Selena Quintanilla's Killer Takes Some Blame for Singer's Death as She Prepares for Parole Hearing

Thirty years after fatally shooting beloved singer Selena Quintanilla, Yolanda Saldívar is reportedly taking some responsibility for the crime ahead of her first parole hearing.

In an exclusive statement to the New York Post, a relative of Saldívar's said, "[Yolanda] knows what she did was wrong and she takes responsibility for it... But she was reacting to the way she was confronted."

"She says that [Selena] came at her really aggressively... She was so thrown off with how forceful Selena was being; everything happened so fast. If Selena had confronted her differently, this never would have happened."

On March 31, 1995, Saldívar killed Selena after a confrontation over embezzlement as manager of her businesses and president of her fan club. She was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after thirty years.

With the thirty-year anniversary of the killing coming up, Saldívar is preparing for her first hearing. From the beginning she has maintained that the shooting was accidental. She pleaded not guilty at her trial.

In 2024 Saldívar gave a rare interview from prison for the Oxygen documentary, 'Selena and Yolanda: The Secrets Between Them.' In it she claims that she "was convicted by public opinion before my trial started."

Around the same time, a Saldívar family member told the New York Post:

"Enough is enough... She feels like she's a political prisoner at this point. She's ready to get out of jail, because she believes she has more than served her time."

The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles began reviewing the 64-year-old's case in October 2024. This process included an interview with Saldívar herself as well as letters from the Quintanilla family.

Saldívar has stated that she has had a target on her back since entering prison thirty years ago, with a fellow inmate stating, "There's a bounty on her head, like everyone wants a piece of her. The guards keep her away from everyone else, because she's hated so much. If she were out [in general population], someone would try to take her down."

Originally published in The Latin Times