Yolanda Saldívar, who’s serving life for killing Selena, reportedly still claims some innocence while her family suggests the singer’s approach played a role in her death.
The 64-year-old prisoner’s relatives told the New York Post that while she acknowledges wrongdoing, Selena’s confrontation style contributed to the tragedy.
“[Yolanda] knows what she did was wrong and she takes responsibility for it. But she was reacting to the way she was confronted,” one family member stated.
“She says that [Selena] came at her really aggressively,” they added. “She was so thrown off with how forceful Selena was being; everything happened so fast. If Selena had confronted her differently, this never would have happened.”
Saldívar’s relatives previously mentioned she “feels like she’s a political prisoner” who’s “ready to get out of jail” after serving sufficient time.
For 30 years, Saldívar has claimed the shooting was accidental, saying she meant to harm herself and received an unfair trial.
Saldívar, who started Selena’s fan club in 1991, was accused of stealing around $30,000. The Tejano star met Saldívar alone at a Corpus Christi motel to collect tax documents when she was killed.
Prosecutors highlighted that Saldívar never called 911 or tried helping Selena, and noted the murder weapon required significant trigger pressure to fire.
Saldívar’s parole decision is expected March 30. She reportedly plans to live with family and work if released, though relatives question her employment prospects.
The Texas parole board began reviewing her case in October 2023, considering her file, conducting interviews, and reviewing letters from Selena’s family.
A new documentary about Selena, “Selena Y Los Dinos,” recently premiered at Sundance and screened at SXSW.
