Murder of Selena
Encyclopedia
Selena
, a Grammy Award
-winning American singer-songwriter who gained worldwide fame as the lead vocalist of her family-oriented band Selena y Los Dinos
and for her community involvement, was murdered by Yolanda Saldívar
. Saldívar, Selena's former fan club president and clothing boutique manager, with whom she was breaking ties, persuaded the singer to meet with her secretly. Saldívar then shot and killed Selena, provoking massive public outcry from the Hispanic community. Saldívar claimed that in an attempt to end her own life she accidentally shot Selena, but the jury at her trial did not believe her; she was sentenced to life imprisonment.
The Hispanic
community reacted negatively to the murder, naming the event "Black Friday". In the white community, some people did not think Selena's murder was a "big deal", prompting a backlash from her fans. Radio personality Howard Stern
mocked Selena's mourners and funeral, spawning public boycotts from fans. Selena's murder reactions was compared to the deaths of John Lennon
and Elvis Presley
. Her funeral drew 60,000 mourners, while numerous tributes and memorials were held throughout the United States and Spanish-speaking countries. Selena's story had been documented on numerous biographical shows, series and talk shows worldwide. The murder helped the singer to become a household name in the United States and had became more popular then she did while alive. A law about carrying a concealed weapon was passed in Texas in the same year that Selena was murdered. George W. Bush
, who also signed the bill, made April 16 Selena Day in Texas.
The posthumous album Dreaming of You (1995), a crossover
attempt, helped Selena to become the second-fastest selling female artist, behind Janet Jackson
. She was given two life-sized statues – one was built in Corpus Christi, Texas
(Mirador de la Flor
) while the other one was built in Apodaca
, Nuevo León
. Saldívar had claimed and accused Selena of multiple statements that she had tried to testify while serving her life sentence. In 1997, Warner Bros.
produced Selena
, the eponymous biographical film caltipaulted Jennifer Lopez
' career. Two years later, the story of Selena inspired a Broadway musical which starred Veronica Vasquez
as "Selena". In 2005, Selena ¡VIVE!
, a tribute concert, was held on the tenth anniversary of Selena's murder. The concert was aired live on Univision
, it went to become the most-watched Spanish-language show in the history of American television
.
" and was poised to become a successful American solo artist. Her fame grew throughout the U.S. and Spanish-speaking countries. To manage her growing group of admirers, Selena hired Saldívar as her fan club president. Before Selena was murdered, she had sold approximately 1.8 million albums in the U.S. At the time of her murder, Selena was recording songs for a crossover
attempt, which was intended to catapult her success in the U.S. and expand her English-speaking fan base. Selena's goal was to become a pop icon
similar to Donna Summer
, Paula Abdul
, Madonna
and Mariah Carey
.
boutique
s in Corpus Christi, Texas
, and hired Yolanda Saldívar as the manager of the clothing boutiques. Eight months later, she signed Saldívar as the registered agent
in San Antonio, Texas. The Quintanilla family believed Saldívar was the best choice due to her excellent job in boosting membership of the Selena Fan Club to over 400,000, organizing special events, and helping Selena deal with admirers at public events. After being hired for the boutiques, Saldívar moved from South San Antonio
to Corpus Christi to be closer to Selena.
Saldívar's room was covered with Selena posters and pictures, burning votive candles, and a library of Selena videos, which she used to entertain guests. During an interview with the Saldívar in 1995, interviewers of The Dallas Morning News
believed that Saldívar's devotion to Selena bordered on the obsessive
. Saldívar then began telling the staff that she wanted to "be like Selena". Around this time, Selena gave Saldívar her American Express
card to conduct company business. With it, Saldívar rented Lincoln Town Car
s, traveled to and from Mexico, entertained associates in fancy restaurants, and purchased two cellular phones she carried. She also altered Ellen Tracy designer jackets made for the boutiques, backing up her authority to do so with her possession of the card. When Saldívar became a business associate in addition to being a friend, her relationship with Selena began to fall apart. Staff members at Selena Etc. complained that Saldívar was always "nice" when Selena was around, but when she was not, Saldívar treated everyone terribly.
In January 1995, Debra Ramirez, Selena's cousin, was hired to work in the boutiques and to help Selena expand the fashion venture into Mexico. Ramirez quit within a week, telling Saldívar that she was not happy and was dissatisfied with how staff members did not report their sales. Saldívar replied that it was not any of Ramirez's business and that she would take care of it.
Martin Gomez, a fashion designer for Selena, and Saldívar constantly clashed while working together. Gomez complained that Saldívar was mismanaging affairs from the start. The animosity between them especially intensified during Selena's fashion shows. Gomez accused Saldívar of mutilating or destroying some of his original creations, while also claiming that she never paid any bills.
When Saldívar visited the design house in Mexico, she intimidated the seamstresses by telling them to either leave or side with her. Gomez tried to convince Selena that Saldívar was "bad news", but Saldívar claimed that Gomez was exaggerating. A few weeks later, Saldívar asked employees to help pay for a gift for Selena. Philip Randolph, who had helped design the gift, a diamond-encrusted-egg ring, noticed that not only did Saldívar not want Selena to know that she had bought anything, but also did not want Selena to know the cost of anything she bought.
In December 1994, the boutiques began to suffer. Staff at both stores had been reduced from 38 to 14 employees, largely because Saldívar would fire anyone she did not like personally. The employees began complaining to Selena about Saldívar, but Selena did not believe that her "friend" would do anything to hurt her or her business. The employees then began to take their concerns to Selena's father, Abraham Quintanilla Jr., who cautioned Selena that Saldívar might be a bad influence. Selena did not suspect that Saldívar had turned on her because her father had always distrusted people.
On March 9, 1995, Selena, her father and her sister, Suzette Quintanilla, held a closed meeting at Q-Productions
with Saldívar. Abraham presented Saldívar with inconsistencies concerning disappearing funds. Abraham stated that Saldívar simply stared at him and did not answer any of his questions. He told Saldívar that he was going to pursue the matter legally. Again Saldívar gave no response, and Suzette accused Saldívar to her face of being a liar and a thief. The next morning, Eddie Quintanilla, Abraham's brother, called him to let him know that Saldívar had shown up at Q-Productions with Laurie Rothe, another employee from Selena Etc. Abraham drove to Q-Productions and informed Saldívar that she was no longer welcome on the premises. The same day, Selena and Saldívar engaged in an intense argument over the phone; Selena hung up and told her husband, Chris Pérez
, that she could no longer trust Saldívar. However, she did not want to dissolve her friendship with Saldívar, especially since Saldívar was detrimental to whether the clothing line was going to take off in Mexico. Selena also wanted to keep Saldívar close because Saldívar possessed bank records, statements, and financial records necessary for tax preparation relating to the boutiques.
The day after Saldívar was banned from Q-Productions, she went to "A Place To Shoot", a gun shop and range house in south San Antonio and bought a Taurus 45 snub-nosed
.38-caliber revolver
. Saldívar told the clerk that she needed protection for her job as an in-house nurse care for terminally ill patients because a patient's relatives had threatened her. Two days later, Selena asked Saldívar to accompany her on a Monterrey
, Mexico, tour. Saldívar then returned the handgun to the shop, claiming that her father had given her a .22 caliber pistol. During the trip, Selena began pressuring Saldívar to return the bank statements; when they got back, Saldívar bought the gun again.
The following week, Saldívar's name was removed as the chief executive officer
for Selena Design House Inc., and was replaced as fan club president by Irene Herrera. On March 26, 1995, Saldívar stole a perfume sample and more bank statements from Selena in Mexico. On March 29, 1995, Saldívar told Dr. Ricardo Martinez, Selena's primary care physician
, that she had been raped, but he did not believe her, as he had been informed by Selena's family that Saldívar and Selena's relationship was beginning to deteriorate.
motel in Corpus Christi to pick up the missing documents Selena needed for tax purposes. When Selena and Pérez returned home, Selena discovered that there were still some bank statements missing. Saldívar later called Selena, saying that she had been raped in Mexico, and told Selena to come alone to the hotel. Pérez told Selena to tell Saldívar that it was too late, but Selena agreed to meet secretly with Saldívar the following morning. At the motel, Selena demanded the financial papers. Saldívar delayed the handover by claiming she had been raped in Mexico. The singer then drove Saldívar to Doctors Regional Hospital, where doctors found no evidence of rape. Saldívar returned to the motel where Selena again demanded the financial papers. Selena told Saldívar that she could no longer be trusted.
At 11:49 am, Saldívar drew a gun from her purse and pointed it at Selena. As the singer turned and left the room, Saldívar shot her once on the right lower shoulder, severing a major artery which led from Selena's heart, resulting in a massive loss of blood. Critically wounded, Selena ran towards the lobby to get help, leaving behind her a trail of blood 392 feet (119.5 m) long. She collapsed on the floor as the clerk called 911, with Saldívar chasing after her and calling her a "bitch". Selena began holding her chest and screaming "Help me! Help me! I've been shot!" Before collapsing to the floor, she named Saldívar as her assailant and gave the number of the room where she had been shot. Selena's condition began to deteriorate rapidly as motel staff tried to comfort her. A staff member tried to talk to Selena, but noted that she was beginning to fade away. He also stated that there was less and less moaning and movement from her.
An ambulance arrived at the scene in a minute and 52 seconds. The paramedics applied a Vaseline gloss on Selena's wound which immediately stopped the internal bleeding. At this time, Selena's heartbeat was very slow, as a paramedic performed CPR
to recirculate blood to Selena's brain and heart.
Meanwhile, Saldívar got into her pickup truck and attempted to leave the parking lot of the motel. However, a police cruiser saw the vehicle. Saldívar then backed up and parked adjacent to two cars. The police blocked Saldívar's truck and told her to come out. She then picked up the pistol, pointed it at her right temple
, and threatened to commit suicide
. SWAT
and the FBI Crisis Negotiation Unit
were brought in.
During this time, a paramedic tried inserting an IV
in Selena, but due to her massive blood loss and low or no blood pressure
, her vein
s had collapsed, making it extremely difficult to insert the IV. Navigation Boulevard
was completely shut down by local police. At 12:00 p.m., the paramedics delivered Selena to Memorial Hospital
. She was transferred to the trauma room
, where doctors and surgeons began blood transfusion
s in an attempt to reestablish blood circulation after they had opened Selena's chest and found major internal bleeding. The bullet had pierced Selena's artery and after 50 minutes, the doctors found out that the damage was irreparable. Selena was pronounced dead at 1:05 p.m. due to extensive blood loss and cardiac arrest
.
