Is Yolanda Saldivar still in jail? Where is Selena’s murderer now?

Yolanda Saldivar Sentenced to life in prison for the 1995 shooting death of her former friend and pop icon Selena Quintanilla.

Saldivar had been president of Quintanilla’s fan club, but his relationship with the “I Might Fall In Love” singer soured in early 1995. Selena’s father, Abraham Quintanillatheir business partners discovered that Saldivar allegedly embezzled thousands of dollars from her fan club and the family’s boutique in Corpus Christi, Texas.

The dispute led to a fatal confrontation between the two women on March 31, 1995, in which Saldivar shot and killed Selena in her hotel room. Saldivar was charged with first-degree murder and was convicted in October 1995 despite her insistence that the shooting was an accident.

Netflix 2025 documentary explores the life and tragic death of ‘The Queen of Tejano Music’ selena and dinosaursmade by her relatives Suzette Quintanilla and AB Quintanilla III.

Keep scrolling to learn more about the shooting and where Saldivar is today.

Who is Yolanda Saldivar?

Yolanda Saldívar was born on September 19, 1960 in San Antonio, Texas.

A lifelong fan of country music, Saldivar became interested in Tejano music after attending a Selena Quintanilla concert. She convinced Selena and her father, Abraham Quintanilla, to let her start a fan club for the musician.

The fan club proved so successful that the Quintanilla family hired Saldivar in 1994 to manage their boutique Selena Etc. in Corpus Christi, Texas.

In early 1995, Saldivar was removed from his position as president of the Selena fan club and fired from the boutique after the Quintanillas discovered that Saldivar had stolen thousands of dollars from two organizations.

Saldivar is determined to redeem himself in Selena’s eyes, despite simultaneously developing a strong crush on her.

Days before the shooting, Saldivar purchased a Taurus Model 85 .38-caliber revolver from A Place to Shoot, a San Antonio shooting range. She later returned the weapon and then purchased it again.

On March 30, 1995, Saldivar checked into the Days Inn Corpus Christi. She contacted Selena in her hotel room and claimed she had been raped.

Selena agreed to meet with Saldivar in her hotel room so her former friend could hand over important financial documents. After the meeting, Selena discovered that Saldivar had not given her the correct form.

The musician agreed to meet with Saldivar again on March 31, 1995, to retrieve the correct documents. During the second meeting, Selena agreed to drive Saldivar to Doctors Regional Hospital so she could undergo a rape exam — though the two were later told the exam would have to take place elsewhere.

When they returned to the Days Inn, Saldivar again demanded that Saldivar turn over financial records. Saldivar then pulled out his revolver and shot Selena in the lower right shoulder.

Seriously injured, Selena fled the hotel room to seek medical help. Selena was rushed to Corpus Christi Memorial Hospital but was pronounced dead at approximately 1:05 p.m. local time.

Is Yolanda Saldivar convicted of killing Selena Quintanilla?

Yes, Saldivar was convicted of first-degree murder in October 1995.

After the shooting on March 31, 1995, Saldivar initially tried to flee the Days Inn parking lot, but authorities quickly arrived on the scene. Saldivar refused to surrender and faced off with federal agents for nearly 10 hours.

When Saldivar was eventually arrested, she was charged with first-degree murder. Saldivar has pleaded not guilty and insists the shooting was an accident, claiming she intended to kill herself, not Selena.

Saldivar was convicted in October 1995 and sentenced to life in prison. After 30 years in prison, she was given the chance to apply for parole.

Will Yolanda Saldivar be released from prison?

As of November 2025, Saldivar has not been released. Saldivar is already serving her sentence at the women’s prison in Gatesville, Texas.

US Weekly Confirmed In December 2024, as the 30th anniversary of Saldivar’s imprisonment approached, he formally requested parole. An official with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice told new york post Saldivar had a clean record when he entered the parole process.

In March 2025, the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles passed statement obtained us Saldivar’s request for parole was denied after a review by a “three-person parole panel.” The statement clarified that parole decisions are made after a review of “court documents, crime reports, support/protest information, criminal history, institutional adjustments, and information/statements provided by the offender.”

“The parole panel decided to deny parole to Yolanda Saldívar and set her next parole review for March 2030,” the board confirmed.

Selena’s family issued a statement saying they were “grateful” to the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles for refusing to release Saldivar.

“While nothing can bring Selena back, this decision once again proves that justice is still served on the beautiful lives that were taken away from us and millions of fans around the world too soon,” the Quintanillas said. via Instagram. “Selena’s legacy is one of love, music and inspiration. She lived a life of joy and selfless giving and continues to inspire generations with her voice and spirit.”

Their statement continued: “As her family and loved ones, we remain committed to preserving her memory and ensuring her story is treated with the dignity and respect it deserves. We are grateful to Selena’s fans for their unwavering support over the years. Your love has been a source of strength and healing. We will continue to celebrate Selena’s life beyond the tragedy of her taking her from us, and we ask that all who cherished her do the same.”

As of press time, Saldivar remained in jail.

What did Yolanda Saldivar have to say about filming Selena Quintanilla?

Saldivar has repeatedly denied that she intended to kill Selena.

“(The media) have made me out to be a monster, and I just want to say that I did not kill Selena,” Saldivar insisted in the interview. 20/20 1995. “This was an accident and my conscience is clear.”

In 2024, Saldivar was interviewed for the Oxygen documentary Selena and Yolanda: The secret between themshe reiterated that the shooting was accidental. She also claimed that she protected Selena from her father, Abraham, whom she accused of trying to control Selena’s personal and professional life.

“He wanted to control her time. He wanted to control her whereabouts,” she claimed. “(Selena) won’t have any of that.”

Saldivar claimed that Abraham pressured her to secretly share details of Selena’s daily life with him.

“I couldn’t tell him because I was more loyal to her than he was,” Abraham said. “When I wouldn’t (tell him), the anger started to get to me.”

Abraham slammed the documentary in a statement TMZin which he denied the accusations and suggested Saldivar’s new claims were lies.