View source for Yolanda Saldívar

{{Short description|American murderer (born 1960)}}
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{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox murderer
| image_name        = 
| name              = Yolanda Saldívar
| image_size        = 
| image_caption     = Saldívar in 2024
| birth_date        = {{birth date and age|1960|09|19}}
| birth_place       = [[San Antonio]], Texas, U.S.
| occupation        = {{hlist|Nurse|fan club president|retail manager}}
| charge            = 
| conviction        = [[Murder (United States law)|First-degree murder]]
| conviction_penalty = 30 years to [[Life imprisonment|life in prison]]
| conviction_status = Incarcerated at [[Patrick O'Daniel Unit]]
| birth_name        = 
| known_for         = [[Murder of Selena]]
}}
'''Yolanda Saldívar''' ({{IPA|es|ɟʝoˈlanda salˈdiβaɾ}}) (born September 19, 1960) is an American former nurse<!--- Do not add "murderer". Reason 1: Living persons are introduced by his/her occupation and reason for notability. "Murderer" is not a valid occupation unless the subject is an active serial killer. Reason 2: Sentences like "John Doe is a murderer who murdered Jane Doe" is just poor writing ---> who [[murder of Selena|murdered]] singer [[Selena]] in [[Corpus Christi, Texas]], on March 31, 1995.<ref name="trial begins">{{cite news|last=Candiotti|first=Susan|title=Trial of Selena's accused murderer begins Monday|url=https://edition.cnn.com/US/9510/selena/index.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020612084805/http://edition.cnn.com/US/9510/selena/index.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 12, 2002|agency=[[CNN]]|date=October 9, 1995}}</ref> Saldívar had been the president of Selena's fan club and the manager of her boutiques, but she lost both positions a short time before the murder, when the singer's family discovered that she had been [[embezzling]] money from both organizations. 
In October 1995, Saldívar was found guilty of murder and sentenced to a prison term of 30 years to [[Life imprisonment in the United States|life]]. In 2025, she became eligible for parole.<ref>{{cite web |title=Yolanda Saldivar is up for parole in March 2025. Here's what to know. |url=https://www.ksat.com/news/local/2025/01/03/yolanda-saldivar-is-up-for-parole-in-march-2025-heres-what-to-know/ |website=www.ksat.com|date=January 3, 2025 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Yolanda Saldivar feels like a "political prisoner" and could seek parole 30 years after Selena's murder |url=https://www.marca.com/en/lifestyle/celebrities/2025/03/13/67d2d656e2704eadbb8b4571.html |website=www.marca.com|date=March 13, 2025 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Selena's killer Yolanda Saldívar seeks parole, says she's a 'political prisoner' |url=https://www.mysanantonio.com/entertainment/article/yolanda-saldivar-selena-parole-hearing-20213136.php |website=www.mysanantonio.com |last1=Aguirre |first1=Priscilla }}</ref> Saldívar's petition for parole was denied on March 27, 2025; the next parole review is set for March 2030.<ref name="Helsel">{{cite web |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/yolanda-saldivar-selena-murder-parole-rcna198494 |title=Yolanda Saldívar, the woman convicted of killing Selena, is denied parole |publisher=[[NBC News]] |first=Paul |last=Helsel |date=March 27, 2025}}</ref>

==Biography==

{{BLP sources|date=April 2025}}

Yolanda Saldívar was born on September 19, 1960, in San Antonio, Texas. She was the youngest of seven children born to Frank and Juanita Saldívar.<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Patoski |first=Joe Nick |title=The Sweet Song of Justice |url=https://www.texasmonthly.com/articles/the-sweet-song-of-justice/ |magazine = Texas Monthly |date=December 1995}}</ref> While growing up, she was teased and occasionally bullied at school because of her weight. She rarely made any friends and isolated herself from social activities. Her father was a head waiter at Jacala, a Mexican restaurant in the West End. She attended three different elementary schools in the Edgewood School district. Saldívar first attended Kennedy High School, then transferred to Holmes, followed by Jay High School, before graduating in 1979 from McCollom High School. While at McCollum, Saldívar belonged to the Junior ROTC. Few classmates recall Saldívar, who was a classmate of [[Ram Herrera]], who graduated in 1978, and [[Emilio Navaira]], who graduated in 1980.

Saldívar was accepted at the University of Texas in 1985, then transferred to Palo Alto College. She studied to be a registered nurse, and on December 10, 1990, received a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Texas A&M International University. At this time, she became obsessed with losing weight. She also began work as a graduate nurse at Medical Center Hospital. In March 1991, she received her license as a registered nurse from the Texas Board of Nurse Examiners and earned $60,000 a year. Saldívar, who married, had to work part time after adopting three children, one of them her niece.

