Oxygen True Crime has released a new documentary titled Selena & Yolanda: The Secrets Between Them, which sheds light on the infamous murder of Selena Quintanilla. Interestingly, this project showcases the story from the killer’s point of view.
Disclaimer: This article contains mentions of murder. Reader discretion is advised.
Yolanda Saldívar, Selena’s business manager, killed her on 31 March 1995. According to People Magazine, the singer and her family accused Yolanda of embezzling money and fired her. This prompted the business manager to purchase a .38-caliber revolver. A few days later, she arranged a meeting with Selena in a motel in Corpus Christi and shot her. Reports suggest that after getting shot, the singer ran toward the lobby of the motel and Yolanda followed her with the gun. She soon collapsed on the floor, however, an eyewitness stated that Selena identified the shooter.
Even though the unconscious Selena was rushed to the hospital, doctors could not save her. She passed away at 1:05 p.m. At the time of her death, she was only 23 years old. Surprisingly, in the Oxygen True Crime documentary, Yolanda Saldívar stated that she killed her former client by mistake. Furthermore, she even said that the purpose of buying the gun was to take her own life in the motel room. According to The Independent, she said, “Selena, when she came into the [hotel] room, she kept trying to put guilt in me for not continuing with her, and how everything was going to crumble. My emotions were running so high, and I was hurting.”
According to IMDb, the synopsis of Selena & Yolanda: The Secrets Between Them reads, “Yolanda Saldivar grants first English interview in decades from prison on her relationship with Selena Quintanilla-Perez. Saldivar and Quintanilla-Perez family members provide insight on their bond.”
Is Yolanda Saldívar eligible for parole?
For the murder of Selena Quintanilla, authorities convicted Yolanda Saldívar of first-degree murder. She received a life sentence, however, the 63-year-old will be eligible for parole next year.
Interestingly, the late singer’s father, Abraham Quintanilla, has slammed the aforementioned documentary. According to TMZ, he stated that his family is not involved or supportive of the project in any way. He further told them that he did not want anything to do with Yolanda because everything she says is lies and nobody is going to believe her.
Selena Quintanilla was known as the “Queen of Tejano Music”. Born on April 16, 1971, in Texas, the late singer is considered one of the greatest Latino artists of all time. She made her debut on the music scene with Selena y Los Dinos, whose members included her elder siblings. Initially, the public criticized her because Tejano music was a male-dominated genre. But things soon changed after she won the Tejano Music Award for Female Vocalist of the Year in 1987. In 1989, she signed with EMI Latin and released her debut solo album under their banner.
In 1995, Latin Style Magazine interviewed her and she stated that she began singing professionally when she was only 9. She said, “I started singing professionally at the age of nine. We lost our restaurant in 1980-81, when Reagan was in office, and oil companies stopped drilling. The economy went down and we couldn’t survive because the restaurant was just too big. We lost everything, we lost our house; you name it; we lost it. The only way to put food on the table was to go into the music as a profession. We struggled a lot to get where we are today.”
As a solo artist, she released five studio albums in total, with Dreaming of You being her final project.
