Selena Quintanilla’s killer Yolanda Saldivar has been denied parole in Texas, with the board citing the “brutal” nature of the murder as the reason for their refusal
Selena Quintanilla’s murderer has been denied early release.
Yolanda Saldivar, who was sent to prison for life for the horrifying ordeal with a chance of parole after 30 years in 1995 for the killing of pop star Selena Quintanilla, had her parole bid rejected in Texas.
The Texas Board of Pardons and Parole told PEOPLE: “After a thorough consideration of all available information, which included any confidential interviews conducted, it was the parole panels determination to deny parole to Yolanda Saldivar and set her next parole review for March 2030.”
They noted the “nature” of the crime and the statement went on: “The record indicates that the instant offence has elements of brutality, violence, assaultive behaviour 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.”
Saldivar, now 64 and was once the head of Selena’s fan club, has always claimed the shooting was a fluke. She has also claimed her sentence was so severe because of Selena’s fame.
Speaking in the doc ‘Selena and Yolanda: The Secrets Between Them’, Saldivar moaned: “I was convicted by public opinion even before my trial started.”
However, the parole board has slammed rumours, asserting that they stuck to the book with Saldivar’s case. The board issued a statement: “As with any other initial review of an offender for parole, approximately six months prior to her parole eligibility, she went into the parole review process.”
“An Institutional Parole Officer prepared her file for submission to the parole panel responsible for rendering the discretionary decision.”
“Within that confidential file there is a plethora of information including but not limited to: court documents, offense reports, support/protest information, criminal history, institutional adjustment and information/statements provided by the offender. The file was then sent to a parole panel of three. A simple majority was required to either grant or deny parole.”
Selena rose to fame back in the 90s and was simply known by her first name. The songstress, known as the Queen of Tejano Music, is one of the most celebrated Mexican-American entertainers in history.
She was also branded the Tejano Madonna due to her fashion and is credited for bringing the Tejano genre into the mainstream. Selena was known for her songs I Could Fall In Love, Dreaming of You, Si Una Vez, La Carcacha and Como La Flor.
The singer was sadly shot and killed on 31 March 1995, aged just 23-years-old. Two years later, Warner Bros. released a film about her life and career titled simply Selena.
A then-unknown Jennifer Lopez starred as the chart-topping singer, which eventually made her a household name. The film was written and directed by Gregory Nava and followed Selena’s rise to fame.
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Source: Celebrities - dailystar.co.uk
