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Amber Guyger was granted parole on October 1, 2026, after serving seven years of her 10-year sentence for murdering Botham Jean. The parole grant is not a confirmed release date: the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) will determine when she leaves prison.

What happened in the parole decision?

The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles approved Guyger’s parole at her 2026 eligibility review. Jean’s family objected to her release. The decision followed the board’s rejection of Guyger’s first parole request in 2024. The Associated Press reported that she had served seven years of her 10-year term when parole was granted on October 1, 2026. Associated Press, October 1, 2026

The grant authorizes parole; it does not establish the date Guyger will physically be released. TDCJ determines release timing, and the available reporting did not give a confirmed date. TDCJ

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Why was Amber Guyger sentenced to prison?

On September 6, 2018, Guyger, then an off-duty Dallas police officer, entered her neighbor Botham Jean’s Dallas apartment and fatally shot him. She said she believed she had entered her own apartment. Jean was 26.

A Dallas County jury convicted Guyger of murder in October 2019 and sentenced her to 10 years in prison. In November 2021, a Texas appeals court affirmed the conviction and sentence, according to a filing in the U.S. Supreme Court docket. U.S. Supreme Court docket filing

Who made the decision, and what did Dallas police say?

The parole decision was made by the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles, not the Dallas Police Department. Dallas police said the department had no role in Guyger’s parole application or the board’s decision. In a statement reported by the Associated Press, the department said it understood the decision could renew attention and emotion around Jean’s death and that its thoughts remained with his family and others affected by his loss. Associated Press

How the case’s separate legal proceedings fit together

The parole review concerned Guyger’s prison sentence. It was separate from a federal civil case brought by Jean’s family. In November 2024, a federal jury awarded the family nearly $100 million, according to the Associated Press. That civil award is not part of Guyger’s criminal sentence and is not a parole condition. Associated Press, November 2024

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Date Proceeding Outcome
September 6, 2018 Fatal shooting in Jean’s Dallas apartment Jean was killed.
October 2019 Criminal trial Dallas County jury convicted Guyger of murder; she received a 10-year sentence.
November 2021 Appeal Texas appeals court affirmed the conviction and sentence.
2024 First parole review Parole was denied.
November 2024 Federal civil case Jury awarded Jean’s family nearly $100 million, as reported by the Associated Press.
October 1, 2026 Parole review Parole was granted after seven years served; TDCJ will set the release timing.
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What is not yet confirmed?

  • Physical release date: TDCJ determines the timing, and no confirmed date was reported with the parole grant.
  • Case-specific vote details: The available sources do not establish the individual panel votes or the board’s specific deliberations in Guyger’s case.

The board’s general process information describes panel voting, but it does not establish the particulars of this case. Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles

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