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Amber Guyger Granted Parole Seven Years After Murder Conviction

The Texas parole board said she met criteria based on her prison conduct and program completion, and the state prison agency has not set an official release date.

Overview

  • The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles approved Guyger’s parole on Thursday after she served seven years of a 10-year sentence for the 2018 killing of Botham Jean.
  • The board cited a lack of a documented pattern of violent arrests or convictions, a satisfactory institutional adjustment, and completion of reentry programs as the basis for approval.
  • The Texas Department of Criminal Justice has not announced when Guyger will be released from the Patrick L. O’Daniel Unit and will set an official release date.
  • Botham Jean’s family, their attorneys and civil-rights groups criticized the decision, held vigils in Dallas and said they were deeply disappointed that she will not serve the full decade behind bars.
  • Separately from criminal proceedings, a 2024 federal civil jury found Guyger liable and awarded the Jean family about $98.6 million, and the family filed a 2026 suit against the City of Dallas alleging staffing and overtime practices tied to the case.