Meanwhile, negotiators ran a hard wire phone line between their base of operations adjacent to Saldívar's pickup truck as the standoff continued. Lead negotiator Larry Young tried to establish a rapport with Saldívar and persuade her to give herself up. Another negotiator, Isaac Valencia, planted the idea with her that the shooting was accidental; Saldívar later changed her story, claiming that the "gun went off" by itself.
During the third hour, an autopsy
was performed due to overwhelming media interest. It revealed that the bullet had entered Selena's lower back, passed through the chest cavity, directly severing the right secluded carotid artery, and exited the right upper chest. It had also revealed that Selena's heart, fueled by adrenaline, literally pumped her blood out of her chest. Doctors also found that if the bullet had been only a millimeter higher or lower, the wound would not have been as severe.
After the standoff entered its fourth hour, Valencia's stratagem helped Saldívar to confess that she had intended to shoot herself. Saldívar claimed that Selena tried to tell her not to kill herself, while pointing the gun to her head. But when Selena opened the door to leave, Saldívar stated that she told Selena to close it. Saldívar also claimed that the gun went off when she exited. During the sixth hour, Saldívar agreed to give herself up. However, when she saw a police officer pointing a rifle
at her, she panicked and ran back to her truck. Saldívar finally gave herself up after keeping police at bay for nearly nine and a half hours. By that time, hundreds of fans had gathered at the scene; many of them wept as police took Saldívar away.
Within hours of Selena's murder, a press conference was called. Assistant Police Chief Ken Bung and Selena's father, Abraham Quintanilla Jr, informed the press that the possible motive
was that Selena went to the Days Inn motel to terminate her employment; Saldívar was still not being identified by name in media reports. Rudy Tervino, the director of the Texas Talent Music Association
, and sponsor of the Tejano Music Awards
, declared that March 31 would go down as "Black Friday".
broke the news first, many people accused them of lying. In San Antonio, major Spanish-language radio stations, including Tejano 107, KXTN-FM, KRIO-FM
, and KEDA-AM, interrupted their regular programming to break the news. Listeners were shocked and in disbelief. The lead item on national network evening news programs in Corpus Christi had been the end of the 1994–95 Major League Baseball strike; within thirty minutes, Selena's murder was the lead item on all television stations in South Texas
.
The news struck the Hispanic community
extremely hard; many traveled thousands of miles to Selena's house, boutiques, and the crime scene. By mid-afternoon, police were asked to form a diversion route as a line of automobiles began backing up traffic from the Quintanillas' houses. On the street where Selena had lived, gang graffiti
and cacti
distinguished the blue-collar community
from other subdivisions across America. The chain-link fence in front of Selena's house became a shrine festooned. Fans from Puerto Rico
and Wisconsin
left behind messages and notes to both Selena and the Quintanilla family. The majority of cars traveling to Interstate 37
from South America and cars in Corpus Christi turned their headlights on in memory of Selena. Fans scribbled both the door of room 158 with notes and messages, while many left handwritten messages on the doorstep.
Julio Iglesias
interrupted a recording session in Miami for a moment in silence, Celia Cruz
called Q-Productions to offer condolences, while Madonna
sent a fax. Concerts across the state of Texas were called off. La Mafia
canceled their Guatemala
concert and flew back to Texas, after they heard about Selena's murder. American singer Stefanie Ridel called KXTN-FM in San Antonio, talking and crying about the loss of Selena.
Soon after learning of Selena's death, people began theorizing and gossiping about who had murdered her. Emilio Navaria
's wife was the prime suspect, since many believed that she had been jealous of Selena and Emilio's relationship. Johnny Pasillas, Emilio's brother-in-law and manager, frantically called radio stations, trying to quash the jealous-lover rumor.
The newsstands were swarmed for anything to do with Selena. Her death was front page news on The New York Times
for two days and was featured prominently on the BBC's world news broadcast. She was also cited in China as one of the "Ten representatives of Latin Music".
A People
magazine issue was released several days after her murder. Its publishers believed that interest in the tragedy would soon wane, but released a commemorative issue within a week, when it became apparent that it was only growing, while news about Selena appeared on national television. Commemorative issues had only been issued before for Princess Diana, Jackie Kennedy and most recently, Elizabeth Taylor
. The issue sold nearly a million copies, with the entire first and second run being snapped up within two weeks, becoming a collectors item, which had never happened before in the history of People magazine. Betty Cortina, editor of People, told Biography
that they never had an issue that was 100% sold out, stating "it was unheard of". In the following months, the company released People en Español
, aimed at the Hispanic market, which came directly out of the success of the Selena issue.
, governor of Texas at the time, declared her birthday Selena Day in Texas. On Selena Day, one thousand fans gathered at her grave and began to sing traditional Mexican folk songs. An employee tried to get them to leave the cemetery, and police were brought in to control the crowd. On the same day, a crowd of 3,000 attended an organized Votive Mass of Resurrection
for Selena at the Johnnyland Concert Park.
Many white Texans wrote to the editors of the Brazosport Facts
during April and May, asking "What was the big deal?" Some were also offended that Selena Day fell on Easter Sunday. Others agreed that "Easter is more important than Selena Day", but they also believed that everyone should let Selena rest and go on with their lives. Mexican Americans in Texas wrote vociferously to the newspaper, while some agreed that others were too critical of "Selena Day", and that they did not have to celebrate the day and should not have responded so rudely.
A few days later, Howard Stern
mocked Selena's murder and burial, poked fun at her mourners, and criticized her music. Stern said, "This music does absolutely nothing for me. Alvin and the Chipmunks
have more soul... Spanish people have the worst taste in music. They have no depth." Stern's comments infuriated the Hispanic community across Texas. After a disorderly conduct
arrest warrant was issued against him, Stern later made an on-air apology in Spanish for his comments. The League of United Latin American Citizens
boycotted Stern's show after they found his apology unacceptable. Within a week, on NBC
's Tonight Show with Jay Leno
, Stern and Robin Quivers
, an African American
writer, were asked if Stern's remarks about Selena was acceptable. Quivers decided not to talk about the situation in order to avoid arguing with Stern. However, when Linda Ronstadt
, a pop singer of Mexican American heritage, came on the show, she and Quivers quickly got into an argument when Ronstadt defended Selena.
began pressing several million CDs and cassettes to meet the expected demand. Selena was inducted into the Latin Music Hall of Fame in 1995.
Dreaming of You, a posthumous album by Selena, made its debut at the number-one spot on the Billboard 200
in the U.S. and stayed on the chart for 49 weeks, selling 175,000 copies on the first day, a record for a female pop singer. Eventually, Selena became the first female recording artist to place five albums simultaneously on the Billboard 200. The album was also the 75th top-seller in the U.S. for BMG Music Club. Dreaming of You also debuted at number-one on the Latin Albums chart and the Latin Pop Albums charts in the U.S. and remained on the charts for 128 and 104 weeks respectively. For selling 1,700,000 copies in the U.S. alone, Dreaming of You was listed as one of the "Best-Selling Records of 1995", according to Billboard magazine and SoundScan
. After the album's release, "I Could Fall in Love
" and "Dreaming of You
" topped the charts and received extensive airplay in New Zealand, Spain, Canada, Poland, France, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Portugal and were given certifications in four countries.
Tejano music
has not recovered since her murder. Her appeal extended beyond the Tejano genre. Selena has retained great devotion from many fans. Mexican-American singer-actress Selena Gomez
was named after Selena, and stated that Selena means a lot to her and her family.
sponsored its own at South Park Mall
, which was attended by 5,000.
On April 1, Bayfront Plaza in Corpus Christi held a vigil that drew 3,000 fans. State Senator Carlos Truan made an appearance and had spoke to the public about Selena. During the event, it was announced that a public viewing of the casket would be held at the Bayfront Auditorium the following day. Fans lined up for almost a mile. An hour before the doors were opened, rumors began circulating that the casket was empty, which caused the Quintanilla family to have an open-casket viewing. About 30,000 to 40,000 fans had passed by Selena's coffin. The same day, an unannounced bilingual Sunday morning mass for Selena was held at the San Fernando Cathedral
in downtown San Antonio
, before a mariachi choir.
Selena's funeral was held on April 2, 1995. Six hundred guests, mostly family members, attended the morning services, which were broadcast live by a Corpus Christi and San Antonio radio station. A Jehovah's Witness minister from Lake Jackson preached in English. He also sampled Paul the Apostle's words in 1 Corinthians 15
. Selena was then buried on the following day at Seaside Memorial Park, while hundreds of cars circled the area. A special mass in the Los Angeles Sports Arena on the same day, drew a crowd of four thousand. Selena had been booked there that night for her Amor Prohibido Tour
. The promoter charged admission to the mass, which upset Abraham Quintanilla Jr. In Lake Jackson
, Selena's hometown, one thousand fans and friends gathered at the municipal park in neighboring Clute
, where she had played at the Mosquito Festival in July 1994.
The next day, Our Lady of Pillar Church, a church in Spain, held a Selena mass which drew 450 people to their 225-seat church. In the week following her murder, seven out of every hundred newborns in Santa Clara County, California
were named after Selena. On April 28, during a firework display for Buccaneer Days in Corpus Christi, the music was reworked to include "Bidi Bidi Bom Bom
" in memory of Selena.
Saldívar's bond was initially set at $100,000, though District Attorney Carlos Valdez was able to get the amount raised to $500,000. The Nueces County jail was deluged with death threats and public calls for vigilante justice. Some gang members in Texas were reported to have taken up collections to raise the bond for Saldívar so they could kill her when she was released. In prison, she faced more death threats from inmates. The Mexican Mafia
, a dominant gang in the Texas penal system, reportedly placed a price on her head, and spread the word that anyone who committed the crime would be a hero. Saldívar was punishable to up to 99 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Saldívar was kept at Nueces County jail under a suicide watch before her trial. The state tried searching for a defendant for Saldívar, considering that the news had spread throughout the United States, the state weren't able to find a defendant. The state had said that if anyone had became Saldívar's defendant that they could face death threats from fans.
