DALLAS (KRLD) - Jurors are considering the sentence for a former Dallas police officer whom they convicted of murder for shooting her neighbor in his apartment, which she says she mistook for her own unit one floor below.
Amber Guyger could be sentenced to five years to life in prison for killing Botham Jean, though jurors could also sentence her to as little as two years if they determine her crime was one of sudden passion.
A prosecutor told jurors Wednesday that when deciding the sentence for the September 2018 killing, they can consider racially insensitive texts that Guyger sent to her police partner. She said they shouldn't sentence Guyger to less than 28 years, which is how old Jean would have been today.
Her attorney, Toby Shook, said the texts were sent "at a whim" and weren't indicative of Guyger's whole life. He asked jurors to consider a black woman who credited Guyger with helping her recover from drug use.
