Is Selena Quintanilla’s killer in jail? The aftermath of ‘Selena: The Series’

On March 31st, 1995, legendary Tejano pop singer Selena Quintanilla was killed. Her popularity still rises with each day despite her shining career being cut terribly short. Fans who watched Netflix’s Selena: The Series were sadly reminded of the bright star’s tragic ending.

After watching the portrayal of Selena’s happiest moments with her family and husband, it was difficult to face the reality of what happened on that March night in 1995. Many fans tearfully went to twitter to discuss the serie’s finale. One fan tweeted, “watching #SelenaTheSeries and always hoping for a different ending you’re missed every day selena.”

Selena’s friend and manager, Yolanda Saldívar, shot and killed her after Saldívar was caught embezzling money. Yet there is so much more to this case and its killer than most know. Here is what Selena: The Series doesn’t reveal about the killer of Tejano pop’s icon, Selena Quintanilla.

Yolanda Saldívar: The beginning

Originally, Saldívar was a nurse but had quit her job to run the Selena fan club she founded in 1991. Three years later, Saldívar was trusted to run Selena’s clothing boutiques in Texas. That’s how Selena Quintanilla’s killer had successfully inserted herself into Selena’s life.

What hid behind Saldívar’s dedication & admiration was anything but normal. A past roommate of Saldívar has revealed that Saldívar’s home was filled with countless pictures of Selena Quintanilla, almost like a shrine. 

Yolanda Saldívar’s obsession soon slipped into her work. Martin Gomez used to work as a designer for Selena’s boutique and spoke about Saldívar’s strange behavior. Gomez stated, “She was very vindictive. She was very possessive of Selena. She’d get, like, very angry if you crossed her. She would play so many mind games, say people had said things they hadn’t said.”  

Gomez continued, “So many things would happen to the clothing I was working on. I knew that I had finished a certain piece, but I would come back from a trip to New York and the hems would be ripped out. It was very strange.”

Saldívar fired for embezzlement 

It wasn’t long before customers complained about missing orders and money began to disappear from within the business. No one could possibly believe it was Saldívar, who had loved Selena so dearly. Yet, all the evidence pointed to her and she was fired on March 9th. Selena’s father, Abraham Quintanilla, has stated “I told her that I was going to go to the police and make an investigation for embezzlement.” 

After this conflict, Saldívar purchased a revolver and met with Selena on March 31st. Saldívar had apparently called Selena asking for her to help her go to the hospital. When Selena arrived she was shot by Saldívar. Selena’s lower right shoulder was shot and a major artery was completely severed.  Selena Quintanilla was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital.

Saldívar’s arrest and sentencing 

After nearly ten hours of a police standoff, Selena Quintanilla’s killer was arrested. At her trial in October 1995, Saldívar pleaded not guilty and stated she had accidentally shot Selena and intended to shoot herself. However, it was reported that the model of gun used required eleven pounds of pressure to pull the trigger. It was unlikely fired as an accident.

The jury discussed for two hours before unanimously agreeing that Saldívar was guilty. Yolanda Saldívar was charged with first-degree murder. Today, she is still in prison. Saldívar is serving a life sentence at the Mountain View Unit, a maximum security women’s prison in Gatesville, Texas. Yolanda will be able to apply for parole in 2025. 

In 2008, Saldívar had asked the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals to accept a petition to challenge her first-degree murder conviction and life sentence. She claimed the petition was filed in 2000 with the 214th District Court, but it was allegedly never sent to the higher court. Her request to challenge her sentence was received on March 31st, 2008. This day was also the thirteenth anniversary of Selena Quintanilla’s death. 

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Selena Quintanilla was only twenty-three years old when she was killed. Her whole career was ready to go worldwide as she was in the midst of releasing an English album. She will always be remembered as an icon who had given so much to the Latinx community. 

What did you think about Netflix’s Selena: The Series? Is it better than the movie Selena (1997) featuring Jennifer Lopez? Let us know in the comments below!