Amber Guyger, the former Dallas police officer convicted for the shooting murder of Botham “Bo” Jean, is now eligible for parole.
Guyger is serving a 10-year sentence for the tragic shooting that occurred in 2018 when she mistakenly entered Jean’s apartment, her upstairs neighbor in her apartment complex.
On September 6, 2018, after completing a 13-hour shift for the police department, Guyger mistakenly parked on the fourth floor instead of the third. She then entered Jean’s apartment, believing it to be her own, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
Upon seeing Jean’s silhouette, she reportedly thought he was an intruder and shot the 26-year-old preacher and accountant in the chest while he was eating ice cream on his couch.
On October 2, 2019, Guyger was convicted of murder and sentenced to 10 years in prison with the possibility of parole.
A panel of three state judges recently upheld the conviction, stating that the evidence presented at trial was sufficient to support the jury’s decision. The incident, which sparked widespread protests in Dallas and garnered national attention, remains a pivotal case in the ongoing debate about police accountability in America.
According to inmate records, Guyger is currently housed at the Patrick L. O’Daniel Unit in Gatesville, Texas. The Dallas County District Attorney’s Office has previously announced its intention to contest her potential release on parole. For Guyger to be released early, the Texas Board of Pardons and Parole must review her case and behavior during her prison stay before approving her parole application.
As previously reported by DX, in 2022, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected former Dallas police officer Guyger’s appeal for her murder conviction for the killing of Jean.
Since the initial trial, Guyger’s defense team has sought to challenge both the conviction and the sentence. Guyger’s lawyers assert that her actions were protected under the castle doctrine since Guyger allegedly thought she was in her own apartment.
In August 2021, a Texas appeals court affirmed both the murder conviction and the sentence. Subsequently, Guyger’s attempt to appeal to the Court of Criminal Appeals in March 2022 was unsuccessful. Her final chance to contest the conviction and sentence led to her failed appeal with the U.S. Supreme Court.
Lee Merritt, the attorney representing Jean’s family, referred to the original sentence as “inadequate.”
Allison Jean, the victim’s mother, also claimed that the case highlighted corruption within the Dallas Police Department.
However, in a moving moment, Brandt Jean, the victim’s brother, embraced Guyger with a hug during his victim impact statement and expressed his forgiveness for her actions.
If parole is denied for the former Dallas officer, Guyger’s scheduled release date would be September 29, 2029.