After her trial, the jury deliberated for two hours before finding Saldívar guilty of murder. She was sentenced to life in prison on October 23, 1995, with parole eligibility set for thirty years; this was the maximum prison term for the state of Texas. On November 22, 1995, she arrived at the Gatesville Unit (now Christina Crain Unit
) in Gatesville, Texas
for processing. Saldívar is currently serving her life sentence at the Mountain View Unit
in Gatesville, operated by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice
. She will be eligible for parole on March 30, 2025.
Because of multiple internal death threats sent to Saldívar from incarcerated Selena fans, she had to be placed in isolation. Currently, she spends 23 of 24 hours in her 9 by 6 foot (2.7 by 1.8 m) prison cell alone, without contact with other inmates.
, and had wanted to tell Selena that she could no longer work for her. Saldívar then claimed to Roberts that Selena had gone to her knees and begged, "Mom, we have to talk about this". (Selena's mother, Marcella Samoa, told Roberts that the family question whether Selena would have called Saldivar "Mom"). Saldívar claimed that following this exchange, Selena got up and walked at an angle towards the door to open it. Saldívar said that she then pointed the gun away from her head and towards the door, telling Selena to close the door. She said that at that instant the gun went off. When asked if she had known at that moment that Selena had been shot, she responded that she had not. Roberts then told her that there was blood all over the room. Saldívar responded that she was not looking at the door, she was trying to find Selena.
Saldívar told Roberts that she had never stolen money from the fan club. Abraham Quintanilla Jr. later told Roberts that there is proof that she had stolen over $100,000 from Selena. Selena's father told Roberts that Saldívar was stalking
Selena by telephone. During the interview, when Saldívar was asked why she needed a gun, Saldívar insisted that it was because Selena's father had threatened her life. Quintanilla Jr. disputed this, telling Roberts that he had never threatened Saldívar.
Forensic psychologist
Dr. Reed Monlore studied Roberts' interview of Saldívar and told Roberts that Saldívar showed signs of obsessive–compulsive disorder throughout the interview. Dr. Monlore also told Roberts that Saldívar has a personality disorder
. When the tape was played, Dr. Monlore was intrigued by Saldívar's response to the question "If you could go back to March 31, 1995, what would you do differently?" Saldívar replied, "I would want her to kill me". Monlore told Roberts that Saldívar had a homicidal impulse
.
After the interview, Saldívar told Roberts that she wanted to appeal, stating that the police had ignored her statements about the shooting being accidental. Saldívar requested that the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals review a petition challenging her conviction. She claims the petition was filed in 2000 with the 214th District Court, but was never sent to the higher court. Her request was received on March 31, 2008, the 13th anniversary of Selena's murder.
The gun used to kill Selena was later destroyed and the pieces thrown into Corpus Christi Bay
in 2002 under a judge's order, despite protests from historians.
's Behind the Music
, Saldívar revealed information about a person named Lorenzo Salinas. Saldívar continually stated that Selena "wasn't the person everyone had thought she was". The reporter had retrieved mailed-in letters that Saldívar and her parents claims to be of Salinas. In it, the letter states of Salinas conscience being torn because "he knows the truth". Salinas also argues, in the letter, that the information could help Saldívar be released from prison, he also stated that he feels remorseful for Saldívar because he had beaten her. The Texas Department of Correction confirmed that the letters were sent from Mexico. This then prompted the VH1 reporter to go on an investigation for seven months to find the whereabouts of Lorenzo Salinas. However, they were unable to find Salinas or confirm the existence of Salinas. Salinas, as Saldívar claims, was a businessman who had worked with Selena in Mexico in early 1995.
Saldívar claimed that two weeks prior to the murder, that she discovered video tapes damaging to Selena's career. She also confirmed that she had Selena's diary that collaborated information about the tapes. In the second letter, Salinas wrote that he was hired by Selena to brutally beat Saldívar to retrieve the tapes, as a plot to exploit Selena. Saldívar claimed that she was attacked but managed to get away. Saldívar told the reporter that she has the tapes and diary stashed in a safe deposit box in Monterrey, Mexico. The reporter and a defense attorney of Saldívar went to Mexico and reportedly went to every storage facility that Saldívar and her parents had told them to search. Within time, they found no evidence of the existence of the tapes and diary. The defense attorney removed himself as a defendant for Saldívar after their trip back.
, held a tribute concert a week after the tenth anniversary of her murder on April 7, 2005. The concert, entitled Selena ¡VIVE!
, was broadcast live on Univision
and achieved a 35.9 household rating
. It was the highest rated and most viewed Spanish-language television special in the history of American television. The special was also the number-one program regardless of language among adults 18 to 34 in Los Angeles, Chicago and San Francisco, while tying for first in New York, beating that night's episode of Fox
's American Idol
.
In June 2006, Selena was commemorated with a museum and a bronze
life-sized statue (Mirador de la Flor
in Corpus Christi, Texas
), which are visited by hundreds of fans each week. During the sixteenth anniversary of her murder, Selena was given a statue in Apodaca, Nuevo León.
played Selena in a film about her life
. Directed by Gregory Nava
, the biopic opened to mostly positive reviews. Over 24,000 people auditioned for the lead role. Selena's fans supported the movie, and Lopez's performance helped elevate her career. Lopez was nominated for a Golden Globe award for Best Actress in a Musical. Although Lopez went on to become a pop star a few years later, Selena's voice was dubbed in for all the songs.
In 1999, a new Broadway
-bound musical entitled Selena was announced to premier in San Antonio in March 2000 to commemorate the fifth anniversary of her murder. Broadway producers Tom Quinn
, Jerry Frankel
, Peter Fitzgerald
and Michael Vega
were on board to stage the musical. Later on, librettist and lyricist Edward Gallardo was brought in to write the show's book and lyrics. Gallardo was followed by Fernando Rivas
to compose the show's songs. In 2000, Selena Forever
was first produced for a thirty city national tour with a budget of over US$2 million. After a national casting call, the producers chose Veronica Vasquez
to portray Selena. She alternated in the role with Rebecca Valdez. The musical previewed on March 21 and opened on March 23 at the San Antonio Municipal Auditorium.
, George Lopez
's Lopez Tonight
, María Celeste Arrarás
's Selena's Secret: The Revealing Story Behind Her Tragic Death and various specials in both English and Spanish including Dave Holmes
, Nick Lachey
, Mariah Carey
, Lola Ogunnaike
, who talks briefly about Selena's death.
Selena also has been covered in many documentary shows on VH1
, MTV
and A&E
, such as E! True Hollywood Story
and Famous Crime Scene
. Selena's life was also covered in The Biography Channel
's Biography
and Notorious
. The Spanish-language Univision
and Telemundo
networks usually broadcast Selena's biography on the anniversary of her murder.
passed a bill to legalize carrying a concealed weapon in Texas. The law was passed after 124 year-long-ban. The concealed weapons bill was passed with a 101-46 by the Texas House. George W. Bush
signed the law the following week. It took effect on January 1, 1996. Bush had campaign about passing this law in 1994 against Ann Richards
. Quintanilla Jr., Selena's father, launched an anti-crime campaign against the illegal use of handguns.
Selena
Selena Quintanilla-Pérez , known simply as Selena, was a Mexican American singer-songwriter. She was named the "top Latin artist of the '90s" and "Best selling Latin artist of the decade" by Billboard for her fourteen top-ten singles in the Top Latin Songs chart, including seven number-one hits...
, a Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
-winning American singer-songwriter who gained worldwide fame as the lead vocalist of her family-oriented band Selena y Los Dinos
Selena y Los Dinos
Selena y Los Dinos was the band in which Grammy-Award-winning Tejano music singer Selena performed, until her death on March 31, 1995. Selena fronted the band since 1980, started by her father Abraham Quintanilla, Jr....
and for her community involvement, was murdered by Yolanda Saldívar
Yolanda Saldívar
Yolanda Saldívar is a Mexican American woman who was convicted in 1995 of the murder of Tejano music singer Selena at a Days Inn motel in Corpus Christi, Texas on March 31, 1995.- Early life :...
. Saldívar, Selena's former fan club president and clothing boutique manager, with whom she was breaking ties, persuaded the singer to meet with her secretly. Saldívar then shot and killed Selena, provoking massive public outcry from the Hispanic community. Saldívar claimed that in an attempt to end her own life she accidentally shot Selena, but the jury at her trial did not believe her; she was sentenced to life imprisonment.
The Hispanic
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
community reacted negatively to the murder, naming the event "Black Friday". In the white community, some people did not think Selena's murder was a "big deal", prompting a backlash from her fans. Radio personality Howard Stern
Howard Stern
Howard Allan Stern is an American radio personality, television host, author, and actor best known for his radio show, which was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2005. He gained wide recognition in the 1990s where he was labeled a "shock jock" for his outspoken and sometimes controversial style...
mocked Selena's mourners and funeral, spawning public boycotts from fans. Selena's murder reactions was compared to the deaths of John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
and Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
. Her funeral drew 60,000 mourners, while numerous tributes and memorials were held throughout the United States and Spanish-speaking countries. Selena's story had been documented on numerous biographical shows, series and talk shows worldwide. The murder helped the singer to become a household name in the United States and had became more popular then she did while alive. A law about carrying a concealed weapon was passed in Texas in the same year that Selena was murdered. George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
, who also signed the bill, made April 16 Selena Day in Texas.
The posthumous album Dreaming of You (1995), a crossover
Crossover (music)
Crossover is a term applied to musical works or performers appearing on two or more of the record charts which track differing musical tastes, or genres...
attempt, helped Selena to become the second-fastest selling female artist, behind Janet Jackson
Janet Jackson
Janet Damita Jo Jackson is an American recording artist and actress. Known for a series of sonically innovative, socially conscious and sexually provocative records, as well as elaborate stage shows, television and film roles, she has been a prominent figure in popular culture for over 25 years...
. She was given two life-sized statues – one was built in Corpus Christi, Texas
Corpus Christi, Texas
Corpus Christi is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas. The county seat of Nueces County, it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patricio counties. The MSA population in 2008 was 416,376. The population was 305,215 at the 2010 census making it the...
(Mirador de la Flor
Mirador de la Flor
Mirador de la Flor is a monument in Corpus Christi, Texas that was unveiled in 1997 to honor Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, a Tejano singer who was murdered two years earlier at the age of 23. People from around the world visit the site, which is located only a few miles north of Seaside Memorial Park...