Saldívar's employers, Dr. Faustino Gomez, a dermatologist, sued her for $9,200 that he said she stole from him starting in 1983. The lawsuit was eventually settled out of court. Within two months, Saldívar was back in court again when the Texas Guaranteed Student Loan Corporation obtained a Travis county court judgement in Austin against her for failing to repay a student loan of $7,361. At that time, Saldívar had switched jobs and was working as a nurse at St. Luke's Lutheran Hospital.

===Selena fan club===
Saldívar, a former nurse, was a fan of [[country music]].<ref>{{cite book |last1=Arrarás |first1=María Celeste |title=Selena's Secret: The Revealing Story Behind Her Tragic Death |date=March 5, 1997 |publisher=Simon and Schuster |isbn=978-0-684-83193-0 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=er04VqtBSQgC |language=en|page=72}}</ref> After attending one of Selena's concerts, she began repeatedly calling Selena's father, [[Abraham Quintanilla]], about starting a fan club in San Antonio.<ref name=patoski>{{cite book|last1=Patoski|first1=Joe Nick|title=Selena : como la flor|date=1997|publisher=Berkley Boulevard Books|location=New York|isbn=978-0425171240|pages=132–134}}</ref> Quintanilla eventually gave in to Saldívar's requests and she immediately became the club's president.<ref name=NewYorkTimes/>

Saldívar was eventually promoted as manager of Selena's clothing boutiques, [[Selena Etc.]]<ref name=NewYorkTimes>{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/04/01/obituaries/grammy-winning-singer-selena-killed-in-shooting-at-texas-motel.html|title=Grammy Winning Singer Selena Killed in Shooting at Texas Motel|page=1|first=Sam Howe|last=Verhovek|newspaper=[[The New York Times]]|date=April 1, 1995|access-date=August 25, 2010}}</ref> By 1993, the fan club had reached 1,500 members in less than four years, and eventually grew to over 5,000. It became one of the largest fan clubs in the San Antonio area.<ref name=patoski />

==Murder of Selena==
{{Main|Murder of Selena}}
In early 1995, Selena's family discovered that Saldívar had been [[embezzlement|embezzling]] money from both the fan club and boutiques, which led to her getting fired in the first week of March.<ref name="NewYorkTimes" /> On the morning of March 31, Selena agreed to meet Saldívar at a [[Days Inn]] motel in [[Corpus Christi, Texas|Corpus Christi]]<ref name="DaysInn">{{cite news|url=https://www.chron.com/content/chronicle/metropolitan/selena/transcripts/95/10/13/param.html|title=Testimony of Richard Fredrickson|newspaper=[[Houston Chronicle]]|date=October 13, 1995|access-date=February 1, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070405104003/http://chron.com/content/chronicle/metropolitan/selena/transcripts/95/10/13/param.html|archive-date=April 5, 2007}}</ref> to retrieve financial records Saldívar had been refusing to turn over. Saldívar delayed the handover by claiming she had been raped in [[Mexico]].<ref name="girlCulture">{{cite book|editor-last1=Mitchell|editor-first1=Claudia A.|editor-last2=Reid-Walsh|editor-first2=Jacqueline|title=Girl culture an encyclopedia|date=2008|publisher=[[Greenwood Press]]|location=Westport, Connecticut|isbn=978-0-313-08444-7}}</ref> Selena drove Saldívar to a local hospital, where they were told that the gynecological exam was to be done elsewhere, because the assault had allegedly happened in another country.<ref name="Rape">{{cite news|title=October 12, 1995 testimony of Carla Anthony|newspaper=[[Houston Chronicle]]|url=https://www.chron.com/content/chronicle/metropolitan/selena/transcripts/95/10/12/anthony.html|date=October 12, 1995|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070406191637/http://chron.com/content/chronicle/metropolitan/selena/transcripts/95/10/12/anthony.html|archive-date=April 6, 2007|access-date=May 21, 2008}}</ref>

They returned to the motel, where Selena once more demanded the records.<ref name="NewYorkTimes" /> Saldívar then took a .38 [[Taurus Model 85]] revolver from her purse and fired a [[hollow-point bullet]], hitting Selena in the shoulder. Selena ran towards the lobby for help; Saldívar chased after her, calling her a "bitch".<ref name="Bitch">{{cite news|url=https://www.chron.com/content/chronicle/metropolitan/selena/transcripts/95/10/12/martinez.html|title=October 12, 1995, the testimony of Norma Martinez|newspaper=[[Houston Chronicle]]|date=October 12, 1995|access-date=February 1, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070715183634/http://www.chron.com/content/chronicle/metropolitan/selena/transcripts/95/10/12/martinez.html|archive-date=July 15, 2007}}</ref>

