Amber Guyger denied parole after serving half a sentence for Jean's murder

Former Dallas police officer Amber Guyger, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison for the 2018 killing of Botham Jean, was denied parole Thursday.

The 36-year-old was eligible for parole after serving half of her sentence in a Gatesville prison. The verdict coincided with Jean's 33rd birthday and underscored the loss of a young life taken too soon.

The Jean family, determined to prevent Guyger's early release, launched an online petition that garnered over 6,300 signatures from supporters. Botham's mother, Allison Jean, expressed relief at the verdict. “Excited! Relieved! We put up a good fight,” she told Loop News.

Guyger fatally shot Jean on September 6, 2018, after accidentally entering his apartment, believing it to be her own. She lived one floor below Jean in the South Side Flats building in Dallas. At her trial in 2019, she claimed she thought Jean was a burglar and fired her service weapon twice. Although she was off duty, Guyger was still in uniform at the time of the incident. She was initially charged with manslaughter, but was later charged with murder after a grand jury review.

The legal team representing the Jean family, including Ben Crump Law, the Washington Law Firm and Romanucci & Blandin, expressed satisfaction with the decision, stating: “The family of Botham Jean, the former Dallas police officer, is relieved by today's decision to deny parole.” To her, Officer Amber Guyger is a very important part of justice for the senseless deaths of her brother and son while he was unarmed and minding his own business in his own home.