Where Is Yolanda Saldivar Today? Selena Quintanilla’s Killer Set to Speak Out in Doc Ahead of Parole

It’s hard to believe it’s been more than 27 years since the incredibly talented Selena Quintanilla-Pérez was murdered. Her former fan club president turned killer, Yolanda Saldívar, sits behind bars at the Patrick O’Daniel Unit prison in Texas today, but she’s set to speak out from prison in Oxygen’s Selena and Yolanda: The Secrets Between Them documentary ahead of her parole eligibility.

Who Is Yolanda Saldivar?

Yolanda became a fan of Selena’s Tejano music in the early ‘90s. After attending one of the singer’s concerts, the former nurse contacted Selena’s father, Abraham Quintanilla, about launching a fan club in San Antonio, Texas. After several ignored requests, Yolanda finally received the green light from Abraham to start the club in 1991. She immediately became the club’s president.

In 1994, when Selena opened her Selena Etc. boutique, Yolanda became the store’s manager and handled the business’ checking accounts. However, Abraham learned that Yolanda had failed to pay some of the employees and suspected that she was embezzling money from both Selena Etc. and the fan club. Yolanda was fired on March 9, 1995.

Despite firing Yolanda, Selena remained in contact with the former store manager because she had financial documents that the singer needed returned. On March 31, 1995, Selena agreed to meet Yolanda at a motel in Corpus Christi, Texas, to retrieve the documents. However, Yolanda pulled a gun on Selena and shot her in the back as she ran away. Selena made it to the motel’s lobby but collapsed on the floor and later died in a hospital due to blood loss.

Meanwhile, Yolanda attempted to flee the scene of the crime. The police cornered her before she could get away. She threatened to kill herself but ultimately decided to turn herself in.

Where Is Yolanda Saldivar Today?

After a trial in Houston, Texas, Yolanda was found guilty and convicted of first-degree murder in October 1995. The following month, she arrived at the Christina Melton Crain Unit (formerly the Gatesville Unit) for processing. Yolanda was later moved to the Patrick O’Daniel Unit (formerly the Mountain View Unit), where she has remained to this day.

There have been many fake stories about Yolanda over the years that she has been in prison. One, in 2015, claimed that Yolanda had been found dead in her prison cell. Later reports cleared up that she was still very much alive. Then in 2014, a “parody” news site reported that she would be released in 2015, and many people believed it and were outraged. In reality, Yolanda will not be eligible for parole until March 30, 2025, 30 years after the killing.