Following the shooting, Selena was rushed to the [[Corpus Christi Memorial Hospital]] and was pronounced dead at 1:05{{nbsp}}pm.<ref name="Death">{{cite news|first1=Armando|last1=Villafranca|first2=Patty|last2=Reinert|url=https://www.chron.com/content/chronicle/metropolitan/selena/95/04/01/killed.html|title=Singer Selena shot to death|newspaper=[[Houston Chronicle]]|date=April 1, 1995|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070621144534/http://www.chron.com/content/chronicle/metropolitan/selena/95/04/01/killed.html|archive-date=June 21, 2007|access-date=February 1, 2008}}</ref> Saldívar was arrested that evening after a 9½ hour standoff with Corpus Christi police officers.<ref name="NewYorkTimes" />

==Trial and imprisonment==
{{Main|Trial of Yolanda Saldívar}}
[[File:Entrance to TDCJ Mountain View Unit.jpg|thumb|The Mountain View Unit, now [[Patrick O'Daniel Unit]], where Saldívar is being held]]
Saldívar's trial for the murder of Selena was followed closely by the Latino community in the United States. The trial was not televised, but cameras were permitted on the courthouse premises. The venue was moved to Houston, Texas, after Saldívar's lawyers successfully argued that she could not receive a fair trial in Selena's hometown.<ref name="trial begins" />

Before the start of the trial, [[CNN]] reported that prosecutors were expected to introduce a controversial police confession signed by Saldívar in which she said she shot Selena "during an argument over accusations from the singer's father that Saldívar stole money from Selena's accounts". The defense was expected to introduce testimony from [[Texas Ranger Division|Texas Ranger]] Robert Garza that "he overheard Saldívar claim the shooting was accidental, and that she objected when police failed to include it in her statement".<ref name="trial begins" />

The defense attorney argued the shooting was accidental, but the prosecution pointed out that Saldívar, a trained nurse, did not call [[9-1-1|911]] or try to help Selena after she was shot.<ref name="Foundguilty">{{cite news|url=https://edition.cnn.com/US/9510/selena/10-23/pm/index.html|title=Yolanda Saldivar found guilty of Selena's murder|publisher=CNN|date=October 23, 1995|access-date=August 17, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231002232359/https://edition.cnn.com/US/9510/selena/10-23/pm/index.html|archive-date=2 October 2023}}</ref>

Jurors deliberated for less than three hours on October{{nbsp}}23, 1995, before finding Saldívar guilty of murder.<ref name="Foundguilty"/><ref>{{Cite web |title=Saldivar v. State, 980 S.W.2d 475 {{!}} Casetext Search + Citator |url=https://casetext.com/case/saldivar-v-state-6 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211021165157/https://casetext.com/case/saldivar-v-state-6 |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 21, 2021 |access-date=2022-12-09 |website=casetext.com}}</ref> Three days later, on October{{nbsp}}26, she was sentenced to 30 years to life; this was the maximum prison term allowed in Texas at the time.<ref name="sentencing-CNN">{{cite news|url=https://edition.cnn.com/US/9510/selena/10-26/index.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020612084141/http://edition.cnn.com/US/9510/selena/10-26/index.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 12, 2002|title=Selena's killer receives life sentence|publisher=CNN|date=October 26, 1995|access-date=August 17, 2015}}</ref> On November 22, 1995,<!--November 23, 1995 was a Thursday--> she arrived at the Gatesville Unit (now the [[Christina Melton Crain Unit]]) in [[Gatesville, Texas]], to be processed.<ref name="Process">{{cite news |last1=Bennett |first1=David |title=Somber Saldivar delivered to prison – Convicted murderer of Tejano star Selena keeps head down during processing |url=https://www.newslibrary.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=SAEC&p_theme=saec&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EAFE785145D688E&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date%3AD&s_trackval=GooglePM |access-date=August 21, 2019 |work=[[San Antonio Express-News]] |date=November 23, 1995 }}{{Dead link|date=September 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref>