) while the other one was built in Apodaca
Apodaca
Apodaca is a city and its surrounding municipality that is part of Monterrey Metropolitan area. It lies in the northeastern part of the metropolitan area. As of the 2005 census, the city had a population of 393,195 and the municipality had a population of 418,784. The municipality has an area of...
, Nuevo León
Nuevo León
Nuevo León It is located in Northeastern Mexico. It is bordered by the states of Tamaulipas to the north and east, San Luis Potosí to the south, and Coahuila to the west. To the north, Nuevo León has a 15 kilometer stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border adjacent to the U.S...
. Saldívar had claimed and accused Selena of multiple statements that she had tried to testify while serving her life sentence. In 1997, Warner Bros.
Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. Entertainment, Inc., also known as Warner Bros. Pictures or simply Warner Bros. , is an American producer of film and television entertainment.One of the major film studios, it is a subsidiary of Time Warner, with its headquarters in Burbank,...
produced Selena
Selena (film)
Selena is a 1997 American biographical drama film about the life and career of the late Tejano music star Selena, a recording artist who was well known in the Mexican-American and Hispanic communities in the United States and Mexico before she was shot to death at the age of twenty-three.The movie...
, the eponymous biographical film caltipaulted Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller...
' career. Two years later, the story of Selena inspired a Broadway musical which starred Veronica Vasquez
Veronica (singer)
Veronica is a dance music singer and theatrical actress. Along with singers Ultra Nate, Deborah Cox, she is considered to be one of the divas of the 1990s club music scene...
as "Selena". In 2005, Selena ¡VIVE!
Selena ¡VIVE!
The tribute concert was followed up with the release of the album of the performance, released on May 10, 2005. Though it did not include many of the songs performed, it does include many of the highlights.-Track listing:# "Tú Sólo Tú" - Ana Gabriel...
, a tribute concert, was held on the tenth anniversary of Selena's murder. The concert was aired live on Univision
Univision
Univision is a Spanish-language television network in the United States. It has the largest audience of Spanish language television viewers according to Nielsen ratings. Randy Falco, COO, has been in charge of the company since the departure of Univision Communications president and CEO Joe Uva...
, it went to become the most-watched Spanish-language show in the history of American television
Television in the United States
Television is one of the major mass media of the United States. Ninety-nine percent of American households have at least one television and the majority of households have more than one...
.
Life and career
During the early 1990s, Selena became the "Queen of Tejano musicTejano music
Tejano music or Tex-Mex music is the name given to various forms of folk and popular music originating among the Mexican-American populations of Central and Southern Texas...
" and was poised to become a successful American solo artist. Her fame grew throughout the U.S. and Spanish-speaking countries. To manage her growing group of admirers, Selena hired Saldívar as her fan club president. Before Selena was murdered, she had sold approximately 1.8 million albums in the U.S. At the time of her murder, Selena was recording songs for a crossover
Crossover (music)
Crossover is a term applied to musical works or performers appearing on two or more of the record charts which track differing musical tastes, or genres...
attempt, which was intended to catapult her success in the U.S. and expand her English-speaking fan base. Selena's goal was to become a pop icon
Pop icon
A pop icon is a celebrity, character, or object whose exposure in pop culture constitutes a defining characteristic of a given society or era. The categorization is usually associated with elements such as longevity, ubiquity, and distinction. Moreover, "pop icon" status is distinguishable from...
similar to Donna Summer
Donna Summer
LaDonna Adrian Gaines , known by her stage name, Donna Summer, is an American singer/songwriter who gained prominence during the disco era of the 1970s. She has a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Summer is a five-time Grammy winner and was the first artist to have three consecutive double albums reach...
, Paula Abdul
Paula Abdul
Paula Julie Abdul is an American singer-songwriter, dancer, choreographer, actress and television personality.In the 1980s, Abdul rose from cheerleader for the Los Angeles Lakers to highly sought-after choreographer at the height of the music video era before scoring a string of pop music-R&B hits...
, Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
and Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
.
Early 1994–1995
In early 1994, Selena opened her Selena Etc.Selena Etc.
Selena Etc. was a South Texas-based boutique, salon, and clothing store, which was built by Latin Superstar, Selena. Selena Etc. was built and finished on January 27, 1993 in Corpus Christi, Texas which was the headquarters building...
boutique
Boutique
A boutique is a small shopping outlet, especially one that specializes in elite and fashionable items such as clothing and jewelry. The word is French for "shop", via Latin from Greek ἀποθήκη , "storehouse"....
s in Corpus Christi, Texas
Corpus Christi, Texas
Corpus Christi is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas. The county seat of Nueces County, it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patricio counties. The MSA population in 2008 was 416,376. The population was 305,215 at the 2010 census making it the...
, and hired Yolanda Saldívar as the manager of the clothing boutiques. Eight months later, she signed Saldívar as the registered agent
Registered Agent
A registered agent, also known as a resident agent or statutory agent, in United States business law, is a business or individual designated to receive service of process when a business entity is a party in a legal action such as a lawsuit or summons...
in San Antonio, Texas. The Quintanilla family believed Saldívar was the best choice due to her excellent job in boosting membership of the Selena Fan Club to over 400,000, organizing special events, and helping Selena deal with admirers at public events. After being hired for the boutiques, Saldívar moved from South San Antonio
Neighborhoods of San Antonio
The city of San Antonio, Texas is composed of a number of neighborhoods, spreading out surrounding the central downtown area.-Downtown:San Antonio's downtown district, the center point of the city, is a popular destination for tourists, due to attractions such as the Alamo, Riverwalk, Tower of the...
to Corpus Christi to be closer to Selena.
Saldívar's room was covered with Selena posters and pictures, burning votive candles, and a library of Selena videos, which she used to entertain guests. During an interview with the Saldívar in 1995, interviewers of The Dallas Morning News
The Dallas Morning News
The Dallas Morning News is the major daily newspaper serving the Dallas, Texas area, with a circulation of 264,459 subscribers, the Audit Bureau of Circulations reported in September 2010...
believed that Saldívar's devotion to Selena bordered on the obsessive
Fixation (psychology)
Fixation: 'concept originated by Sigmund Freud to denote the persistence of anachronistic sexual traits'. Subsequently '"Fixation" acquired a broader connotation...
. Saldívar then began telling the staff that she wanted to "be like Selena". Around this time, Selena gave Saldívar her American Express
American Express
American Express Company or AmEx, is an American multinational financial services corporation headquartered in Three World Financial Center, Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States. Founded in 1850, it is one of the 30 components of the Dow Jones Industrial Average. The company is best...
card to conduct company business. With it, Saldívar rented Lincoln Town Car
Lincoln Town Car
The Lincoln Town Car is a full-size luxury sedan that was sold by the upscale Lincoln division of Ford Motor Company; it was produced from 1981 to the 2011 model years...
s, traveled to and from Mexico, entertained associates in fancy restaurants, and purchased two cellular phones she carried. She also altered Ellen Tracy designer jackets made for the boutiques, backing up her authority to do so with her possession of the card. When Saldívar became a business associate in addition to being a friend, her relationship with Selena began to fall apart. Staff members at Selena Etc. complained that Saldívar was always "nice" when Selena was around, but when she was not, Saldívar treated everyone terribly.
In January 1995, Debra Ramirez, Selena's cousin, was hired to work in the boutiques and to help Selena expand the fashion venture into Mexico. Ramirez quit within a week, telling Saldívar that she was not happy and was dissatisfied with how staff members did not report their sales. Saldívar replied that it was not any of Ramirez's business and that she would take care of it.
Martin Gomez, a fashion designer for Selena, and Saldívar constantly clashed while working together. Gomez complained that Saldívar was mismanaging affairs from the start. The animosity between them especially intensified during Selena's fashion shows. Gomez accused Saldívar of mutilating or destroying some of his original creations, while also claiming that she never paid any bills.
When Saldívar visited the design house in Mexico, she intimidated the seamstresses by telling them to either leave or side with her. Gomez tried to convince Selena that Saldívar was "bad news", but Saldívar claimed that Gomez was exaggerating. A few weeks later, Saldívar asked employees to help pay for a gift for Selena. Philip Randolph, who had helped design the gift, a diamond-encrusted-egg ring, noticed that not only did Saldívar not want Selena to know that she had bought anything, but also did not want Selena to know the cost of anything she bought.
In December 1994, the boutiques began to suffer. Staff at both stores had been reduced from 38 to 14 employees, largely because Saldívar would fire anyone she did not like personally. The employees began complaining to Selena about Saldívar, but Selena did not believe that her "friend" would do anything to hurt her or her business. The employees then began to take their concerns to Selena's father, Abraham Quintanilla Jr., who cautioned Selena that Saldívar might be a bad influence. Selena did not suspect that Saldívar had turned on her because her father had always distrusted people.
On March 9, 1995, Selena, her father and her sister, Suzette Quintanilla, held a closed meeting at Q-Productions
Q-Productions
Q-Productions is a record company owned and operated by Abraham Quintanilla Jr. Founded in 1993, Q Productions or also known as Q, or Q-Zone specializes within the Latin music industry, and it is located in Texas. The company's most recognized contributing artists are Selena , Los Tres Reyes, and...
with Saldívar. Abraham presented Saldívar with inconsistencies concerning disappearing funds. Abraham stated that Saldívar simply stared at him and did not answer any of his questions. He told Saldívar that he was going to pursue the matter legally. Again Saldívar gave no response, and Suzette accused Saldívar to her face of being a liar and a thief. The next morning, Eddie Quintanilla, Abraham's brother, called him to let him know that Saldívar had shown up at Q-Productions with Laurie Rothe, another employee from Selena Etc. Abraham drove to Q-Productions and informed Saldívar that she was no longer welcome on the premises. The same day, Selena and Saldívar engaged in an intense argument over the phone; Selena hung up and told her husband, Chris Pérez
Chris Perez
Christopher Gilbert "Chris" Pérez is a American guitarist and the widower of "The Queen of Tejano music" Selena. He is currently a guitarist for A.B. Quintanilla III y Los Kumbia All Starz since he joined in 2006. Prior to that, Pérez was the lead guitarist for his wife's band Selena y Los Dinos...
, that she could no longer trust Saldívar. However, she did not want to dissolve her friendship with Saldívar, especially since Saldívar was detrimental to whether the clothing line was going to take off in Mexico. Selena also wanted to keep Saldívar close because Saldívar possessed bank records, statements, and financial records necessary for tax preparation relating to the boutiques.
