Yolanda Saldívar was a trusted person within Selena's inner circle, having worked her way up from just a fan to president of her fan club. She also became Selena's very close friend and manager of her boutiques. But her relationship with Selena bordered on obsession, and when money went missing from the singer's businesses and fans became upset over not having received anything after joining the fan club, the Quintanillas became suspicious of her intentions. They approached Yolanda with their evidence in a meeting in March 1995, and Selena's father banned Yolanda from contacting his daughter again. Selena, however, didn't want to end their friendship and agreed to meet Yolanda to go over some of the missing paperwork. On the morning of March 31, 1995, Yolanda shot Selena in the back of her right shoulder after they had an argument in Yolanda's motel room. Selena was able to flee to the motel lobby, where she identified Yolanda as her killer before she lost consciousness.
After Selena was rushed to the hospital where she later died, Yolanda locked herself in her car in the motel parking lot, where she had a stand-off with police while pointing the gun at her head and threatening to commit suicide. She eventually surrendered after more than nine hours and was arrested for Selena's murder. After pleading not guilty (she insists the shooting was accidental), Yolanda was sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole for 30 years. Since she was convicted in 1995, she will be eligible for parole on March 30, 2025.
