Nearly 30 years after the world lost Tejano music legend Selena Quintanilla, the woman convicted of her murder has been denied parole.
On Thursday, the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles announced that Yolanda Saldívar, who’s currently serving a life sentence at the Patrick L. O’Daniel Unit in Gatesville, Texas, will remain incarcerated. The board voted against her release, with her next parole eligibility set for 2030.
Saldívar, a former nurse and once trusted confidante of Selena, was found guilty of first-degree murder in October 1995. She had been the president of Selena’s fan club and manager of the singer’s boutiques until she was fired amid allegations of embezzlement. Just weeks later, on March 31, 1995, Selena was shot in the back with a .38-caliber revolver at a Days Inn motel in Corpus Christi, Texas. The 23-year-old star was able to name Saldívar as the shooter before collapsing in the lobby and later dying at the hospital.
During the emotional trial — which was moved to Houston due to intense media coverage — Saldívar claimed the shooting was accidental and that she intended to harm herself, not Selena. The jury didn’t buy it, and she was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 30 years.
Since her incarceration, Saldívar has kept a low public profile, although court records show she obtained a paralegal certificate and an associate degree in criminal justice. She has also filed numerous complaints alleging mistreatment and has remained in protective custody due to the high-profile nature of her case.
Selena, widely known as the Queen of Tejano, was on the verge of superstardom in the English-language market at the time of her death. Her posthumous album Dreaming of You topped the Billboard charts and solidified her legacy. She’s been honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, and her story was immortalized in the 1997 biopic Selena, starring Jennifer Lopez.