The day after Saldívar was banned from Q-Productions, she went to "A Place To Shoot", a gun shop and range house in south San Antonio and bought a Taurus 45 snub-nosed
.327 Federal Magnum
The .327 Federal Magnum is a cartridge introduced by Sturm, Ruger and Federal Cartridge, intended to provide the power of a .357 Magnum in six shot, compact revolvers, whose cylinders only hold 5 rounds of the larger .357 Magnum cartridge...
.38-caliber revolver
.38 Special
The .38 Smith & Wesson Special is a rimmed, centerfire cartridge designed by Smith & Wesson. It is most commonly used in revolvers, although some semi-automatic pistols and carbines also use this round...
. Saldívar told the clerk that she needed protection for her job as an in-house nurse care for terminally ill patients because a patient's relatives had threatened her. Two days later, Selena asked Saldívar to accompany her on a Monterrey
Monterrey
Monterrey , is the capital city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León in the country of Mexico. The city is anchor to the third-largest metropolitan area in Mexico and is ranked as the ninth-largest city in the nation. Monterrey serves as a commercial center in the north of the country and is the...
, Mexico, tour. Saldívar then returned the handgun to the shop, claiming that her father had given her a .22 caliber pistol. During the trip, Selena began pressuring Saldívar to return the bank statements; when they got back, Saldívar bought the gun again.
The following week, Saldívar's name was removed as the chief executive officer
Chief executive officer
A chief executive officer , managing director , Executive Director for non-profit organizations, or chief executive is the highest-ranking corporate officer or administrator in charge of total management of an organization...
for Selena Design House Inc., and was replaced as fan club president by Irene Herrera. On March 26, 1995, Saldívar stole a perfume sample and more bank statements from Selena in Mexico. On March 29, 1995, Saldívar told Dr. Ricardo Martinez, Selena's primary care physician
Primary care physician
A primary care physician, or PCP, is a physician/medical doctor who provides both the first contact for a person with an undiagnosed health concern as well as continuing care of varied medical conditions, not limited by cause, organ system, or diagnosis....
, that she had been raped, but he did not believe her, as he had been informed by Selena's family that Saldívar and Selena's relationship was beginning to deteriorate.
Black Friday
Around midnight on March 30, 1995, Selena and Chris Pérez went to Saldívar's room at the Days InnDays Inn
Days Inn is a motel chain headquartered in the United States. Founded in 1970, it is now a part of the Wyndham Hotel Group, based in Parsippany, New Jersey, which was formerly a part of Cendant...
motel in Corpus Christi to pick up the missing documents Selena needed for tax purposes. When Selena and Pérez returned home, Selena discovered that there were still some bank statements missing. Saldívar later called Selena, saying that she had been raped in Mexico, and told Selena to come alone to the hotel. Pérez told Selena to tell Saldívar that it was too late, but Selena agreed to meet secretly with Saldívar the following morning. At the motel, Selena demanded the financial papers. Saldívar delayed the handover by claiming she had been raped in Mexico. The singer then drove Saldívar to Doctors Regional Hospital, where doctors found no evidence of rape. Saldívar returned to the motel where Selena again demanded the financial papers. Selena told Saldívar that she could no longer be trusted.
At 11:49 am, Saldívar drew a gun from her purse and pointed it at Selena. As the singer turned and left the room, Saldívar shot her once on the right lower shoulder, severing a major artery which led from Selena's heart, resulting in a massive loss of blood. Critically wounded, Selena ran towards the lobby to get help, leaving behind her a trail of blood 392 feet (119.5 m) long. She collapsed on the floor as the clerk called 911, with Saldívar chasing after her and calling her a "bitch". Selena began holding her chest and screaming "Help me! Help me! I've been shot!" Before collapsing to the floor, she named Saldívar as her assailant and gave the number of the room where she had been shot. Selena's condition began to deteriorate rapidly as motel staff tried to comfort her. A staff member tried to talk to Selena, but noted that she was beginning to fade away. He also stated that there was less and less moaning and movement from her.
An ambulance arrived at the scene in a minute and 52 seconds. The paramedics applied a Vaseline gloss on Selena's wound which immediately stopped the internal bleeding. At this time, Selena's heartbeat was very slow, as a paramedic performed CPR
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation
Cardiopulmonary resuscitation is an emergency procedure which is performed in an effort to manually preserve intact brain function until further measures are taken to restore spontaneous blood circulation and breathing in a person in cardiac arrest. It is indicated in those who are unresponsive...
to recirculate blood to Selena's brain and heart.
Meanwhile, Saldívar got into her pickup truck and attempted to leave the parking lot of the motel. However, a police cruiser saw the vehicle. Saldívar then backed up and parked adjacent to two cars. The police blocked Saldívar's truck and told her to come out. She then picked up the pistol, pointed it at her right temple
Temple (anatomy)
Temple indicates the side of the head behind the eyes. The bone beneath is the temporal bone as well as part of the sphenoid bone.-Anatomy:Cladists classify land vertebrates based on the presence of an upper hole, a lower hole, both, or neither in the cover of dermal bone which formerly covered the...
, and threatened to commit suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
. SWAT
SWAT
A SWAT team is an elite tactical unit in various national law enforcement departments. They are trained to perform high-risk operations that fall outside of the abilities of regular officers...
and the FBI Crisis Negotiation Unit
FBI Crisis Negotiation Unit
The FBI's Crisis Negotiation Unit is the part of the Operational Support Branch of its Critical Incident Response Group responsible for the FBI's Crisis Negotiation Program...
were brought in.
During this time, a paramedic tried inserting an IV
Intravenous therapy
Intravenous therapy or IV therapy is the infusion of liquid substances directly into a vein. The word intravenous simply means "within a vein". Therapies administered intravenously are often called specialty pharmaceuticals...
in Selena, but due to her massive blood loss and low or no blood pressure
Blood pressure
Blood pressure is the pressure exerted by circulating blood upon the walls of blood vessels, and is one of the principal vital signs. When used without further specification, "blood pressure" usually refers to the arterial pressure of the systemic circulation. During each heartbeat, BP varies...
, her vein
Vein
In the circulatory system, veins are blood vessels that carry blood towards the heart. Most veins carry deoxygenated blood from the tissues back to the heart; exceptions are the pulmonary and umbilical veins, both of which carry oxygenated blood to the heart...
s had collapsed, making it extremely difficult to insert the IV. Navigation Boulevard
Interstate 37
Interstate 37 is a intrastate Interstate Highway located within the U.S. state of Texas. The highway was first designated in 1959 as a route between Corpus Christi and San Antonio. Construction in the urban areas of Corpus Christi and San Antonio began in the 1960s and the segments of the...
was completely shut down by local police. At 12:00 p.m., the paramedics delivered Selena to Memorial Hospital
Corpus Christi Memorial Hospital
Corpus Christi Memorial Hospital is a hospital in Corpus Christi, Texas. It is the second largest in the Christus Spohn hospital system with 397 beds and 30 resident physicians, and is the lead emergency facility in the region...
. She was transferred to the trauma room
Trauma (medicine)
Trauma refers to "a body wound or shock produced by sudden physical injury, as from violence or accident." It can also be described as "a physical wound or injury, such as a fracture or blow." Major trauma can result in secondary complications such as circulatory shock, respiratory failure and death...
, where doctors and surgeons began blood transfusion
Blood transfusion
Blood transfusion is the process of receiving blood products into one's circulation intravenously. Transfusions are used in a variety of medical conditions to replace lost components of the blood...
s in an attempt to reestablish blood circulation after they had opened Selena's chest and found major internal bleeding. The bullet had pierced Selena's artery and after 50 minutes, the doctors found out that the damage was irreparable. Selena was pronounced dead at 1:05 p.m. due to extensive blood loss and cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest, is the cessation of normal circulation of the blood due to failure of the heart to contract effectively...
.
Meanwhile, negotiators ran a hard wire phone line between their base of operations adjacent to Saldívar's pickup truck as the standoff continued. Lead negotiator Larry Young tried to establish a rapport with Saldívar and persuade her to give herself up. Another negotiator, Isaac Valencia, planted the idea with her that the shooting was accidental; Saldívar later changed her story, claiming that the "gun went off" by itself.
During the third hour, an autopsy
Autopsy
An autopsy—also known as a post-mortem examination, necropsy , autopsia cadaverum, or obduction—is a highly specialized surgical procedure that consists of a thorough examination of a corpse to determine the cause and manner of death and to evaluate any disease or injury that may be present...
was performed due to overwhelming media interest. It revealed that the bullet had entered Selena's lower back, passed through the chest cavity, directly severing the right secluded carotid artery, and exited the right upper chest. It had also revealed that Selena's heart, fueled by adrenaline, literally pumped her blood out of her chest. Doctors also found that if the bullet had been only a millimeter higher or lower, the wound would not have been as severe.
After the standoff entered its fourth hour, Valencia's stratagem helped Saldívar to confess that she had intended to shoot herself. Saldívar claimed that Selena tried to tell her not to kill herself, while pointing the gun to her head. But when Selena opened the door to leave, Saldívar stated that she told Selena to close it. Saldívar also claimed that the gun went off when she exited. During the sixth hour, Saldívar agreed to give herself up. However, when she saw a police officer pointing a rifle
Rifle
A rifle is a firearm designed to be fired from the shoulder, with a barrel that has a helical groove or pattern of grooves cut into the barrel walls. The raised areas of the rifling are called "lands," which make contact with the projectile , imparting spin around an axis corresponding to the...
at her, she panicked and ran back to her truck. Saldívar finally gave herself up after keeping police at bay for nearly nine and a half hours. By that time, hundreds of fans had gathered at the scene; many of them wept as police took Saldívar away.
Within hours of Selena's murder, a press conference was called. Assistant Police Chief Ken Bung and Selena's father, Abraham Quintanilla Jr, informed the press that the possible motive
Motive (law)
A motive, in law, especially criminal law, is the cause that moves people to induce a certain action. Motive, in itself, is not an element of any given crime; however, the legal system typically allows motive to be proven in order to make plausible the accused's reasons for committing a crime, at...
was that Selena went to the Days Inn motel to terminate her employment; Saldívar was still not being identified by name in media reports. Rudy Tervino, the director of the Texas Talent Music Association
Music of Texas
Texas has long been a center for musical innovation. Texans have pioneered musical developments in tejano & conjunto music, Western Swing, Jazz, punk rock, mariachi, country music, electronic music, gothic and industrial music and the blues...
