Why did Yolanda kill Selena? The true story behind Selena: The Series explained

6 May 2021, 12:38

Watch the Selena, The Series Part 2 trailer

By Sam Prance

Yolanda Saldívar shot Selena Quintanilla-Pérez when she was just 23 years old.

Selena: The Series - Part 2 is out now on Netflix and it shows the final years of Selena's life before Yolanda Saldívar shot her.

Fans of Selena will already know that the beloved Mexican-American singer was tragically murdered on March 31, 1995. The superstar was killed by her fan club president, Yolanda Saldívar, and Selena: The Series - Part 2 depicts the events that led up to Selena's murder just as she was becoming one of the biggest superstars in the entire world.

Here's everything you need to know about why Yolanda killed the 23-year-old icon and what happened to her afterwards.

Why did Yolanda Saldívar kill Selena?

Yolanda Saldívar became Selena's fan club president after repeatedly calling Selena's father to ask if she could set up a fan club for Selena. She later developed a close relationship with the artist and quit her job as a nurse to become the manager of Selena's boutiques in 1994. However, in spite of their friendship, other people in Selena's life did not trust Yolanda.

In 1995, Selena's dad began receiving phone calls from fans claiming that they had sent Yolanda money for merch and had never received anything in return. Selena's father later found out that Yolanda had embezzled over $30,000 via the fan club and the boutiques. He demanded that Yolanda disprove the evidence or he would get the police involved.

On March 31, 1995, Selena went to meet Yolanda in her motel room at the Days Inn in Corpus Christi and asked to see her financial records. In response, Yolanda removed a gun from her purse and shot Selena multiple times as she tried to flee. Selena was taken to hospital but she was pronounced dead on arrival.

Yolanda was arrested after a standoff with the police and was charged guilty of first-degree murder on October 23, 1995.

Selena the Series cast take fans behind the scenes

Where is Yolanda Saldívar now?

Yolanda is currently serving a life sentence at the Mountview Unit facility in Gatesville, Texas. She arrived at the prison on November 22, 1995 and won't become eligible for parole until March 30, 2025. During her time in prison she has tried to appeal the court's decision but her life sentence has not been revoked. She is currently 60 years old.