Essex Files: Yolanda Saldivar Gets Her Verdict

We have an update to a story I wrote about on Wednesday: The woman convicted of killing Tejano music legend Selena Quintanilla-Pérez has been denied parole and will continue serving a life sentence for fatally shooting the rising young singer at a Texas motel in 1995, the state’s parole board announced Thursday.

Yolanda Saldívar, 64, was up for parole for the first time since the killing of the singer, known to fans as simply Selena.

BREAKING

Yolanda Saldívar, the woman who murdered Tejano music legend Selena, has been denied parole.

Saldívar will not be eligible for parole review until 2030. pic.twitter.com/gjAOJm17X6
— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) March 27, 2025

One of the first Mexican American artists to break into the mainstream music scene, Selena shattered barriers for women in Latin music. She was 23 years old and on the verge of crossing over into English-language pop superstardom when she was murdered.

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

“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,” they said in a statement posted on social media.

In explaining the decision to deny parole, the board said in a statement that the panel found that Saldívar continues to pose a threat to public safety. It also said the nature of the crime indicated “a conscious disregard for the lives, safety, or property of others.”

Saldívar, who is serving her sentence in a Gatesville prison, will be eligible to be reviewed again for parole in 2030.

Saldívar founded Selena’s fan club and was the manager of the singer’s clothing boutiques, Selena Etc., until she was fired in early March 1995 after money was discovered missing.
Selena, a Corpus Christi native, was shot in the back with a .38-caliber revolver at a Days Inn motel in Corpus Christi on March 31, 1995. She was able to run to the motel lobby, where she collapsed, and she was pronounced dead at a hospital an hour later. Motel employees testified that Selena named “Yolanda” in “room 158” as her attacker.
“I didn’t mean to do it. I didn’t mean to kill anybody,” a sobbing Saldívar said during a nine-hour standoff with police. She told officers she had bought the .38-caliber revolver to kill herself.
More than 50,000 people lined up to view Selena’s body the day before she was laid to rest in Seaside Memorial Park on April 3, 1995, just 13 days before her 24th birthday.
Saldívar’s trial was moved to Houston because of the publicity surrounding the case. Saldívar testified that she had intended to kill herself during the confrontation with Selena but the gun misfired.
On Oct. 23, 1995, a jury convicted Saldívar of first-degree murder. She was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 30 years.

Known as “the Queen of Tejano,” Selena rose to stardom and won a Grammy during a Tejano music boom in the early 1990s. She often sang in Spanish and spoke in English, reflecting a cross-cultural identity that resonated with listeners. Selena’s legacy, meanwhile, shines on. Her music, from “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom” to “Dreaming of You,” still echoes across generations, a testament to her talent and her ability to unite people across cultures.

She was a trailblazer, yes, but more than that, she was a daughter of Texas, a woman who honored her roots while chasing her dreams. Her story is an American one at its core: a celebration of individual effort, family loyalty, and the belief that right and wrong still matter.

As Saldívar waits for her next parole hearing in 2030, the world moves forward, but it doesn’t forget. Selena’s light burns bright, a beacon of what could have been, while her killer remains where she belongs—behind bars, a living reminder that justice, though sometimes slow, is unrelenting. In a society too quick to excuse wrongdoing, this outcome stands as a victory for those who still believe in consequences, in honor, and in the enduring power of a life well-lived.

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