, and sponsor of the Tejano Music Awards
Tejano Music Awards
The Tejano Music Awards had been launched in 1980 by former art teacher and music veteran Rudy Trevino and the leader of the Latin Breed Band, Gilbert Escobedo. Only 1,500 fans turned out for the first Tejano Music Awards. Over the years, San Antonio evolved into the Nashville of Tejano music...
, declared that March 31 would go down as "Black Friday".
Fan response
When radio station KEDA-AMKEDA (AM)
KEDA is a radio station licensed to San Antonio, Texas, USA, the station serves the San Antonio area. The station is currently owned by D & E Broadcasting Co., Inc.-History:...
broke the news first, many people accused them of lying. In San Antonio, major Spanish-language radio stations, including Tejano 107, KXTN-FM, KRIO-FM
KRIO-FM
KSAH-FM is a radio station broadcasting a regional Mexican music format. Licensed to Pearsall, Texas, USA, the station serves the San Antonio area. The station is currently owned by BMP Radio and licensed to BMP San Antonio License Company, L.P. It simulcasts KSAH.-History:The station was...
, and KEDA-AM, interrupted their regular programming to break the news. Listeners were shocked and in disbelief. The lead item on national network evening news programs in Corpus Christi had been the end of the 1994–95 Major League Baseball strike; within thirty minutes, Selena's murder was the lead item on all television stations in South Texas
South Texas
South Texas is a region of the U.S. state of Texas that lies roughly south of and including San Antonio. The southern and western boundary is the Rio Grande River, and to the east it is the Gulf of Mexico. The population of this region is about 3.7 million. The southern portion of this region is...
.
The news struck the Hispanic community
Hispanic
Hispanic is a term that originally denoted a relationship to Hispania, which is to say the Iberian Peninsula: Andorra, Gibraltar, Portugal and Spain. During the Modern Era, Hispanic sometimes takes on a more limited meaning, particularly in the United States, where the term means a person of ...
extremely hard; many traveled thousands of miles to Selena's house, boutiques, and the crime scene. By mid-afternoon, police were asked to form a diversion route as a line of automobiles began backing up traffic from the Quintanillas' houses. On the street where Selena had lived, gang graffiti
Graffiti
Graffiti is the name for images or lettering scratched, scrawled, painted or marked in any manner on property....
and cacti
Cacti
-See also:* RRDtool The underlying software upon which Cacti is built* MRTG The original Multi Router Traffic Grapher from which RRDtool was "extracted".* Munin -External links:******...
distinguished the blue-collar community
Blue-collar worker
A blue-collar worker is a member of the working class who performs manual labor. Blue-collar work may involve skilled or unskilled, manufacturing, mining, construction, mechanical, maintenance, technical installation and many other types of physical work...
from other subdivisions across America. The chain-link fence in front of Selena's house became a shrine festooned. Fans from Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
and Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
left behind messages and notes to both Selena and the Quintanilla family. The majority of cars traveling to Interstate 37
Interstate 37
Interstate 37 is a intrastate Interstate Highway located within the U.S. state of Texas. The highway was first designated in 1959 as a route between Corpus Christi and San Antonio. Construction in the urban areas of Corpus Christi and San Antonio began in the 1960s and the segments of the...
from South America and cars in Corpus Christi turned their headlights on in memory of Selena. Fans scribbled both the door of room 158 with notes and messages, while many left handwritten messages on the doorstep.
Julio Iglesias
Julio Iglesias
Julio José Iglesias de la Cueva , better known simply as Julio Iglesias, is a Spanish singer who has sold over 300 million records worldwide in 14 languages and released 77 albums. According to Sony Music Entertainment, he is one of the top 15 best selling music artists in history,...
interrupted a recording session in Miami for a moment in silence, Celia Cruz
Celia Cruz
Celia Cruz was a Cuban-American salsa singer, and was one of the most successful Salsa performers of the 20th century, having earned twenty-three gold albums...
called Q-Productions to offer condolences, while Madonna
Madonna (entertainer)
Madonna is an American singer-songwriter, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977 to pursue a career in modern dance. After performing in the music groups Breakfast Club and Emmy, she released her debut album in 1983...
sent a fax. Concerts across the state of Texas were called off. La Mafia
La Mafia
La Mafia is a four-time Grammy Award-winning musical group. It has its roots in the Northside neighborhood of Houston, Texas and has charted a course as a Latin music band.- History :...
canceled their Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
concert and flew back to Texas, after they heard about Selena's murder. American singer Stefanie Ridel called KXTN-FM in San Antonio, talking and crying about the loss of Selena.
Soon after learning of Selena's death, people began theorizing and gossiping about who had murdered her. Emilio Navaria
Emilio
Emilio Navaira III is an American musician of Mexican descent, who performs both Country and Tejano music. Known to most by the mononym Emilio, he has charted more than ten singles on the Billboard Hot Latin Tracks charts, in addition to six singles on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks...
's wife was the prime suspect, since many believed that she had been jealous of Selena and Emilio's relationship. Johnny Pasillas, Emilio's brother-in-law and manager, frantically called radio stations, trying to quash the jealous-lover rumor.
The newsstands were swarmed for anything to do with Selena. Her death was front page news on The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
for two days and was featured prominently on the BBC's world news broadcast. She was also cited in China as one of the "Ten representatives of Latin Music".
A People
People (magazine)
In 1998, the magazine introduced a version targeted at teens called Teen People. However, on July 27, 2006, the company announced it would shut down publication of Teen People immediately. The last issue to be released was scheduled for September 2006. Subscribers to this magazine received...
magazine issue was released several days after her murder. Its publishers believed that interest in the tragedy would soon wane, but released a commemorative issue within a week, when it became apparent that it was only growing, while news about Selena appeared on national television. Commemorative issues had only been issued before for Princess Diana, Jackie Kennedy and most recently, Elizabeth Taylor
Elizabeth Taylor
Dame Elizabeth Rosemond "Liz" Taylor, DBE was a British-American actress. From her early years as a child star with MGM, she became one of the great screen actresses of Hollywood's Golden Age...
. The issue sold nearly a million copies, with the entire first and second run being snapped up within two weeks, becoming a collectors item, which had never happened before in the history of People magazine. Betty Cortina, editor of People, told Biography
Biography (TV series)
Biography is a documentary television series. It was originally a half-hour filmed series produced for CBS by David Wolper from 1961 to 1964 and hosted by Mike Wallace. The A&E Network later re-ran it and has produced new episodes since 1987...
that they never had an issue that was 100% sold out, stating "it was unheard of". In the following months, the company released People en Español
People en Español
People en Español is a Spanish-language American magazine published by Time Inc. that debuted in 1996, originally as the Spanish-language edition of its publication People...
, aimed at the Hispanic market, which came directly out of the success of the Selena issue.
Other Reactions
On April 12, 1995, two weeks after her death, George W. BushGeorge W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
, governor of Texas at the time, declared her birthday Selena Day in Texas. On Selena Day, one thousand fans gathered at her grave and began to sing traditional Mexican folk songs. An employee tried to get them to leave the cemetery, and police were brought in to control the crowd. On the same day, a crowd of 3,000 attended an organized Votive Mass of Resurrection
Mass (liturgy)
"Mass" is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is called in the Roman Catholic Church: others are "Eucharist", the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly ", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and...
for Selena at the Johnnyland Concert Park.
Many white Texans wrote to the editors of the Brazosport Facts
Brazosport Facts
The Brazosport Facts is the largest daily newspaper for Brazoria County, Texas, a part of the Greater Houston area. The newspaper is owned by Southern Newspapers Inc., and began in 1913.-History:...
during April and May, asking "What was the big deal?" Some were also offended that Selena Day fell on Easter Sunday. Others agreed that "Easter is more important than Selena Day", but they also believed that everyone should let Selena rest and go on with their lives. Mexican Americans in Texas wrote vociferously to the newspaper, while some agreed that others were too critical of "Selena Day", and that they did not have to celebrate the day and should not have responded so rudely.
A few days later, Howard Stern
Howard Stern
Howard Allan Stern is an American radio personality, television host, author, and actor best known for his radio show, which was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2005. He gained wide recognition in the 1990s where he was labeled a "shock jock" for his outspoken and sometimes controversial style...
mocked Selena's murder and burial, poked fun at her mourners, and criticized her music. Stern said, "This music does absolutely nothing for me. Alvin and the Chipmunks
Alvin and the Chipmunks
Alvin and the Chipmunks is an American animated music group created by Ross Bagdasarian, Sr. in 1958. The group consists of three singing animated anthropomorphic chipmunks: Alvin, the mischievous troublemaker, who quickly became the star of the group; Simon, the tall, bespectacled intellectual;...
have more soul... Spanish people have the worst taste in music. They have no depth." Stern's comments infuriated the Hispanic community across Texas. After a disorderly conduct
Disorderly conduct
Disorderly conduct is a criminal charge in most jurisdictions in the United States. Typically, disorderly conduct makes it a crime to be drunk in public, to "disturb the peace", or to loiter in certain areas. Many types of unruly conduct may fit the definition of disorderly conduct, as such...
arrest warrant was issued against him, Stern later made an on-air apology in Spanish for his comments. The League of United Latin American Citizens
League of United Latin American Citizens
The League of United Latin American Citizens was created to combat the discrimination that Hispanics face in the United States. Established February 17, 1929 in Corpus Christi, Texas, LULAC was a consolidation of smaller, like-minded civil rights groups already in existence...
boycotted Stern's show after they found his apology unacceptable. Within a week, on NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's Tonight Show with Jay Leno
Jay Leno
James Douglas Muir "Jay" Leno is an American stand-up comedian and television host.From 1992 to 2009, Leno was the host of NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Beginning in September 2009, Leno started a primetime talk show, titled The Jay Leno Show, which aired weeknights at 10:00 p.m. ,...
, Stern and Robin Quivers
Robin Quivers
Robin Ophelia Quivers is an American radio personality, most notable for being the long-running news anchor and co-host of The Howard Stern Show. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Quivers graduated from the University of Maryland with a major in nursing. In 1975, she joined the United States Air Force...
