Share and Follow
Three decades after the shocking death of Mexican-American superstar Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, her killer will remain behind bars.
Yolanda Saldívar, 64, will continue serving her life sentence after the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles submitted their final decision on Thursday, March 27, 2025. Parole could only be considered after Saldívar served 30 years for the 1995 shooting death of the Grammy Award-winning Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla-Pérez — often referred to by her first name only — in a case that elicited international sorrow in the music world and beyond.
On March 31, 1995, Saldívar fatally shot the 23-year-old Texas-born entertainer in the back at a Days Inn in Corpus Christi, Texas, as previously covered in Oxygen’s Selena and Yolanda: The Secrets Between Them. At the time, the Quintanilla family suspected Saldívar of embezzling funds while serving as the singer’s fan club president, leading many to suspect that Saldívar pulled the trigger after being confronted with impropriety.
Witnesses reported Saldívar then chased the singer into the motel lobby and called her a “b-tch” before Quintanilla-Pérez collapsed and later died at an area hospital. Saldívar was arrested following a nine-and-a-half-hour standoff with police.
Saldívar was convicted of murder with a deadly weapon and sentenced to life.
Why was Yolanda Saldívar denied parole?
A decision to keep the only person ever charged with the singer’s murder came after a three-person panel conducted a series of confidential interviews and reviewed files containing “a plethora of information” not available to the public. The review began six months before a final “discretionary” decision and comprised court documents, offense reports, support/protest information, and other relevant materials.
At least two from the panel decided against Saldívar’s release.
“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, such that the offender poses a continuing threat to public safety,” the board stated in their release.
Quintanilla-Pérez catapulted into fame with hits including I Could Fall in Love and Bidi Bidi Bom Bom, combining both her her American and Mexican backgrounds to find international fame. Her music steadily topped the charts in the early- to mid-’90s, and her massive success continued on an upward trajectory until her shocking death.
In 2017, she was posthumously honored with a star on Hollywood’s Walk of Fame, and in 2021, she won the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, according to Billboard.
A 1997 movie about her life and death starred Jennifer Lopez in the title role, Selena.
Selena Quintanilla’s family releases statement
On Thursday, the Quintanilla family and Quintanilla-Pérez’s husband, Chris Pérez, released a statement (one in English and one in Spanish) on an Instagram page dedicated to the Dreaming of You performer. They thanked the parole board for denying Saldívar’s parole.
“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 statement read, in part. “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.”
Loved ones vowed to continue celebrating the singer’s life, not her untimely passing, and thanked fans for their “unwavering support” over the years.
What’s next for Yolanda Saldívar?
Yolanda Saldívar will continue to serve a life sentence at the Patrick L. O’Daniel Unit, a female prison part of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, according to records reviewed by Oxygen.
Saldívar’s next parole review is scheduled for March 2030.
