Denied: Selena’s killer won’t walk free — and her death still haunts pop culture
BY Jon Powell / 3.28.2025
Yolanda Saldívar, the woman convicted of murdering Tejano music superstar Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, has been denied parole decades after the crime that shook generations. Per The Associated Press, the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles announced the decision on Thursday (March 27), just days ahead of the 30th anniversary of Selena’s death.
Saldívar, now 64, spent half of her life behind bars for the fatal 1995 shooting in a Corpus Christi motel. She was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 30 years — a milestone she reached this month. Her parole denial brought renewed attention to a case that never truly faded from the cultural consciousness.
What Yolanda Saldívar has stated about Selena’s murder
In the immediate aftermath of Selena’s murder, Saldívar insisted it was an accident. During a nine-hour standoff with police, she was heard saying, “I didn’t mean to do it. I didn’t mean to kill anybody,” claiming she had intended to end her own life, not Selena’s. In a subsequent interview with “20/20,” she maintained that she had no motive to harm the singer. “They made me out to be a monster, and I just want to say, I did not kill Selena,” she claimed at the time. “It was an accident, and my conscience is clear.”
Despite her continued assertions, the parole board cited the “brutality” of the crime and concluded that Saldívar still poses “a continuing threat to public safety.” She will not be eligible for review again until March 2030.
How fans and loved ones continue to honor Selena
The parole decision reignited emotional responses from both Selena’s family and her fans. In a public statement, Selena’s widower, Chris Pérez, and the Quintanilla family wrote, “While nothing can bring Selena back, this decision reaffirms that justice continues to stand for the beautiful life that was taken from us and from millions of fans around the world far too soon.”
Supporters across social media expressed relief, using hashtags like #JusticeForSelena and sharing personal tributes and artwork in her memory. “Selena was a once-in-a-generation artist,” said Maria Garcia, host of the “Anything for Selena” podcast to The New York Times. “She revolutionized music, fashion and body politics in the U.S.”