, an African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
writer, were asked if Stern's remarks about Selena was acceptable. Quivers decided not to talk about the situation in order to avoid arguing with Stern. However, when Linda Ronstadt
Linda Ronstadt
Linda Ronstadt is an American popular music recording artist. She has earned eleven Grammy Awards, two Academy of Country Music awards, an Emmy Award, an ALMA Award, numerous United States and internationally certified gold, platinum and multiplatinum albums, in addition to Tony Award and Golden...
, a pop singer of Mexican American heritage, came on the show, she and Quivers quickly got into an argument when Ronstadt defended Selena.
Music
Within hours, record stores sold out all of Selena's albums; EMI LatinEMI Latin
EMI Televisa Music, also known as EMI Latin and EMI International, is a subsidiary of EMI which focuses on Latin American music....
began pressing several million CDs and cassettes to meet the expected demand. Selena was inducted into the Latin Music Hall of Fame in 1995.
Dreaming of You, a posthumous album by Selena, made its debut at the number-one spot on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
in the U.S. and stayed on the chart for 49 weeks, selling 175,000 copies on the first day, a record for a female pop singer. Eventually, Selena became the first female recording artist to place five albums simultaneously on the Billboard 200. The album was also the 75th top-seller in the U.S. for BMG Music Club. Dreaming of You also debuted at number-one on the Latin Albums chart and the Latin Pop Albums charts in the U.S. and remained on the charts for 128 and 104 weeks respectively. For selling 1,700,000 copies in the U.S. alone, Dreaming of You was listed as one of the "Best-Selling Records of 1995", according to Billboard magazine and SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan
Nielsen SoundScan is an information and sales tracking system created by Mike Fine and Mike Shalett. Soundscan is the official method of tracking sales of music and music video products throughout the United States and Canada...
. After the album's release, "I Could Fall in Love
I Could Fall in Love
"I Could Fall in Love" is the first single by American singer Selena from her last studio album Dreaming of You, released in October 1995 by EMI International.-Song information:...
" and "Dreaming of You
Dreaming of You (Selena song)
"Dreaming of You" is the name of a Selena love song written by Franne Golde and Tom Snow. It was Selena's biggest single, peaking at #21 on the Billboard Hot 100.The song was released at the end of the first quarter of 1995, after Selena's murder...
" topped the charts and received extensive airplay in New Zealand, Spain, Canada, Poland, France, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Portugal and were given certifications in four countries.
Tejano music
Tejano music
Tejano music or Tex-Mex music is the name given to various forms of folk and popular music originating among the Mexican-American populations of Central and Southern Texas...
has not recovered since her murder. Her appeal extended beyond the Tejano genre. Selena has retained great devotion from many fans. Mexican-American singer-actress Selena Gomez
Selena Gomez
Selena Marie Gomez is an American actress and singer best known for portraying Alex Russo in the Emmy Award-winning Disney Channel television series Wizards of Waverly Place...
was named after Selena, and stated that Selena means a lot to her and her family.
Funeral and tributes
Numerous vigils and memorials were held in her honor, and radio stations in Texas played her music non-stop. On the day of the murder, Tejano 107 sponsored a candlelight vigil at Sunken Gardens, while KRIO-FMKRIO-FM
KSAH-FM is a radio station broadcasting a regional Mexican music format. Licensed to Pearsall, Texas, USA, the station serves the San Antonio area. The station is currently owned by BMP Radio and licensed to BMP San Antonio License Company, L.P. It simulcasts KSAH.-History:The station was...
sponsored its own at South Park Mall
South Park Mall (San Antonio)
South Park Mall is a shopping mall located on the south side of San Antonio, Texas. The mall serves the communities on the south side of town, with a Hispanic theme inside the mall. It is anchored by J.C. Penney, Macy's and Sears.-Anchors:* JCPenney – ....
, which was attended by 5,000.
On April 1, Bayfront Plaza in Corpus Christi held a vigil that drew 3,000 fans. State Senator Carlos Truan made an appearance and had spoke to the public about Selena. During the event, it was announced that a public viewing of the casket would be held at the Bayfront Auditorium the following day. Fans lined up for almost a mile. An hour before the doors were opened, rumors began circulating that the casket was empty, which caused the Quintanilla family to have an open-casket viewing. About 30,000 to 40,000 fans had passed by Selena's coffin. The same day, an unannounced bilingual Sunday morning mass for Selena was held at the San Fernando Cathedral
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Antonio
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of San Antonio encompasses in Texas.The archdiocese includes the city of San Antonio and the following counties: Val Verde, Edwards, Kerr, Gillespie, Kendall, Comal, Guadalupe, Gonzales, Uvalde, Kinney, Medina, Bexar, Wilson, Karnes, Frio, Atascosa, and McMullen.On...
in downtown San Antonio
Downtown San Antonio
Downtown San Antonio is the central business district of San Antonio, Texas, United States.Downtown is encircled by three numerical freeways, I-35, I-37, and I-10...
, before a mariachi choir.
Selena's funeral was held on April 2, 1995. Six hundred guests, mostly family members, attended the morning services, which were broadcast live by a Corpus Christi and San Antonio radio station. A Jehovah's Witness minister from Lake Jackson preached in English. He also sampled Paul the Apostle's words in 1 Corinthians 15
1 Corinthians 15
1 Corinthians: 15 is the fifteenth chapter of the First Epistle to the Corinthians by Paul the Apostle. The first eleven verses are the earliest account of the Resurrection appearances of Jesus in the New Testament. The rest of the chapter stresses the primacy of the resurrection for Christianity...
. Selena was then buried on the following day at Seaside Memorial Park, while hundreds of cars circled the area. A special mass in the Los Angeles Sports Arena on the same day, drew a crowd of four thousand. Selena had been booked there that night for her Amor Prohibido Tour
Amor Prohibido Tour
The Amor Prohibido Tour was the final concert tour by popular Latin-American singer, Selena, before she was shot and killed on March 31, 1995. After her "Amor Prohibido" tour she would be getting ready for her "Crossover"-tour that would be from late April 1995- until June 1995 in Texas, then...
. The promoter charged admission to the mass, which upset Abraham Quintanilla Jr. In Lake Jackson
Lake Jackson, Texas
Lake Jackson is a city in Brazoria County, Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. As of a 2006 U.S. Census Bureau estimate, the city population was 27,614....
, Selena's hometown, one thousand fans and friends gathered at the municipal park in neighboring Clute
Clute, Texas
Clute is a city in Brazoria County, Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. As of the 2000 U.S. Census, the city population was 10,424. The city gained some fame with the discovery of a fossilized mammoth named Asiel...
, where she had played at the Mosquito Festival in July 1994.
The next day, Our Lady of Pillar Church, a church in Spain, held a Selena mass which drew 450 people to their 225-seat church. In the week following her murder, seven out of every hundred newborns in Santa Clara County, California
Santa Clara County, California
Santa Clara County is a county located at the southern end of the San Francisco Bay Area in the U.S. state of California. As of 2010 it had a population of 1,781,642. The county seat is San Jose. The highly urbanized Santa Clara Valley within Santa Clara County is also known as Silicon Valley...
were named after Selena. On April 28, during a firework display for Buccaneer Days in Corpus Christi, the music was reworked to include "Bidi Bidi Bom Bom
Bidi Bidi Bom Bom
"Bidi Bidi Bom Bom" is a song by Mexican-American Tejano pop singer Selena from her album Amor Prohibido . The album's second single, "Bidi Bidi Bom Bom" was written by Selena and Pete Astudillo. It was produced by A.B. Quintanilla III – Selena's brother – and Bebu Silvetti. The song was...
" in memory of Selena.
Trial
Within twenty minutes of Saldívar's surrender, she was taken to the downtown police station and was placed in an interrogation room with Paul and Ray Rivera. Paul Rivera, who had investigated homicides since 1978, informed Saldívar of her right to a lawyer, which she waived. When police investigators surrounded Saldívar's truck, she had cried out, "I can't believe I killed my best friend". Within hours, she claimed that the shooting was accidental.Saldívar's bond was initially set at $100,000, though District Attorney Carlos Valdez was able to get the amount raised to $500,000. The Nueces County jail was deluged with death threats and public calls for vigilante justice. Some gang members in Texas were reported to have taken up collections to raise the bond for Saldívar so they could kill her when she was released. In prison, she faced more death threats from inmates. The Mexican Mafia
Mexican Mafia
The Mexican Mafia , also known as La Eme , 13 is a Mexican American criminal organization, and is one of the oldest and most powerful prison gangs in the United States.-Foundation:...
, a dominant gang in the Texas penal system, reportedly placed a price on her head, and spread the word that anyone who committed the crime would be a hero. Saldívar was punishable to up to 99 years in prison and a $10,000 fine. Saldívar was kept at Nueces County jail under a suicide watch before her trial. The state tried searching for a defendant for Saldívar, considering that the news had spread throughout the United States, the state weren't able to find a defendant. The state had said that if anyone had became Saldívar's defendant that they could face death threats from fans.
After her trial, the jury deliberated for two hours before finding Saldívar guilty of murder. She was sentenced to life in prison on October 23, 1995, with parole eligibility set for thirty years; this was the maximum prison term for the state of Texas. On November 22, 1995, she arrived at the Gatesville Unit (now Christina Crain Unit
Christina Crain Unit
The Christina Melton Crain Unit is a Texas Department of Criminal Justice prison for females in Gatesville, Texas. The prison is along Texas State Highway 36, north of central Gatesville. The unit, with about of space, is co-located with the Hilltop Unit, the Dr. Lane Murray Unit, and the Linda...
) in Gatesville, Texas
Gatesville, Texas
Gatesville is a city in and the county seat of Coryell County in Central Texas, United States of America. The population was 15,591 at the 2000 census...
for processing. Saldívar is currently serving her life sentence at the Mountain View Unit
Mountain View Unit
Mountain View Unit is a Texas Department of Criminal Justice prison housing female offenders in Gatesville, Texas. The unit, with about of land, is located north of central Gatesville on Farm to Market Road 215. The prison is located in a 45 minute driving distance from Waco...
in Gatesville, operated by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice
Texas Department of Criminal Justice
The Texas Department of Criminal Justice is a department of the government of the state of Texas. The TDCJ is responsible for statewide criminal justice for adult offenders, including managing offenders in state prisons, state jails and private correctional facilities, funding and certain...
. She will be eligible for parole on March 30, 2025.
