Where Is Yolanda Saldívar Now? Inside the Prison Life of Selena’s Killer
What To Know
- Yolanda Saldívar murdered the singer on March 31, 1995, after being confronted for embezzlement.
- Saldívar was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 30 years.
- She remains incarcerated in Texas, with her first parole eligibility in March 2025, which has already been denied.
Warning: This post includes references to suicide, mental illness, self-harm, and acts of violence, including murder.
On March 31, 1995, the music industry and Tejano fans were horrified by the murder of Selena Quintanilla‑Pérez, who was shot and killed by the head of her own fan club, Yolanda Saldívar. The senseless tragedy left a lasting void in the music scene as it derailed a promising crossover career and forever reshaped the way Selena’s legacy.
A new Selena documentary, Selena y Los Dinos, is coming to Netflix and will feature personal family videos and interviews with Selena’s loved ones, offering a look at her life from performing in her family’s band to her rise to superstardom. But as fans take a look back at the superstar who was taken too soon, they’ll like also wonder about the person responsible for extinguishing that light.
But who was Yolanda Saldívar before she became one of the most infamous figures in music history? How did she go from superfan and trusted employee to the woman who ended the life of a global icon? And nearly 30 years later, what has become of her?
Here’s a closer look at Saldívar’s life before the murder, the events that led to that fatal day, and where she is now.
Who is Yolanda Saldívar?
Born on Sept. 19, 1960, in San Antonio, Texas, 34-year-old Saldívar was a registered nurse who quickly found a community in the Tejano music scene before becoming involved in Selena’s inner circle. In 1991, Saldívar attended one of Selena’s concerts and approached Selena’s father, Abraham Quintanilla, about forming an official fan club in San Antonio.
Everett Collection
She went on to become president of the fan club, as well as manager of Selena’s clothing boutiques, Selena Etc., giving her access to Selena’s personal accounts.
According to reports from people close to the situation, it was at this time that Saldívar became obsessed with Selena and began demonstrating disturbing behavior.
“She’d get, like, very angry if you crossed her…she would play so many mind games, say people had said things they hadn’t said,” fashion designer Martin Gomez told the Washington Post. “It was very weird. I was very afraid of Yolanda. But I never thought she would hurt Selena. I never thought it would come to this.”
“The last call I had with Selena…I told her to be careful,” said Gomez.
Why did Yolanda Saldívar murder Selena?
Selena’s family discovered that Saldívar had been embezzling money from both her fan club and her boutiques after fans complained about unfulfilled merchandise orders, and bookkeeping showed missing checks and forged signatures. When confronted, Yoland arranged a meeting with the singer to discuss the situation and retrieve business documents for Selena’s boutique business.
Selena met with Saldívar at the Days Inn motel in Corpus Christi on March 31, 1995, to retrieve those records, but the meeting would end in tragedy.
Everett Collection
She was shot by Saldívar in the motel room, but was able to run to the lobby, where she collapsed. She named “Yolanda” in “room 158” as her attacker before she was taken by paramedics to a nearby hospital. She was pronounced dead an hour later.
The shooting led to a nine-hour standoff with police, in which Saldívar threatened personal harm before they arrested Saldívar.
At the time, Saldívar claimed the shooting was accidental and that she had brought the gun to kill herself.
“Yolanda wanted to kill Selena because Selena was firing Yolanda,” said lead prosecutor Carlos Valdez. “She wouldn’t exist if she didn’t have Selena. And if she didn’t work for Selena, she didn’t want to work for anybody.”
What was Yolanda Saldívar convicted of?
On October 23, 1995, after a three-hour deliberation, Yolanda Saldívar was convicted of first-degree murder in the shooting death of Selena Quintanilla‑Pérez. As a result, she was sentenced to life imprisonment with the possibility of parole after 30 years.
After her conviction, she was sent to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice facility, then known as the Gatesville Unit (which later became the Christina Melton Crain Unit) in Gatesville, Texas, for processing.
After 30 years, she had her first parole eligibility date was March 30, 2025. The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles denied her parole, citing the nature of the offense and continuing public-safety concerns. Her next hearing is set for March 2030.
What is her life in prison like?
Due to the high-profile nature of the crime, Saldívar has been placed in protective custody and segregated from many other inmates for safety concerns. One report indicates she spends 23 hours a day alone because there is a “bounty on her head” from other inmates.
Former inmate Marisol Lopez, who served time with Saldívar from 2017 to 2022, told the Post, “There’s a bounty on her head, like everyone wants a piece of her. The guards keep her away from everyone else, because she’s hated so much. If she were out, someone would try to take her down.”
What is she doing now?
Still in prison, Saldívar has actively denied her role in Selena’s death through interviews with outlets and true crime shows. In the 2024 docuseries, Selena & Yolanda: The Secrets Between Them, the convicted murderer claimed that Selena was the aggressor who forced Saldívar to cover up for an alleged extramarital affair. She also states that there was no embezzlement, despite evidence to the contrary.
In VH1’s Behind the Music, Saldívar claimed a man named “Lorenzo Selenas” wrote letters that portrayed the singer in a negative light and would exonerate her guilt. It was noted that after a seven-month search, Behind the Music was unable to locate or prove the existence of the man.
TV Insider