The former Dallas police officer who murdered PwC associate Botham Jean in 2018 has been granted parole seven years into her 10 year sentence.
Amber Guyger was
The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles said it granted Guyger 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 does not yet have an official release date. She had been denied parole in 2024.
After the decision was released, Jean's family said in a statement to CBS News Texas: "To the many well-wishers who continue to say Botham's name, honor his life, and carry his memory forward, the family extends their heartfelt gratitude for your continued love and support."
Lee Merritt, a lawyer for the family, said in a statement to NBC News Dallas-Fort Worth said that the family was "disappointed by the decision." He continued, "A 10-year sentence was already a fraction of what was lost. 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."
In 2024, a jury awarded Jean's family close to $100 million from Guyger in a civil suit, finding that she has violated Jean's civil rights in using excessive force. In March of this year, Jean's family filed a civil lawsuit against the City of Dallas, which had been dismissed from the earlier suit, asking it to cover that settlement. The recent suit claims the city tried to cover up staffing gaps by assigning officers overtime work, leading to fatigue and stress, as Guyger had clocked out from a nearly 14-hour shift on the night she murdered Jean.
Jean would have turned 35 years old on Tuesday.
