Amber Guyger, 31, the ex-Dallas police officer found guilty on Tuesday of murdering 26-year-old Botham Jean after breaking into his apartment—allegedly mistaking it as her own—previously joked in a text message about the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and, in another text to a friend, admitted that she was racist.
In a text message exchange dated Sept. 4, 2018, two days before she murdered Jean, a friend told Guyger that she should adopt a german shepherd, “although she may be racist,” the dog’s owner said.
Guyger responded, “It’s ok, I’m the same.”
Guyger followed that admission with another one, “I hate everything and everyone, but y’all.”
In a March 9, 2018, exchange, Martin Rivera, Guyger’s married police partner, with whom she’d had an affair—and the man she was sexting minutes before murdering Jean, Rivera said, “damn I was at this area with 5 different black officers. Not racist but damn”.
Guyger responded, “Not racist but just have a different way of working and it shows”.
During a January 15, 2018 text message exchange, during the Martin Luther King Jr. parade in Dallas, someone texted Guyger, “When does this end lol.”
To which Jean’s killer responded, “When MLK is dead… oh wait…”
When discussing the crowd at the parade, Guyger said, “Just push them… or spray your pepper spray in that general area.”
Guyger also had a habit of liking violent Pinterest posts, including one that reads, “I wear all black to remind you not to mess with me, because I’m already dressed for your funeral.”
Guyger commented beneath that post, “yah i got meh a gun a shovel an gloves if i were u back da f**k up”.
Guyger saved another image showing a military sniper with text that reads: “Stay low, go fast; kill first, die last; one shot, one kill; no luck, all skill.”
Under a post of a Minion character from Despicable Me, with the text, “No one ever thanks me for having the patience not to kill them,” Guyger commented, “People are so ungrateful.”
According to WFAA, Guyger’s attorneys objected to the prosecution showing jurors the texts and online posts, arguing that they would unfairly sway the jury while they consider her sentence.”
The judge ruled that the evidence was admissible after review.
As ESSENCE previously reported, on the night that Guyger murdered Botham Jean, she 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 a dangerous threat.
Guyger, who was fired after she killed Jean, cried during her trial testimony, claiming that she wished it was Jean who had a weapon and not her.