Woman who killed singer Selena in 1995 denied parole

The Associated Press

· Posted: Mar 28, 2025 1:26 PM EDT | Last Updated: 13 minutes ago

The pistillate convicted of sidesplitting Tejano euphony fable Selena Quintanilla-Pérez has been denied parole and volition proceed serving a beingness condemnation for fatally shooting the rising young vocalist astatine a Texas motel successful 1995, the state's parole committee announced Thursday.

Yolanda Saldívar, 64, was up for parole for the archetypal clip since the sidesplitting of the singer, known to fans arsenic simply Selena.

One of the archetypal Mexican American artists to interruption into the mainstream euphony scene, Selena shattered barriers for women successful Latin music. She was 23 years aged and connected the verge of crossing implicit into English-language popular superstardom erstwhile she was killed.

The singer's household and Chris Pérez, her widower, expressed gratitude to the Texas Board of Pardon and Paroles.

"While thing tin bring Selena back, this determination reaffirms that justness continues to basal for the beauteous beingness that was taken from america and from millions of fans astir the satellite acold excessively soon," they said successful a connection posted connected societal media.

In explaining the determination to contradict parole, the committee said successful a connection that the sheet recovered that Saldívar continues to airs a menace to nationalist safety. It besides said the quality of the transgression indicated "a conscious disregard for the lives, safety, oregon spot of others."

Saldívar, who is serving her condemnation successful a Gatesville prison, volition beryllium eligible to beryllium reviewed again for parole successful 2030.

Saldívar founded Selena's instrumentality nine and was the manager of the singer's covering boutiques, Selena Etc., until she was fired successful aboriginal March 1995 aft wealth was discovered missing.

Selena, a Corpus Christi native, was changeable successful the backmost with a .38-caliber revolver astatine a Days Inn motel successful Corpus Christi connected March 31, 1995. She was capable to tally to the motel lobby, wherever she collapsed, and she was pronounced dormant astatine a infirmary an hr later.

Motel employees testified that Selena named "Yolanda" successful "Room 158" arsenic her attacker.

"I didn't mean to bash it. I didn't mean to termination anybody," a sobbing Saldívar said during a nine-hour standoff with police. She told officers she had bought the .38-caliber revolver to termination herself.

More than 50,000 radical lined up to presumption Selena's assemblage the time earlier she was laid to remainder successful Seaside Memorial Park connected April 3, 1995, conscionable 13 days earlier her 24th birthday.

Saldívar's proceedings was moved to Houston due to the fact that of the publicity surrounding the case. Saldívar testified that she had intended to termination herself during the confrontation with Selena but the weapon misfired.

On Oct. 23, 1995, a assemblage convicted Saldívar of first-degree murder. She was sentenced to beingness successful situation with the anticipation of parole aft 30 years.

While successful prison, Saldívar, a erstwhile nurse, obtained her paralegal and subordinate grade successful transgression justice. She has filed respective civilian rights complaints alleging mistreatment by the state's situation system, according to tribunal records, and she besides helped different inmates record petitions.

In tribunal documents from 2016, Saldívar said she was being held successful protective custody — meaning she was segregated from different inmates — due to the fact that situation officials were acrophobic for her information owed to the "high profile" quality of her case. She filed respective appeals of her conviction, but each were rejected.

Known arsenic "the Queen of Tejano," Selena roseate to stardom and won a Grammy during a Tejano euphony roar successful the aboriginal 1990s. Her hits included Bidi Bidi Bom Bom, Como la Flor, Amor Prohibido, No Me Queda Mas and Tu Solo Tu.

She opened the floodgates for a caller procreation of modern artists of Latin descent who would spell connected to bask immense popularity with mainstream American audiences. She often sang successful Spanish and spoke successful English, reflecting a cross-cultural individuality that resonated with listeners.

Dreaming of You, her English-language crossover medium released a fewer months aft her death, topped the Billboard 200 and featured the hits I Could Fall successful Love and Dreaming of You.

Jennifer Lopez played the vocalist successful the 1997 biopic Selena.

The Grammys awarded Selena a posthumous beingness accomplishment grant successful 2021.