Yolanda Saldivar was handed a life sentence with the possibility of parole in 30 years back in 1995, after she was convicted of murdering the music star, and Saldivar has now been denied parole
The woman convicted of murdering beloved Mexican-American singer Selena Quintanilla will remain behind bars after being refused early parole. Yolanda Saldivar, who was sentenced in 1995 to a life term with the chance of parole after 30 years behind bars, has been denied parole in Texas.
The Texas Board of Pardons and Parole provided a statement to PEOPLE regarding their decision to deny Saldivar parole: “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.”
They pointed to the “nature” of the crime as the basis for denying her parole.
Further elaborating, the board’s statement read: “The record indicates that the instant offense 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.”
Now 64, Saldivar – who once led the Selena fan club but was dismissed right before the murder – has upheld her stance that the shooting was accidental.
Additionally, she has claimed that the sentencing was swayed by the celebrity status of Selena.
In the documentary ‘Selena and Yolanda: The Secrets Between Them’, Saldivar lamented: “I was convicted by public opinion even before my trial started.”
The parole board has contested the suggestion that there was anything unusual in their handling of Saldivar’s case, stressing that they adhered to standard procedures.
In an official statement, the board clarified: “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.”
Explaining the process further, they said, “An Institutional Parole Officer prepared her file for submission to the parole panel responsible for rendering the discretionary decision.”
They delved into the details of the confidential file, stating, “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.”
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