Yolanda Saldívar denied parole for death of Tejano legend Selena Quintanilla 30 years ago
Yolanda Saldívar, who has spent nearly 30 years behind bars for the murder of Tejano music legend Selena Quintanilla-Pérez — known simply as "Selena" — will remain in jail following a recent parole review.
A three-member panel of the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles denied Saldívar's release Thursday, citing concerns that she still poses a threat to public safety. The board also noted that the nature of the crime demonstrated "a conscious disregard for the lives, safety, or property of others," according to NPR.
The decision comes just days before the 30-year mark since the fatal shooting of the young music icon outside of a Days Inn Hotel in Corpus Christi in a tragedy that devastated millions of Latinos, Texans and Tejano music fans.
Selena was one of the first Mexican-American artists to break into the mainstream music scene and was on the verge of crossing over into the English-language pop market at the time of her death.
Although the decision means the 64-year-old will continue serving a life sentence at a prison in Gatesville, her case will be eligible for parole review again in 2030.
Saldívar was 34 at the time of Selena's death. She had been president of the Selena fan club and managed Selena's clothing boutique.
Selena was pronounced dead from hypovolemic shock at Corpus Christi Memorial Hospital on March 31, 1995.
She was 23 years old and just less than three weeks away from her 24th birthday on April 16, the Austin-American Statesman previously reported.
The events leading to Selena's tragic death began when her father, Abraham Quintanilla Jr., discovered that Saldívar had been embezzling money from the Selena projects she managed. Fans had begun sending letters and emails complaining that they had paid enrollment fees but received nothing in return.
After an investigation, Quintanilla uncovered that Saldívar had used forged checks to embezzle $30,000 through the fan club and boutiques.
On March 9, 1995, the Quintanilla family held a meeting to discuss the missing funds. Unable to convince her of her innocence, Saldívar was banned from contacting Selena the following day. She then purchased a gun, lying to the clerk by claiming she was a nurse whose patients' relatives had threatened her life.
Weeks later, the day of Selena's death, Saldívar convinced Selena to meet her alone in the hotel room. Selena emptied Saldívar's satchel, which contained documents related to the boutiques and the fan club, as well the .38 revolver. Saldívar then grabbed the gun and pointed it at Selena, who attempted to flee.
Saldívar shot Selena as she was running away, with the bullet entering her upper back near her shoulder and passing through her chest cavity, severing an artery and causing Selena to go into cardiac arrest.
For more than two decades, rumors circulated that her father, Abraham Quintanilla, had refused the transfusion due to his affiliation with the Jehovah's Witness religion. However, he told Corpus Christi station 3 News in 2021 that this claim was false.
"Selena was given blood by the doctor. When she arrived at the hospital at the emergency room after she was shot," Quintanilla told the news organization, adding that he had also retrieved all transcripts of Saldívar's trial and "the doctor testified that when Selena came in, when they brought her in, she was dead already. She had bled to death, but he knew who she was and as a last resort he gave her blood to see if something would happen."
More: 'Selena y Los Dinos' at SXSW reveals Tejano pop icon's family, fame and cultural impact
Born and raised in Texas, Selena was a beloved Tejano musician who was named Female Vocalist of the Year at the 1986 Tejano Music Awards, a title she earned 11 times in total, including several posthumously. She ranks second only to Elida Reyna, who claimed the title 13 times between 2000 and 2019.
In 1994, Selena won the Grammy for Best Mexican-American Album. Songs like "Como La Flor," "I Could Fall In Love," and her signature hit, "Bidi Bidi Bom Bom," endeared her music to both Spanish and English-speaking audiences, stamping her success as a crossover star.
In 2001, Selena was posthumously honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2010, at the 30th Anniversary Tejano Music Awards, she was named Female Vocalist of the 1980s and Female Vocalist of the 1990s.
With her success in pop culture and her philanthropic efforts in the community, Selena has become a significant inspiration for young girls and women, championing confidence and empowerment. From Halloween costumes to Selena-themed trivia and parties, her legacy continues to influence new generations, keeping her spirit alive.
