Photo Credit: Oxygen

Yolanda Saldívar, who was convicted of first-degree murder in the killing of Tejano singer-songwriter Selena Quintanilla, has been denied parole. The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles made the decision near the 30th anniversary of Selena's death.

Saldívar is a San Antonio native and was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 30 years. She murdered the 23-year-old singer in a Corpus Christi hotel room on March 31, 1995. At the time, Saldívar was the president of Selena's fan club, but the relationship turned sour when Selena confronted her over embezzlement allegations. Saldívar is now 64 years old and has been in prison for the killing for nearly 30 years.

Her first parole eligibility date is March 30, 2025. The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles stated the decision came after a thorough consideration of all available information -- including confidential interviews conducted by the board.

"The reason provided by the panel for denial was the nature of the offense -- the record indicates that the instant offense has elements of brutality, violence, assaultive behavior, or conscious selection of victim's vulnerability indicating a conscious disregard for the lives, safety, or property of others. The offender poses a continuing threat to public safety," the board's statement reads.

Selena was killed just two weeks before her 24th birthday after conquering the Spanish music scene and beginning to crossover into English. Before her arrest, Saldívar said she did not mean to kill Selena and that she purchased the .38 revolver to kill herself. She was arrested and convicted of first-degree murder on October 23, 1995.

Family members of Saldívar said they feel as though she is a "political prisoner" at this point. "[Yolanda] knows what she did was wrong and she takes responsibility for it," one family member told the New York Post. "But she was reacting to the way she was confronted. She says that [Selena] came at her really aggressively. She was so thrown off with how forceful Selena was being. Everything happened so fast. If Selena had confronted her differently, this would have never happened."

Saldívar was the subject of an Oxygen true crime series called 'Selena and Yolanda: The Secrets Between Them' that explored the relationship between the singer and her killer. Saldívar is not eligible to apply for parole for another five years.

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