A jury reached the verdict in Amber Guyger’s high-profile trial for the killing of youth pastor Botham Jean, in Dallas, after six days of witness evidence but just a handful of hours of deliberation.
Cheers erupted in the courthouse as the verdict was announced, and someone yelled: “Thank you, Jesus!”
In Texas, the sentence for murder is from five to 99 years in prison. The jury returned on Tuesday afternoon for the punishment phase.
It is unclear how long that part of the trial will last. Testimony will resume on Wednesday.
Botham Jean’s mother, Allison Jean, rejoices in the courtroom after fired Dallas police Officer Amber Guyger was found guilty of murder, Tuesday, Oct. 1, 2019, in Dallas.
The basic facts of the unusual shooting were not in dispute throughout the trial. In September 2018, Guyger walked up to Mr Jean’s apartment – which was on the fourth floor, directly above hers on the third – and found the door unlocked.
She was off duty but still dressed in her police uniform after a long shift, when she shot Mr Jean with her service weapon. The 26-year-old accountant had been eating a bowl of ice cream before she entered his home.
Jean grew up in St Lucia and attended Harding University, a private Christian university in Arkansas to start a his career as an accountant.
He often led campus worship…
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