This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas denies Yolanda Saldívar parole. When did Selena die?
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Washington Post
26 minutes ago
- Washington Post
11 essential Brian Wilson songs, from surf rock to ‘Pet Sounds'
If you enjoy most any kind of pop music, you're a cork in Brian Wilson's ocean. The principal songwriter and sonic architect of the Beach Boys, he bottled the vibes of Southern California — and really, the American optimism of the early 1960s — in dozens of hits (many of which contain the word 'surf') before creating what is by broad consensus one of the great rock records of his or any era, 'Pet Sounds.' No one needs an introduction to this catalogue; it remains encoded in music's DNA. But we have some favorites. Don't you?


New York Post
27 minutes ago
- New York Post
Illegal migrant rioter charged with hurling molotov at LA cops after chilling footage captured him stalking police
An illegal migrant from Mexico is accused of throwing a Molotov cocktail at cops during the anti-ICE riots in Los Angeles last weekend — and he'd already been deported from the US once before. Emiliano Garduno-Galvez now faces an attempted murder charge after being nabbed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement Monday, according to the Department of Homeland Security. 4 Ominous footage shows Emiliano Garduno-Galvez flicking a lighter, as if to test that it's working before the alleged attack. Department of Homeland Security Ominous video footage released by ICE shows the Mexican migrant lurking around a tree wearing a black hoodie and face mask with what appeared to be a Molotov cocktail at his feet on Saturday, according to ICE At one point he flicks a lighter, as if to test that it's working, according to the footage. Police were seen trying to push rioters away from the area before Garduno-Galvez allegedly chucked the explosive at them, ICE said. Assistant DHS Secretary Tricia McLaughlin emphasized that 'these are the types of criminal illegal aliens that rioters are fighting to protect,' in a statement Wednesday. 4 Emiliano Garduno-Galvez was previously deported from the US. Department of Homeland Security She added: 'The Los Angeles rioters will not stop us or slow us down. And if you lay a hand on a law enforcement officer, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.' 4 Emiliano Garduno-Galvez, left, appears in video footage taken before the attack. Department of Homeland Security 4 ICE agents arresting a man in Los Angeles. @PressSec / X The Mexican illegal migrant also had a rap sheet that includes two arrests last year for a DUI in Long Beach and grand theft in Anaheim. A DHS official told The Post that local officials didn't honor previous detainers to let ICE take Garduno Galvez into custody after his previous arrests. Anti-ICE protests broke out in LA Friday after immigration agents raided multiple workplaces and hauled of illegal migrants, but kicked off in earnest on Saturday. Rioters threw rocks and molotov cocktails at federal agents and local cops. Protesters later began showing up at multiple locations across the city to block ICE raids, while picketing at the agency's downtown detention center. The protests, however, quickly turned violent as rioters began burning cars, shutting down highways and looting storefronts.
