When Is Yolanda Saldivar Getting Out of Prison? Parole Update

On March 31, 1995, the town of Corpus Christi, Texas, was rattled by the murder of Grammy Award-winning singer Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, who was only 23 years old when she died. Selena’s killer, Yolanda Saldivar, is behind bars for the crime, but she will be eligible for parole after 30 years. In light of Oxygen’s documentary Selena and Yolanda: The Secrets Between Them, which sees Yolanda speak out from prison, many fans are wondering when she’ll be getting out.

Who Is Yolanda Saldivar?

Yolanda was born in San Antonio, Texas, on September 19, 1960. The former nurse was originally a fan of country music, but she began following Selena after she attended one of the Tejano singer’s concerts. Yolanda repeatedly tried to contact Selena’s dad, Abraham Quintanilla, about starting a fan club for the singer in San Antonio. Eventually, he agreed to let her start one, so Yolanda became the fan club’s president.

After Selena founded her Corpus Christi-based clothing boutique, Selena Etc., in 1994, Yolanda became the manager and handled the business’ checking accounts. However, she was later accused of embezzling money from both the boutique and the fan club, which had grown to more than 5,000 members. Yolanda was fired in March 1995 as a result.

Despite firing Yolanda, Selena remained in contact with the former store manager because Yolanda had financial documents that the “Bidi Bidi Bom Bom” singer needed back. On the day of her murder, Selena agreed to meet Yolanda at a motel in Corpus Christi to retrieve the documents. However, during their meeting, Yolanda pulled out a gun and shot the singer in the back as she ran away. Selena made it to the lobby but collapsed on the floor as the clerk called 911. She later died from blood loss at a hospital.

Meanwhile, Yolanda attempted to flee the scene, but she was cornered by police. She threatened to kill herself before ultimately giving herself up.

When Will Yolanda Saldivar Be Released From Prison?

After a trial in Houston, Texas, Yolanda was found guilty and convicted of first-degree murder. She began serving a life sentence at the Patrick O’Daniel Unit in Gatesville, Texas, in November 1995.

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Yolanda will become eligible for parole after 30 years in prison, on March 30, 2025. However, she will need to have a parole hearing and be approved for release before she can walk free.

Yolanda Saldivar Speaks Out in New Oxygen Documentary

Yolanda is set to appear in an Oxygen True Crime docuseries called Selena and Yolanda: The Secrets Between Them on February 17 and February 18, 2024. The documentary will also feature Yolanda’s family, who will share never-before-seen documents and recordings from the case and discuss the relationship between Yolanda and Selena. Her family ultimately hopes to prove that there is a different side to Yolanda before she’s up for parole in 2025.

“After so many years, I think it’s time to set the story straight,” Yolanda said in the trailer, later suggesting that Selena had “secrets” that she knew about. “I was scared. … I think people deserve to know the truth.”

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