Selena Quintanilla Perez was born on April 16, 1971, in Lake Jackson, Texas, before becoming a music idol. Because of the state's proximity to Mexico, a distinct Mexican-American musical style known as Tejano evolved, which Selena embraced from a young age.
Selena's father, Abraham, a former musician, passed on everything he knew to Selena and her two siblings, Abraham and Suzette. Selena y Los Dinos was formed, and music quickly became a family business.
Selena Quintanilla, the “undisputed queen of Tejano music,” was slain on March 31, 1995, by Yolanda Saldivar, who claimed to be her biggest fan.
Who Killed Selena Quintanilla Perez?
When Saldivar, Selena's store manager and the chairman of her fan club, met Selena in 1995, it was a disastrous meeting. Financial issues at Selena's boutique and fan club complaints led to Saldivar being separated from the rest of her family at the time.
When Saldivar and Selena met at a Days Inn in Corpus Christi, Texas, he was supposed to hand over the remaining business documents. As a result, she shot and killed the star, who was just 23 at the time of the incident.
Because Selena Quintanilla was so young and on the edge of success, her assassination shocked the globe. Selena's death is still startling even 25 years later.
Selena Quintanilla Funeral
On April 3, Selena's hometown of Corpus Christi hosted her funeral service. An open-casket viewing was held the day before at the Bayfront Auditorium, which has since been renamed Selena Auditorium.
The service was carried live on the radio from Seaside Memorial Park. Around 600 people showed up.
Fans across Texas gather to bid farewell to Selena Quintanilla, a Tejano singer whose powerful and enchanting voice was seen as an ambassador for her genre and culture at the tender age of 23.
Due to the overwhelming number of people that attended her public viewing at the Bayfront Convention Center, Perez opted to keep his wife's burial and interment private. Around 600 people gathered around the cemetery tents despite this.
Selena Quintanilla's Death
On March 31, 1995, Yolanda Saldivar fatally shot Selena. Saldivar, a close friend of Selena's, was the club's founder and president. Selena Etc., two boutiques in Corpus Christi and San Antonio, were also under Yolanda's management.
During Selena's murder trial, Abraham Quintanilla Jr., the singer's father, got complaints about Yolanda's poor administration and inability to fulfill products that paying fans had purchased, according to news accounts from the trial. He discovered that Yolanda had stolen over $25,000 from Selena's enterprises in the months preceding her murder.
It was Quintanilla Sr. who phoned Yolanda and asked that she not contact Selena. In Corpus Christi, Texas, on March 31, Selena accompanied Yolanda to the Days Inn motel, where she was spending the night.
Saldivar allegedly shot Selena in the shoulder with a handgun she stole from her purse after the singer demanded proof that she hadn't stolen the money. According to the medical staff at Corpus Christi Hospital, she died.
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A nine-hour confrontation ensued between Yolanda and police and FBI operatives. That's not all. She's even threatened to kill herself. She was eventually persuaded to surrender by a team of trained negotiators.
In October 1995, Yolanda was arrested, convicted, and sentenced to prison, with the possibility of parole in 2025, according to court records.
What Happened to Yolanda Saldívar?
Not long after the death of Selena on October 15, 1995, Yolanda was brought to trial in Houston for her role in the killing of Selena.
Her attorney allegedly asserted that the accidental shooting resulted from a misunderstanding, as The New York Times reported.
They continued by saying that Yolanda's true intention was to hurt herself instead of others.
On October 24, 1995, Yolanda was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. The court heard testimony from members of Selena's family.
At this time, Saldivar is being held within the confines of Texas's Mountain View Unit, a maximum-security correctional facility.
About Yolanda Saldívar
Yolanda Saldavar is a former nurse from the United States. She was found guilty of the murder of Selena in 1995 and sentenced to life in prison. Yolanda Saldavar was born on September 19, 1960.
Saldavar had held the offices of president of Selena's fan club and manager of her boutiques before the singer's death; however, she was removed from both positions shortly before the murder after the singer's family discovered that she had been stealing money from both organizations.
Saldvar was given a sentence of life in prison with the chance of release three days after the jury reached a guilty judgment on the charge of first-degree murder. On March 30 in, 2025, she will become eligible for parole.
