A Texas parole board has denied Yolanda Saldívar’s request for early release, citing her ongoing threat to public safety.
Saldívar, who murdered 23-year-old Tejano music icon Selena Quintanilla-Perez in 1995, had become eligible for parole after serving 30 years of her life sentence.
Saldívar, who was once the manager of Selena’s boutiques and founder of her fan club, shot the young singer at a Corpus Christi hotel on March 31, 1995. The murder followed allegations of embezzlement from Selena’s businesses.
Selena, known as the “Queen of Tejano,” had achieved significant success, winning a Grammy in the early 1990s.
Her legacy continued to grow after her death, with her posthumous album Dreaming of You topping the charts, and her story being immortalized in the 1997 film Selena, starring Jennifer Lopez.
Saldívar will be eligible to reapply for parole in March 2030.