Yahoo
31 minutes ago
- Yahoo
‘A lie': Interview with released Milford teen casts doubt on ICE statements on arrest
An interview with Milford teenager Marcelo Gomes da Silva, recently released from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody, is casting doubt on several statements ICE made about the arrest. ICE had claimed Gomes da Silva was not the target of the arrest, and that ICE agents were after his father, João Paulo Gomes-Pereira. But Gomes da Silva said in an interview published by NBC News on Wednesday that ICE agents never asked him about his father or his family when he was arrested. He added that ICE agents knew his name, that he was 18 and that he was heading to school. 'He (the ICE agent) said I was an illegal immigrant and put me in the car. I was in complete shock,' Gomes da Silva said in the interview. 'I didn't cry, I wasn't angry or anything. I didn't understand what was happening, I didn't understand what I did wrong. I was clueless.' Gomes da Silva made local and national headlines after ICE agents arrested him on May 31. The 18-year-old was driving in a car with members of his volleyball team when ICE agents pulled him over and made the arrest. For six days, he was detained at an ICE field office in Burlington. On June 5, an immigration judge ordered Gomes da Silva be granted bond, and he was subsequently released from custody. Todd Lyons, acting director of ICE, said during a press conference in Boston on June 2 that ICE agents stopped the car Gomes da Silva was in because it was his father's car. 'We were looking for his father — obviously, he's the father of the year, because he brought his son up here illegally as well," Lyons said June 2. In addition to new questions about whether the father was the target of the ICE action, the other part of Lyons' statement — that Gomes da Silva was brought to the U.S. illegally — is also in dispute. Gomes da Silva's attorney, Robin Nice, said on June 5 that the teen had come to the U.S. from Brazil on a visitor visa when he was younger than 7. The visitor visa had turned into a student visa, which had lapsed years ago. She added that Gomes da Silva has an asylum application pending. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement that officials were looking for Gomes-Pereira because he had been identified as a 'known public safety threat' — a statement Gomes da Silva forcefully disputed. McLaughlin said that local authorities notified ICE that Gomes-Pereira drove at speeds over 100 mph through residential areas, 'endangering Massachusetts residents.' 'First of all, it's completely impossible to drive 100 mph in a residential area,' Gomes da Silva told NBC. 'They could have at least thought a little bit harder to make up a lie.' Read more: Milford High student released from ICE detention: 'Nobody should be in here' The 18-year-old also said his father has to stay home out of fear of being arrested but that his lawyers are working to address the situation. Gomes da Silva told NBC that he was born in Brazil but that he grew up in an American environment. He added that he wants to become an American citizen and stay in the country. Milford Police Chief Robert Tusino told MassLive on Wednesday that he was upset about Gomes da Silva's arrest, stating it compromises ongoing investigations within the community. 'It harms the migrant community's willingness to come forward and disclose crimes to the police,' he said. Tusino said he could not comment about whether Milford Police passed on information to federal authorities about Gomes da Silva's father. 'Milford police only assist ice with criminal arrests, not civil detainers and not illegal entry,' Tusino said. He added that Gomes da Silva was never part of any criminal investigation. A spokesperson for ICE did not provide comment as to whether they are still seeking to arrest Gomes da Silva's father. It was a normal day for Gomes da Silva as he returned to Milford High School Tuesday, according to his friend Fiona Lentini — as much as it could be after the teen was detained recently by federal immigration officials for almost a week. The two spoke for five minutes before classes, chatting about plans to play volleyball soon, Lentini told MassLive Tuesday. A sophomore at the high school, Lentini said her friend seemed happy to be back in school. 'He's good,' she said about Gomes da Silva. 'Same old Marcelo.' On Tuesday, Gomes da Silva returned to Milford High School to continue the remainder of his junior year, according to Lentini. She said it was nice to see her friend again. What Gomes da Silva is most excited about is to play volleyball again this summer, she said. 'Playing volleyball just brings us all closer since we all connect about our love for the sport,' Lentini said. 'My cousin has a net and in the summer we play there.' Gomes da Silva also got to see his girlfriend graduate from Milford High School last weekend, according to his cousin, Marcelo Bastos. Bastos told MassLive Tuesday that Gomes da Silva's mother, father and two younger siblings are also safe, with all five still living in Milford. 'They're pretty much OK,' Bastos said. 'There's no problem.' Bastos told MassLive that Gomes da Silva's father and mother were not born in America but Gomes da Silva's younger siblings were. He added that Nice plans to submit paperwork that would allow the mother and father to go outside their house without fear of arrest. He did not know what the paperwork in question was. Nice did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Tuesday and Wednesday. As the family remains home, Bastos has been trying to help by delivering and leaving food and water at their doorstep. He added that the family's neighbors have also been making deliveries to their house, bringing them food, flowers and money. 'Everybody's doing a little bit,' he said. 'We do good.' Lentini said that her friend is happy to be back with his family but said it is hard knowing that his parents are still possibly in danger. 'Obviously, it's devastating to have to worry that your family may be torn apart,' she said. Anti-ICE protesters shut down Worcester City Council meeting Nate Eaton powers Worcester Red Sox to eighth consecutive win Horse racing ban in Central Mass. city looks to clear next hurdle Read the original article on MassLive.