Selena’s Killer Seeks Parole After 30 Years In Prison

Yolanda Saldivar, the woman convicted of murdering late singer Selena Quintanilla-Perez, has put in a bid to be released from prison on parole in 2025.

Saldivar, 64, was convicted in the 1995 shooting death of the Tejano superstar, who was just 23 at the time of her passing. The New York Post reports that Saldivar’s clean prison record within the Texas Department of Criminal Justice allows for her to be considered for release after 30 years. Quintanilla-Perez’s family is expected to be notified of her potential release in January.

After serving three decades behind bars at the Patrick L. O’Daniel Unit in Gatesville, TX, Saldivar is reportedly still seen as a target by fellow inmates who seek “justice for Selena.” Former inmate Marisol Lopez, who served alongside her from 2017 to 2022, told The Post, “Everyone knows who Yolanda Saldívar is. There’s a bounty on her head, like everyone wants a piece of her. The guards keep her away from everyone else, because she’s hated so much. If she were out [in general population], someone would try to take her down.”

“Everyone was always like, ‘Let me have five minutes with that bi**h,’” added Yesenia Dominguez, another former inmate. “Everyone wanted to get justice for Selena. There’s a target on her back.”

After being fired as Selena’s Fan Club President for embezzling over $30K in fan club fees, the “Dreaming Of You” singer met with Saldivar at a motel privately to retrieve important tax documents. She was killed the same day.

Saldivar retreated to her pick-up truck after the murder and proceeded to have a 9.5-hour stand-off with police. She later argued that the shooting was an accident, and that she meant to kill herself. However, Saldivar, a former nurse, made no efforts to save Selena’s life and did not call 911.

Saldivar was found guilty of first-degree murder by a jury in Oct. 1995 and was sentenced to life in prison with option for parole in March 2025.