This March 31, 2023 marks the 28th anniversary of the tragic death of singer Selena Quintanilla, known as the ‘Queen of Tex-Mex’, who was shot by her then personal assistant and friend, Yolanda Saldívar, at the Days Inn Hotel in Corpus Christi, Texas. This fact left the Latino community and the music industry in shock, and is still remembered today by many fans and friends of Selena.
Selena’s career was at its peak in 1995, when she was murdered at the age of 23. She was a talented and charismatic artist, who in addition to succeeding in music, she had fulfilled one of her dreams by opening her own boutique to publicize her designs.
However, his life was cut short by Saldívar, who had been named president of Selena’s fan club, her assistant and business manager. The former nurse was dismissed from her positions because, although it was not verified, the singer would have discovered suspicious financial movements and claims from fans.
On March 30, 1995, Selena met with Saldívar in room 158 of the Days Inn Hotel to retrieve some business documents. Realizing that she did not give him all of her papers, she agreed to meet the woman the next day.
During the meeting on Friday, March 31, the two women had an argument and then Saldívar shot Selena, who managed to make it to reception before passing out and being taken to hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
What happened to Yolanda Saldívar in prison?
At the trial that took place In October 1995, Yolanda Saldívar was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole. Since then, the woman has tried to appeal that decision, arguing health problems, but so far they have denied it.
In 2025, On the 30th anniversary of the death of the ‘Queen of Tex-Mex’, the woman would be a candidate to request to finish serving her sentence outside of prisonbut it is unknown if the US authorities would approve it.
Currently, at age 62, Saldivar is being held at the Mountain View Unit Women’s Prison in Gatesville, Texas., where he works as a janitor cleaning the common area for his crew. Besides, due to threats from other inmates who were fans of Selena, she is in a separate cell from the rest of the pavilion.
In 2020, Yolanda Saldívar explained to the Univisión ‘First Impact’ program that she did not want to kill the artist. In the interview, she argued that it was an accident when she tried to take her own life and then the gun would have been activated “accidentally” against Selena Quintanilla.
Although more than two decades have passed since Selena’s death, her legacy lives on in Latin music. and in the hearts of his fans and loved ones. And although many wonder what has happened to Yolanda Saldívar, who is in prison for her crime, Selena’s memory remains a reminder of what could have been an even more successful music career and a life cut short too soon.
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