Selena's killer isn't getting out of prison any time soon, as a parole board for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice denied the parole of Yolanda Saldívar, who murdered the 23-year-old Latina superstar at a Texas hotel in 1995.
The 64-year-old convicted murderer must serve another five years before she has another shot at getting out in March 2030, according to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. She was denied due to the nature of her offense and for being a continuing threat to public safety.
“Today, we are grateful that the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles has chosen to deny parole for Yolanda Saldívar,” the Quintanilla family and Selena’s husband Chris Pérez said in a joint statement shared on their social media platforms.
“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,” they continued.
Carlos Valdez, the former Nueces County District Attorney who prosecuted the case, told a San Antonio news station that Saldívar continues to deny responsibility.
"In this case, if you look at everything she has said for the last 30 years, you'll understand you still have to protect the public," Valdez said. "You still have to protect the victims. You have to make sure there is some rehabilitation. If you talk to her today, if I had talked to her today, she has not changed at all in 30 years. Not at all. She's still saying the same thing."
Saldívar, a business partner of Selena and founder of her fan club, fatally shot the Queen of Tejano Music at a Days Inn in Corpus Christi on March 31, 1995, after she was caught embezzling more than $60,000 from the singer.
A Texas jury found Saldívar in only 30 minutes of deliberation, and she was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 30 years.
Two years after her death, Edward James Olmos and a then-unknown Jennifer Lopez starred in the eponymous biopic Selena, catapulting J Lo into a household name.
Selena, whose full name was Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, quickly shot to superstardom in the late '80s due to her incredible talent fronting the family band Selena y Los Dinos.
She was working on her 1995 crossover album Dreaming of You at the time of her death. Released posthumously, it was the first predominantly Spanish language album to debut at number one on the Billboard 200 chart.
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