jean
Dig deeper:
During her trial, Guyger testified that she fired her weapon as Botham moved towards her. She claimed in court that she said, "Show me your hands, show me your hands."
However, crime scene reconstruction expert Michael Maloney disputed her account after analyzing diagrams from the Dallas Police Department and Texas Rangers, along with bullet trajectory evidence. "He was rising from a sitting position as he began facing the door, and she had just entered the kitchen area when the two shots were fired. Her description of the event is inconsistent with the forensic evidence," Maloney stated.
In 2021, Bo's Law was signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott.
The law, named after Botham Jean, requires Texas police officers to keep body cameras running for the entire duration of an investigation.
Who is Botham Jean?
Dig deeper:
According to court documents, Jean graduated from the top of his class in Castries, St. Lucia, and came to the United States to attend Harding University in Arkansas.
His family says he worked as a worship leader in the international Church of Christ, serving the Dallas West Church of Christ.
He was 26-years-old.
The Source: The information in this article comes from TDCJ inmate records, statements from the victim's family, and past FOX 4 news coverage.