By Rich McKay
(Reuters) – Yolanda Saldivar, the convicted murderer of Latin pop star Selena Quintanilla-Perez, known as the queen of Tejano music, was denied parole on Thursday, the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles announced, just days before the 30th anniversary of the singer’s death.
The Grammy-winning singer known simply as Selena was 23 when she was shot and killed by Saldivar, now 64, at a motel in Corpus Christi, Texas, on March 31, 1995. Saldivar was the president of Selena’s fan club and had been accused of embezzling thousands of dollars from the singer.
The parole board said in a statement that after a review of confidential interviews, court documents and other materials, a three-member panel concluded the nature of the offense was such that Saldivar “poses a continuing threat to public safety.”
Saldivar had just become eligible for parole after serving almost 30 years of a life sentence. Her next chance for parole comes in 2030, the parole board said.
Selena’s family posted a statement on Instagram on Thursday thanking the parole board.
“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 too soon,” the Quintanilla family statement said.
(Reporting by Rich McKay in Atlanta; editing by Donna Bryson and Leslie Adler)
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