CORPUS CHRISTI, TEXAS, USA – MARCH 31, 1995 Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, best known by her stage name Selena, was one of the biggest stars of Latin American music in the United States. The singer, nicknamed the “Queen of Tejano Music,” achieved enormous success at a young age and, at 23 years old, was on the verge of an international career. However, her life was tragically ended by a woman she had trusted for many years.
Selena Quintanilla-Pérez
On the day of the tragedy, Selena went to the Days Inn hotel in Corpus Christi to collect accounting documents from Yolanda Saldívar, the president of her fan club. Shortly before that, the singer’s family had uncovered financial irregularities involving both the fan club and her boutiques and suspected Saldívar of embezzling tens of thousands of dollars. As a result, she had been removed from her positions, but she still refused to hand over the necessary documents.
The meeting quickly turned into a tragedy. Saldívar pulled out a revolver and shot Selena in the back. The bullet damaged a major artery, but the severely injured singer still managed to run from the hotel room to the front desk. She was able to tell the employees who had shot her and gave them the room number she had fled from. Shortly afterward, she collapsed. Doctors at the hospital tried to save her, but she died from her injuries due to massive blood loss.
The shooting was followed by negotiations with the police that lasted more than nine hours. Saldívar barricaded herself inside her vehicle in the hotel parking lot, held a gun to her head, and refused to surrender. She was eventually taken into custody without further violence. At trial, she claimed the shooting was an accident, but the jury did not believe her version of events and found her guilty of first-degree murder. She was sentenced to life in prison.
Selena’s death caused enormous grief not only in Texas but among fans around the world. Tens of thousands of people attended her public memorial, and she is still regarded as one of the most important figures in Latin American music. In 2025, Yolanda Saldívar became eligible to apply for parole for the first time, but Texas authorities denied her request, stating that she continues to pose a risk to the public. She will be eligible to apply again in 2030.
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