Yolanda Saldívar, the woman responsible for the murder of beloved Mexican-American musician Selena Quintanilla-Perez, has been denied parole after spending decades in jail.
A three-member panel of the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles voted against Saldivar in a hearing Thursday, the Associated Press reported.
Saldívar, 64, is serving a life sentence for the killing. The board said she will be eligible for another parole hearing in 2030.
Saldívar shot the popular singer in the back at a motel in Corpus Christi, Texas on March 31, 1995.
Quintanilla-Perez, known to fans simply as Selena, ran to the motel’s lobby to detail her attacker as “Yolanda” in “room 158″ before ultimately succumbing to injury at the age of 23.
Saldívar created a Selena fan club and managed the musician’s clothing boutiques before being fired in early March 1995 after money went missing. She claimed she “didn’t mean to do it” in a nine-hour standoff with police and testified in her trial that she originally intended to commit suicide.
The assailant was sentenced to life in prison in October 1995.
While serving her life sentence, Saldívar obtained a paralegal and associate degree in criminal justice and filed several civil rights complaints alleging mistreatment by the prison system along with other inmates.
The late Tejano (a Texan of Mexican descent) superstar won a Grammy Award for best Mexican-American album in 1994. Some of her biggest hits include “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom,” “Como la Flor,” “Amor Prohibido” and “No Me Queda Mas.”
Selena’s husband, Chris Perez, said he and his family were grateful of the decision in statement posted Thursday to Instagram.
“Today, we are grateful that the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles has chosen to deny parole for Yolanda Saldívar,” the statement read. “While nothing can bring Selena back, this decision reaffirms that justice continues to stand for the beautiful life that was taken from us and from millions of fans around the world far too soon.”
Editor’s note: NJ Advance Media typically limits reporting on suicides to those that occur in crowded public places, involve public figures or, in special circumstances, where there is a larger public impact. Suicidal thoughts and behaviors can be reduced with the proper mental health support and treatment. If you are in crisis, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 988 or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741.
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