The woman sentenced to life in prison for killing Tejano music icon Selena in 1995 has been denied parole, the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles said Thursday,
Yolanda Saldívar was convicted of fatally shooting Selena, the Mexican-American singer known as the “Queen of Tejano” music whose full name was Selena Quintanilla Pérez, at a Days Inn motel in Corpus Christi on March 31, 1995.
Saldívar was eligible for parole after 30 years, with possible release no sooner than March 30.
“After a thorough consideration of all available information, which included any confidential interviews conducted, it was the parole panel’s determination to deny parole to Yolanda Saldivar and set her next parole review for March 2030,” the Board of Pardons and Paroles said in a statement.
In a Thursday evening statement on Instagram, Selena’s family expressed their gratitude to the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles for denying Saldívar’s parole.
“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,” the family statement said. “Selena’s legacy is one of love, music, and inspiration. She lived with joy, gave selflessly, and continues to uplift generations with her voice and her spirit.”
The statement added: “We thank Selena’s fans for their unwavering support throughout the years. Your love has been a source of strength and healing. We will continue to celebrate Selena’s life — not the tragedy that took her from us — and we ask that all who cherish her do the same.”
Saldívar was president of Selena’s fan club and manager of two of her clothing boutiques before she killed the 23-year-old singer. Selena’s family fired Saldívar in early 1995, accusing her of embezzling money from the fan club and boutiques.
Selena was shot in the back, Saldívar then followed her until the singer collapsed in the lobby, and Saldívar locked herself in a truck outside and threatened to kill herself, according to appellate court documents. Before Selena lost consciousness, she told motel employees who shot her, they said.
A jury found Saldívar guilty of first-degree murder in October 1995, and she was sentenced to life with the possibility of parole.
Saldívar claimed that she didn’t mean to kill Selena and that she bought the .38-caliber revolver to kill herself. Her defense at trial argued that the gun went off accidentally and struck Selena.
Selena’s hits included “Dreaming Of You,” which rose to 22 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1995, the year she was killed. She had five No. 1 hits on Billboard’s Hot Latin Tracks including “No Me Queda Mas,” and she won the Grammy Award for Best Mexican-American Album in 1994 for “Live.”
Her life was memorialized in the 1997 film “Selena,” starring Jennifer Lopez.
Saldívar spoke out about the killing in a 2024 Oxygen docuseries, “Selena & Yolanda: The Secrets Between Them,” in which she denied that she embezzled money and claimed, without evidence, that she was covering up Selena’s extramarital affair.
The documentary outraged some fans before it even aired.
Saldíva filed a petition for parole in January.
The board said a file was prepared that included court documents and other materials, and it was sent to a three-person parole panel. A simple majority is needed. The statement from the state board did not disclose the vote.
“The reason provided by the panel for denial was the Nature of the Offense: The record indicates that the instant offense has elements of brutality, violence, assaultive behavior or conscious selection of victim’s vulnerability indicating a conscious disregard for the lives, safety, or property of others, such that the offender poses a continuing threat to public safety,” the Board of Pardons and Paroles said.
