The woman who is serving a life sentence for the 1995 murder of Tejano icon Selena has submitted paperwork to seek release next year. According to inmates, there is a threat against her life in prison.
According to a representative from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Yolanda Saldívar, the convicted killer who is now 64 years old, does not have any previous offenses that would prevent the parole board from scheduling a hearing in March to evaluate her potential release.
On March 31, 1995, in a hotel room in Corpus Christi, Texas, a confrontation turned tragic when Saldívar fatally shot Selena Quintanilla-Perez, the 23-year-old superstar known as the “Queen of Tejano.”
Selena was convinced that Saldívar, who had founded her fan club, had stolen over $60,000 from her, and the singer intended to dismiss her.
The TDCJ has stated that Selena’s family can expect to receive official notification of the Saldivar’s parole hearing in January.
The inmate, currently housed at the Patrick L. O’Daniel Unit in Gatesville, Texas alongside female Death Row inmates, has consistently claimed that the death of Selena was unintentional, asserting that she never intended to kill her.
Saldívar expressed in a prison interview for the Peacock documentary, “Selena and Yolanda: The Secrets Between Them,” that she had been condemned by public opinion even before her trial commenced.
At the time, she insisted that her intention was to end her own life, not harm Selena.
However, the jury did not find her story credible, resulting in her conviction and a life sentence. She was given the chance for parole after 30 years.
According to a family member of Saldívar, the murderer has a perception of herself as a “political prisoner” while in prison and feels that she has already served her punishment.
According to the cousin, it would be futile to keep her imprisoned any longer. They believe it is high time for her to be released.
Saldivar is constantly targeted by inmates at the prison where she is being held, leading to her placement in protective custody, according to sources at the facility.
According to Marisol Lopez, a former inmate who shared time with Yolanda Saldívar from 2017 to 2022, it is widely known who Saldívar is. Lopez mentions that there is a significant amount of animosity towards Saldívar, with many people wanting to harm her. Due to this intense hatred, the guards keep her isolated from other inmates. Lopez believes that if Saldívar were placed in the general prison population, someone would undoubtedly attempt to harm her.
Yesenia Dominguez, a former inmate, shared that conversations about Saldívar were a regular occurrence in the prison yard.
“People were always like, ‘Give me just five minutes with that woman,’ Dominguez recalls. “Everyone wanted to seek justice for Selena. She had become a target.”
According to an interview with Univision’s Primer Impacto in 2018, Selena’s father, Abraham Quintanilla, revealed that Saldívar’s life was being threatened by fellow inmates.
“We continue to receive letters from women who are currently incarcerated with her,” he expressed. “These letters reveal that they are eagerly anticipating her arrival, with some even threatening to harm her. The prison houses dangerous individuals, including women who have committed murder in the past. They have nothing to lose.”
According to Saldivar, if she is released, she plans to reside with her relatives and secure employment.