Saldívar was eventually transferred to the [[Patrick O'Daniel Unit]], also in Gatesville.<ref name="JailRecord">{{cite web |title=Offender Information Detail Saldivar, Yolanda |url=https://offender.tdcj.texas.gov/OffenderSearch/offenderDetail.action?sid=05422564 |website=Texas Department of Criminal Justice |date=October 26, 1995 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151225150220/http://offender.tdcj.texas.gov/OffenderSearch/offenderDetail.action?sid=05422564 |archive-date=December 25, 2015}}</ref><ref name="KSAT">{{cite news |last1=Perez|first1= Nicole |title=NO, Yolanda Saldivar did not die in prison |url=http://www.ksat.com/news/no-yolanda-saldivar-did-not-die-in-prison |access-date=December 25, 2015 |work=[[KSAT-TV]] |date=August 17, 2015| quote=Saldivar is serving a life sentence at the state's Mountain View Facility in Gatesville for the 1995 murder of Selena}}</ref>

==After the conviction==
The revolver used to kill Selena disappeared after the trial. It was later found in a box of office supplies at the home of court reporter Sandra Oballe, who has said she did not realize she had the weapon. Despite objections from some historical groups, it was dismantled and the pieces were thrown into [[Corpus Christi Bay]] in 2002.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/06/08/us/national-briefing-southwest-texas-gun-that-killed-singer-is-to-be-destroyed.html|title=Gun That Killed Singer Is To Be Destroyed|date=June 8, 2002|work=[[The New York Times]]|access-date=April 27, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|first=Lynn|last=Brezosky|date=June 10, 2002|title=Group Opposes Plans to Destroy Gun|url=https://apnews.com/c35d37a53f19a28afd0359fc31dd8307|access-date=June 21, 2020|website=[[AP News]]|archive-date=June 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200623021229/https://apnews.com/c35d37a53f19a28afd0359fc31dd8307|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Saldívar has asked the [[Texas Court of Criminal Appeals]] to accept a petition that challenges her conviction. She claims the petition was filed in 2000 with the 214th District Court, but was never sent to the higher court. Her request was received on March{{nbsp}}31, 2008, the 13th anniversary of Selena's death.<ref name="Writ">{{cite news | last1=Cavazos | first1= Mary Ann |date=April 1, 2008 | url=https://www.caller.com/news/2008/apr/01/yolanda/ | title=Selena's Killer Ask s Court to Review Writ | work= [[Caller-Times]] | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080726012700/http://www.caller.com/news/2008/apr/01/yolanda/ | archive-date=July 26, 2008 | access-date= April 6, 2008}}</ref>

Saldívar first became eligible for [[parole]] in 2025 after serving 30 years in prison. Her first petition filed in January 2025 was denied on March 27, 2025, with March 2030 set as the next date for her parole review.<ref name="Helsel"/>

==In popular culture==
Saldívar was portrayed by [[Lupe Ontiveros]] in the film ''[[Selena (film)|Selena]]'',<ref>{{cite web|title=Actress Lupe Ontiveros dies of cancer at 69|date=July 27, 2012|publisher=[[CBS News]]|url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/actress-lupe-ontiveros-dies-of-cancer-at-69/|accessdate=February 27, 2016}}</ref> by Damayanti Quintanar in ''[[Selena's Secret]]'', a series based on the book of the same name,<ref>{{cite web|title=Damayanti Quintanar Gives a Bit of an Insight in the Upcoming Telemundo Series "El Secreto de Selena" and her role as Yolanda Saldivar|date=August 27, 2019 |publisher=Viva Phoenix|url=https://vivaphoenix.com/mira-quien-es/damayanti-quintanar-gives-a-bit-of-an-insight-in-the-upcoming-telemundo-series-el-secreto-de-selena-and-her-role-as-yolanda-saldivar/|accessdate=June 2, 2021}}</ref> and by Natasha Perez in the Netflix original series, ''[[Selena: The Series]]''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Natasha Perez on playing Yolanda Saldivar in Selena: The Series — 'I'm not her!'|publisher=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|url=https://ew.com/tv/natasha-perez-selena-series-yolanda-saldivar-interview/|accessdate=May 22, 2021}}</ref> In 2017, Saldívar was portrayed by E. A. Castillo in the television documentary ''Murder Made Me Famous''.<ref>{{cite web|title=E.A. Castillo| website=[[IMDb]] |url=https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5058824/?ref_=tt_cl_t_3}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Selena}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Saldivar, Yolanda}}
[[Category:20th-century American murderers]]
[[Category:American assassins]]
[[Category:American people of Mexican descent]]
[[Category:American female murderers]]
[[Category:American women nurses]]
[[Category:American people convicted of murder]]
[[Category:Texas A&M International University alumni]]
[[Category:American prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment]]
[[Category:Prisoners sentenced to life imprisonment by Texas]]
[[Category:People convicted of murder by Texas]]
[[Category:Criminals from San Antonio]]
[[Category:Selena]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Place of birth missing (living people)]]
[[Category:1960 births]]