Who is Yolanda Saldivar? Biography, Worth & Wiki

Yolanda Saldívar, the woman convicted of murdering Tejano music legend Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, has been denied parole after nearly three decades behind bars.

The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles announced Thursday that Saldívar will continue serving her life sentence at a prison in Gatesville, Texas, after a three-member panel determined she still poses a threat to public safety. The board cited the violent nature of the crime as a key reason for the denial.

Saldívar will be eligible for parole review again in 2030.

The Tragic Murder of Selena

Selena, a rising star in the Mexican-American music scene, was on the verge of crossing into the English-language pop market when she was fatally shot on March 31, 1995, at a Days Inn motel in Corpus Christi, Texas.

Saldívar, who managed Selena’s boutiques and fan club, was fired after being caught embezzling money. Selena agreed to meet with her that day, reportedly to retrieve missing financial documents. Instead, Saldívar shot the 23-year-old singer in the back with a .38-caliber revolver.

Despite being critically injured, Selena ran to the motel lobby and named “Yolanda” in room 158 as her attacker before collapsing. She was pronounced dead an hour later at a local hospital.

During a nine-hour standoff with police, Saldívar sobbed and claimed she had intended to kill herself, not Selena. However, a jury in Houston convicted her of first-degree murder on October 23, 1995. She was sentenced to life in prison with a possibility of parole after 30 years.

Life in Prison and Legal Battles

While in prison, Saldívar earned a paralegal and associate degree in criminal justice. She also filed multiple civil rights complaints against the prison system, claiming mistreatment due to her high-profile status. All her appeals have been rejected.

Selena’s Lasting Legacy

Known as the “Queen of Tejano Music”, Selena won a Grammy Award and had multiple hits, including:

• “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom”

• “Como la Flor”

• “Amor Prohibido”

• “No Me Queda Más”

Her posthumous album, Dreaming of You, topped the Billboard 200 with English-language hits “I Could Fall in Love” and “Dreaming of You”. The 1997 biopic Selena, starring Jennifer Lopez, cemented her legacy.