Former Dallas police officer Amber Guyger, 31, has been found guilty of murder for the Sept. 6, 2018 slaying of her upstairs neighbor 26-year-old Botham Jean.
According to WFAA8, after the jury’s verdict was announced, Judge Tammy Kemp dismissed the group for lunch. The sentencing phase of the case is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. local on Tuesday.
The night of the murder, Guyger claimed that she was so exhausted after working a 14-hour day that she parked on the 4th floor of the South Side Flats apartment building, instead of the 3rd floor. Consequently, Guyger claims that she walked down the wrong hallway and mistakenly entered apartment number 1478–Botham Jean’s apartment, instead of her apartment 1378—and killed him because she perceived him as an intruder.
During closing arguments Monday afternoon, Lead Prosecutor Jason Hermus not only pointed out the obvious visual cues that Guyger claims she missed before breaking-and-entering into Jean’s home and killing him within moments, but that her training should have ensured that she had a basic awareness of her surroundings.
Hermus said it would be “unjust and unacceptable” for Guyger to walk into Jean’s home, kill him, then get away with just saying, “Oops, my bad.”
Guyger, who was fired after the shooting, cried during her testimony, claiming that she wished it was Jean who had a weapon and not her.
The judge in the case allowed jurors to consider the Castle Doctrine when reaching its verdict.
Guyger faces up to life in prison.
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