The late Tejano queen Selena’s “Como la Flor” is one of the songs nominated for preservation in the National Recording Registry. Credit: Shutterstock / Lisa T Snow
Tejano superstar Selena’s convicted killer this week filed paperwork to seek parole from prison, according to media reports.

However, former inmates told the New York Post Yolanda Saldivar might be safer behind bars due to an alleged bounty on her head.

Saldivar was found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison in October 1995 for the shooting death of Selena Quintanilla-Perez. Saldivar, the former head of the Grammy-winning singer’s fan club, is accused of shooting her at a Days Inn in Corpus Christi after a confrontation about money missing from the club’s accounts.

Saldivar is serving her sentence at the Patrick L. O’Daniel Unit in Gatesville and will be eligible for parole in March. Officials with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) told the Post that Saldivar avoided trouble while serving time.

Carlos Valdez, the man who prosecuted Saldivar three decades ago, told ABC News last month that from what he can tell, Saldivar hasn’t changed during her time incarcerated.

“It’s still up to the parole board. It’s not really a hearing here in Texas, it’s a process that starts several months before the eligible date,” Valdez said. “They collect evidence, they collect statements, they collect any other information that they think is appropriate, put it all together and then decide whether or not to grant parole, and that’s what’s happening right now.”

Saldivar continues to maintain that she didn’t mean to shoot Selena but instead accidentally fired a handgun in the singer’s direction while trying to take her own life.

Inmates who spoke to the Post, including Marisol Lopez, who served five years alongside Saldivar, said the convicted killer is safer behind bars than walking free.

“There’s a bounty on her head,” Lopez said. “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.”

Former inmate Yesenia Dominguez concurred.

“Everyone wanted to get justice for Selena,” Dominguez told the Post. “There’s a target on [Saldivar’s] back.”

The TDJC told the Post that Quintanilla’s family will likely be officially notified of Saldivar’s hearing sometime in January.

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This article appears in Dec 26, 2024 – Jan 1, 2025.

Michael Karlis is a multimedia journalist at the San Antonio Current, whose coverage in print and on social media focuses on local and state politics. He is a graduate of American University in Washington,...