30 Years After Selena’s Murder, Yolanda Saldívar Is Up for Parole

Her superstardom arrived in the early 1990s, with her unique blend of Tejano, pop, cumbia and other musical styles manifesting in huge hits like “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom,” “Como la Flor,” “Amor Prohibido,” “No Me Queda Mas” and “Tu Solo Tu.”

Known the world over as The Queen of Tejano, or even more simply just as Selena, she broke barriers for women in Latin music. She opened the floodgates for a new generation of contemporary artists of Latin descent who would go on to enjoy huge popularity with mainstream American audiences. She often sang in Spanish and spoke in English, reflecting a cross-cultural identity that resonated with listeners.

She won her first Grammy in 1994 for best Mexican/Mexican-American album for Live, becoming the first female Tejano artist to win the category. She was just 23 when she was killed the following year. But her legacy endures for Mexican Americans, Mexicans, Texans, Latinos and beyond.

Her posthumous English-language crossover album released a few months after her death, Dreaming of You, topped the Billboard 200, featuring hits like “I Could Fall in Love” and “Dreaming of You.” In 1997, a biographical film about her life, Selena, would quickly become a classic, further launching the career of lead Jennifer Lopez.

In 2017, she received a posthumous star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. At the time, according to a Hollywood Chamber of Commerce spokesperson, the crowd was the largest-ever for a Walk of Fame ceremony, breaking a 1998 record set by onlookers at the unveiling of the star for Mexican singer Vicente Fernández.

In 2021, she received a posthumous lifetime achievement award from the Grammys. There was no tribute.

Who is Yolanda Saldívar?

Yolanda Saldívar, a former nurse, was the founder and president of Selena’s fan club. She was also a manager of Selena’s clothing boutiques, Selena Etc., but was fired in early 1995 after money was discovered missing.

How did Selena die?

On March 31, 1995, Selena went to Saldívar’s room at the Days Inn motel in Corpus Christi, Texas, to pick up business records she needed for a tax filing, according to court testimony. A confrontation followed.

Selena was shot in the back with a .38-caliber revolver in the motel room, ran outside and collapsed in the lobby. She was rushed to a nearby hospital and pronounced dead about an hour later.

Motel employees testified 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 9-hour standoff with police, during which she held a gun to her head. She told police she had bought the .38-caliber revolver to kill herself.

What happened at Yolanda Saldívar’s trial?

The trial was moved to Houston because of heavy publicity.

Prosecutors contended that Saldívar shot the 23-year-old after the singer’s family suspected her of embezzling $30,000. The defense argued the gun went off accidentally.

On October 23, 1995, the jury convicted Saldívar of first-degree murder. She was sentenced to life in prison, with the possibility of parole after 30 years — beginning in 2025.

Saldívar did not face the death penalty because the crime contained none of the aggravating circumstances required under Texas law, such as a multiple murder or a murder committed during a robbery.

In 1999, the Court of Criminal Appeals in Austin turned down Saldívar’s first plea for a new trial. In 2000, her lawyer Bill Berchelmann asked the state to revisit the trial. He argued that prosecutors wrongly dismissed potential jurors because of race, did not disclose the criminal record of a witness and made improper comments in court. He said police also violated Saldívar’s rights by interrogating her after she asked for an attorney.

In 2009, Saldívar lost an appeal because it was filed in the wrong county. She had asked the court to order an appeal filed nine years earlier in Nueces County to move forward, but the state’s highest criminal appeals court said it should have been filed in Harris County, where she was tried and convicted.

She’s incarcerated at the Patrick L. O’Daniel prison unit in Gatesville, Texas, about 90 minutes north of Austin.

How does parole work in Texas?

In Texas, the parole division of the state’s Department of Criminal Justice identifies inmates six months before the date of their initial parole eligibility and pulls their case file for review. Notice of an inmate’s eligibility for parole is sent to officials involved in the trial, any victims and victims’ family members.

An institutional parole officer with the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles interviews an inmate and prepares a summary for the board. The victim or the victim’s family members can provide a written statement and can appear in person before board members.

The inmate’s file is then sent to the parole board and voted on by a three-person panel. The panel will vote on a case just prior to the inmate’s parole eligibility date and a majority of two votes is needed for a final decision.

In Texas, the board does not conduct public parole hearings. Parole release decisions are made independently by each panel member.

Representatives for members of Quintanilla-Pérez’s family did not immediately respond to The Associated Press’ request for comment this week.

What happens if Saldívar’s parole is denied? What if it is approved?

A denial by the panel will include the date of the next time an inmate will be eligible for parole.

Saldívar was convicted of first-degree murder, one of the crimes where state law dictates that the next review after a denial can be done anywhere from one to five years from the date of the denial.

An approval by the panel could include special conditions the inmate will have to follow while on parole. Processing time for a release differs from case to case. Once a release certificate with an approved residence plan is issued, it will be audited by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice’s Classification and Records Department and a release date is calculated. Typically, these processes can take two to six weeks to complete.