It’s been more than six years since Botham Jean was shot and killed in his Dallas apartment. On Sunday, the former Dallas police officer convicted in his murder became eligible for parole.
Amber Guyger is halfway through her 10-year sentence. Her parole eligibility falls on the same day Jean would’ve turned 33 years old.
“His birthdays are always hard but today it is extremely hard because Amber Guyger is also eligible for parole,” said Jean’s sister, Allisa Charles-Findley.
A Dallas police officer at the time of Jean's death, Guyger had just gotten off work and was still in uniform when she headed home to her apartment in the South Side Flats, an apartment building located two blocks from Dallas police headquarters on the street now named after the victim.
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As Guyger opened the door to what she thought was her apartment, she saw a man inside and shot him. Guyger lived one floor below Botham Jean and, at her trial, testified she mistook his apartment for hers and fired in self-defense.
Botham Jean
Jean was an accountant and a Dallas Cowboys fan.
“I tried my hardest to get Botham to move to New York but he loved Dallas,” his sister said.
A jury convicted Guyger of murder and sentenced her to 10 years in prison. Five years into that sentence, she's up for parole, something Charles-Findley and her family oppose.
“She has only been in for five years and we have a lifetime left without Botham," she said.
Charles-Findley and Jean's immediate family, including Jean's parents and brother, expect to be interviewed by the Texas Parole Board soon.
Jean's sister, other relatives, and friends are writing letters opposing Guyger's release.
Botham Jean
“Even if she's granted parole for killing a 26-year-old young man's life that was just lying on the couch eating ice cream and watching football, it says a lot about our justice system,” said Charles-Findley.
While they wait for a decision, Jean's sister said her family prays for the strength to handle whatever the justice system delivers. She said a decision could be made by the parole board sometime next month.
Guyger's attorney has not responded to requests for comment from both NBC 5 and The Dallas Morning News.
The Dallas County District Attorney’s Office said it sent a letter protesting Guyger’s parole to the parole board.
