Yolanda Saldívar was sentenced to life in prison for the 1995 shooting death of her former friend, pop icon Selena Quintanilla.
Once the president of Quintanilla’s fan club, Saldívar’s relationship with the “I Could Fall in Love” singer soured in early 1995. Selena’s father, Abraham Quintanilla, and their business associates discovered that Saldívar had allegedly embezzled thousands of dollars from both her fan club and the family’s Corpus Christie, Texas, boutique.
The dispute led to a deadly showdown between the two women on March 31, 1995, where Saldívar shot Selena in her hotel room. Saldívar was charged with first-degree murder and, despite her insistence that the shooting was accidental, was convicted in October 1995.
The life and tragic death of “The Queen of Tejano Music” is explored in Netflix’s 2025 documentary Selena y Los Dinos, produced by her relatives Suzette Quintanilla and A.B. Quintanilla III.
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Keep scrolling for more information on the shooting — and where Saldívar is today.
Who Is Yolanda Saldivar?
Yolanda Saldívar was born in San Antonio, Texas, on September 19, 1960.
As a lifelong fan of country music, Saldívar became interested in tejano music after seeing Selena Quintanilla in concert. She convinced Selena and her father, Abraham Quintanilla, to let her start a fanclub for the musician.
The fanclub proved to be so successful that the Quintanillas hired Saldívar to manage their Corpus Christie, Texas, boutique, Selena Etc, in 1994.
By early 1995, Saldívar was removed as president of Selena’s fanclub and fired from the boutique after the Quintanillas discovered that she’d stolen thousands of dollars from both organizations.
Saldívar was determined to redeem herself in Selena’s eyes, though she developed a violent fixation with her at the same time.
In the days before the shooting, Saldívar purchased a Taurus Model 85 .38-caliber revolver from San Antonio gun range A Place to Shoot. She later returned the weapon before purchasing it a second time.
On March 30, 1995, Saldívar checked into the Days Inn in Corpus Christie. From her hotel room, she contacted Selena and claimed that she’d been raped.
Selena agreed to meet with Saldívar in her hotel room so her former friend could turn over crucial financial documents. After the meeting, Selena discovered that Saldívar had not given her the correct forms.
The musician consented to meet with Saldívar once again on March 31, 1995, to retrieve the correct documents. At this second meeting, Selena agreed to drive Saldívar to Doctors Regional Hospital so she could undergo a rape examination — though the pair were later informed that the exam would have to be administered elsewhere.
Once they returned to the Days Inn motel, Saldívar again asked Saldívar to turn over financial records. Saldívar then pulled out her revolver and shot Selena in her lower right shoulder.
A gravely wounded Selena fled from the hotel room to seek medical help. Selena was rushed to Corpus Christi Memorial Hospital but she was pronounced dead at around 1:05 p.m. local time.
Was Yolanda Saldivar Convicted of Killing Selena Quintanilla?
Yes, Saldívar was convicted of first-degree murder in October 1995.
Saldívar initially tried to flee the Days Inn parking lot after the shooting on March 31, 1995, but authorities soon arrived on the scene. Saldívar refused to surrender and engaged federal agents in a near 10-hour stand off.
When she was finally apprehended, Saldívar was charged with first-degree murder. Saldívar pleaded not guilty and insisted the shooting was accidental, claiming she intended to kill herself, not Selena.
Saldívar was convicted in October 1995 and sentenced to life imprisonment. She was given the opportunity to apply for parole after 30 years behind bars.
Will Yolanda Saldivar Get Out of Prison?
As of November 2025, Saldívar has not been released from custody. Saldívar has served her sentence at a women’s prison in Gatesville, Texas.
Us Weekly confirmed in December 2024 that Saldívar officially asked for parole as the 30th anniversary of her imprisonment approached. A Texas Department of Criminal Justice official told the New York Post that Saldívar had a clean record heading into the parole process.
In March 2025, the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles confirmed via a statement obtained by Us that Saldívar’s request for parole had been denied after a review by “a parole panel of three.” The statement clarified that the parole decision was made after an examination of “court documents, offense reports, support/protest information, criminal history, institutional adjustment and information/statements provided by the offender.”
“It was the parole panel’s determination to deny parole to Yolanda Saldívar and set her next parole review for March 2030,” the board confirmed.
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Selena’s family released a statement saying they were “grateful” that the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles declined to release Saldívar.
“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,” the Quintanillas said via Instagram. “Selena’s legacy is one of love, music, and inspiration. She lived with joy, gave selflessly, and continues to uplift generations with her voice and her spirit.”
Their statement went on, “As her family and loved ones, we remain committed to preserving her memory and ensuring that her story is honored with the dignity and respect it deserves. We thank Selena’s fans for their unwavering support throughout the years. Your love has been a source of strength and healing. We will continue to celebrate Selena’s life – not the tragedy that took her from us — and we ask that all who cherish her do the same.”
Saldívar remains in prison as of publication.
What Has Yolanda Saldivar Said About Shooting Selena Quintanilla?
Saldívar has repeatedly denied that she intended to kill Selena.
“[The media] made me out to be a monster, and I just want to say, I did not kill Selena,” Saldívar insisted in an interview with 20/20 in 1995. “It was an accident, and my conscience is clear.”
In 2024, Saldívar gave an interview for Oxygen’s documentary Selena & Yolanda: The Secrets Between Them, where she reiterated that the shooting was accidental. She also alleged that she’d protected Selena from her father, Abraham, who she accused of trying to control the artist’s personal and professional life.
“He wanted to control her time. He wanted to control her whereabouts,” she alleged. “[Selena] was not going to have none of that.”
Saldívar alleged that Abraham pressured her to secretly share details about Selena’s daily life with him.
“I couldn’t tell him because I was more loyal to her than him,” Abraham said. “When I would not [tell him], anger started coming my way.”
Abraham blasted the documentary in a statement to TMZ, in which he denied the allegations and suggested that Saldívar’s new claims were all lies.