Because of multiple internal death threats sent to Saldívar from incarcerated Selena fans, she had to be placed in isolation. Currently, she spends 23 of 24 hours in her 9 by 6 foot (2.7 by 1.8 m) prison cell alone, without contact with other inmates.
Post trial
During an interview with 20/20, Saldívar told reporter Deborah Roberts that "I did not killed [sic] Selena, the shooting was accidental, and my conscience is clear". She also told Roberts that she had intended to commit suicideSuicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
, and had wanted to tell Selena that she could no longer work for her. Saldívar then claimed to Roberts that Selena had gone to her knees and begged, "Mom, we have to talk about this". (Selena's mother, Marcella Samoa, told Roberts that the family question whether Selena would have called Saldivar "Mom"). Saldívar claimed that following this exchange, Selena got up and walked at an angle towards the door to open it. Saldívar said that she then pointed the gun away from her head and towards the door, telling Selena to close the door. She said that at that instant the gun went off. When asked if she had known at that moment that Selena had been shot, she responded that she had not. Roberts then told her that there was blood all over the room. Saldívar responded that she was not looking at the door, she was trying to find Selena.
Saldívar told Roberts that she had never stolen money from the fan club. Abraham Quintanilla Jr. later told Roberts that there is proof that she had stolen over $100,000 from Selena. Selena's father told Roberts that Saldívar was stalking
Stalking
Stalking is a term commonly used to refer to unwanted and obsessive attention by an individual or group to another person. Stalking behaviors are related to harassment and intimidation and may include following the victim in person and/or monitoring them via the internet...
Selena by telephone. During the interview, when Saldívar was asked why she needed a gun, Saldívar insisted that it was because Selena's father had threatened her life. Quintanilla Jr. disputed this, telling Roberts that he had never threatened Saldívar.
Forensic psychologist
Forensic psychology
Forensic psychology is the intersection between psychology and the criminal justice system. It involves understanding criminal law in the relevant jurisdictions in order to be able to interact appropriately with judges, attorneys and other legal professionals...
Dr. Reed Monlore studied Roberts' interview of Saldívar and told Roberts that Saldívar showed signs of obsessive–compulsive disorder throughout the interview. Dr. Monlore also told Roberts that Saldívar has a personality disorder
Personality disorder
Personality disorders, formerly referred to as character disorders, are a class of personality types and behaviors. Personality disorders are noted on Axis II of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders or DSM-IV-TR of the American Psychiatric Association.Personality disorders are...
. When the tape was played, Dr. Monlore was intrigued by Saldívar's response to the question "If you could go back to March 31, 1995, what would you do differently?" Saldívar replied, "I would want her to kill me". Monlore told Roberts that Saldívar had a homicidal impulse
Homicidal ideation
Homicidal ideation is a common medical term for thoughts about homicide. There is a range of homicidal thoughts which spans from vague ideas of revenge to detailed and fully formulated plans without the act itself. Many people who have homicidal ideation do not commit homicide...
.
After the interview, Saldívar told Roberts that she wanted to appeal, stating that the police had ignored her statements about the shooting being accidental. Saldívar requested that the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals review a petition challenging her conviction. She claims the petition was filed in 2000 with the 214th District Court, but was never sent to the higher court. Her request was received on March 31, 2008, the 13th anniversary of Selena's murder.
The gun used to kill Selena was later destroyed and the pieces thrown into Corpus Christi Bay
Corpus Christi Bay
Corpus Christi Bay is a scenic semi-tropical bay on the Texas coast found in San Patricio and Nueces counties, next to the major city of Corpus Christi. It is separated from the Gulf of Mexico by Mustang Island, and is fed by the Nueces River and Oso Creek from its western and southern extensions,...
in 2002 under a judge's order, despite protests from historians.
Lorenzo Salinas accusations
During a special screening of VH1VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
's Behind the Music
Behind the Music
Behind the Music is a television series on VH1. It originally ran from 1997 to 2006, before it was stopped and only aired new episodes sporadically. The series places its generality on documentation of musical artists or groups who are interviewed and profiled, and discuss how their careers became...
, Saldívar revealed information about a person named Lorenzo Salinas. Saldívar continually stated that Selena "wasn't the person everyone had thought she was". The reporter had retrieved mailed-in letters that Saldívar and her parents claims to be of Salinas. In it, the letter states of Salinas conscience being torn because "he knows the truth". Salinas also argues, in the letter, that the information could help Saldívar be released from prison, he also stated that he feels remorseful for Saldívar because he had beaten her. The Texas Department of Correction confirmed that the letters were sent from Mexico. This then prompted the VH1 reporter to go on an investigation for seven months to find the whereabouts of Lorenzo Salinas. However, they were unable to find Salinas or confirm the existence of Salinas. Salinas, as Saldívar claims, was a businessman who had worked with Selena in Mexico in early 1995.
Saldívar claimed that two weeks prior to the murder, that she discovered video tapes damaging to Selena's career. She also confirmed that she had Selena's diary that collaborated information about the tapes. In the second letter, Salinas wrote that he was hired by Selena to brutally beat Saldívar to retrieve the tapes, as a plot to exploit Selena. Saldívar claimed that she was attacked but managed to get away. Saldívar told the reporter that she has the tapes and diary stashed in a safe deposit box in Monterrey, Mexico. The reporter and a defense attorney of Saldívar went to Mexico and reportedly went to every storage facility that Saldívar and her parents had told them to search. Within time, they found no evidence of the existence of the tapes and diary. The defense attorney removed himself as a defendant for Saldívar after their trip back.
Memorials and tributes
Selena's family and her former band, Los DinosSelena y Los Dinos
Selena y Los Dinos was the band in which Grammy-Award-winning Tejano music singer Selena performed, until her death on March 31, 1995. Selena fronted the band since 1980, started by her father Abraham Quintanilla, Jr....
, held a tribute concert a week after the tenth anniversary of her murder on April 7, 2005. The concert, entitled Selena ¡VIVE!
Selena ¡VIVE!
The tribute concert was followed up with the release of the album of the performance, released on May 10, 2005. Though it did not include many of the songs performed, it does include many of the highlights.-Track listing:# "Tú Sólo Tú" - Ana Gabriel...
, was broadcast live on Univision
Univision
Univision is a Spanish-language television network in the United States. It has the largest audience of Spanish language television viewers according to Nielsen ratings. Randy Falco, COO, has been in charge of the company since the departure of Univision Communications president and CEO Joe Uva...
and achieved a 35.9 household rating
Nielsen Ratings
Nielsen ratings are the audience measurement systems developed by Nielsen Media Research, in an effort to determine the audience size and composition of television programming in the United States...
. It was the highest rated and most viewed Spanish-language television special in the history of American television. The special was also the number-one program regardless of language among adults 18 to 34 in Los Angeles, Chicago and San Francisco, while tying for first in New York, beating that night's episode of Fox
Fox Broadcasting Company
Fox Broadcasting Company, commonly referred to as Fox Network or simply Fox , is an American commercial broadcasting television network owned by Fox Entertainment Group, part of Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation. Launched on October 9, 1986, Fox was the highest-rated broadcast network in the...
's American Idol
American Idol
American Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
.
In June 2006, Selena was commemorated with a museum and a bronze
Bronze sculpture
Bronze is the most popular metal for cast metal sculptures; a cast bronze sculpture is often called simply a "bronze".Common bronze alloys have the unusual and desirable property of expanding slightly just before they set, thus filling the finest details of a mold. Then, as the bronze cools, it...
life-sized statue (Mirador de la Flor
Mirador de la Flor
Mirador de la Flor is a monument in Corpus Christi, Texas that was unveiled in 1997 to honor Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, a Tejano singer who was murdered two years earlier at the age of 23. People from around the world visit the site, which is located only a few miles north of Seaside Memorial Park...
in Corpus Christi, Texas
Corpus Christi, Texas
Corpus Christi is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas. The county seat of Nueces County, it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patricio counties. The MSA population in 2008 was 416,376. The population was 305,215 at the 2010 census making it the...
), which are visited by hundreds of fans each week. During the sixteenth anniversary of her murder, Selena was given a statue in Apodaca, Nuevo León.
Autopsy photographs
On November 14, 1995, the tabloid Globe's cover story on Selena's death showed six of her autopsy pictures, taken by a police photographer. The headlines were "Shot in the Back!" and "Exclusive! Dramatic autopsy photos reveal innocent beauty was gunned down by lying coward." Retailers across South Texas and the United States removed copies from their shelves. Abraham Quintanilla Jr. filed a lawsuit against Globe, which was later dropped.Biographical film and play
Jennifer LopezJennifer Lopez
Jennifer Lynn Lopez is an American actress, singer, record producer, dancer, television personality, and fashion designer. Lopez began her career as a dancer on the television comedy program In Living Color. Subsequently venturing into acting, she gained recognition in the 1995 action-thriller...
played Selena in a film about her life
Selena (film)
Selena is a 1997 American biographical drama film about the life and career of the late Tejano music star Selena, a recording artist who was well known in the Mexican-American and Hispanic communities in the United States and Mexico before she was shot to death at the age of twenty-three.The movie...
. Directed by Gregory Nava
Gregory Nava
Gregory Nava is a film director, producer and screenplay writer, of Mexican and Basque heritage.-Education:...
, the biopic opened to mostly positive reviews. Over 24,000 people auditioned for the lead role. Selena's fans supported the movie, and Lopez's performance helped elevate her career. Lopez was nominated for a Golden Globe award for Best Actress in a Musical. Although Lopez went on to become a pop star a few years later, Selena's voice was dubbed in for all the songs.
In 1999, a new Broadway
Broadway theatre
Broadway theatre, commonly called simply Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 professional theatres with 500 or more seats located in the Theatre District centered along Broadway, and in Lincoln Center, in Manhattan in New York City...
-bound musical entitled Selena was announced to premier in San Antonio in March 2000 to commemorate the fifth anniversary of her murder. Broadway producers Tom Quinn
Tom Quinn (actor)
Tom Quinn is an American actor who has appeared in numerous small roles on television and in various films, including a stint as Detective Patrick Mahon on HBO's The Wire.-External links:...
, Jerry Frankel
Jerry Frankel
Jerry Frankel was a contestant on Jeopardy! in 1985, becoming a 5-time undefeated champion, winning $32,650 on the program and another $100,000 in the first Tournament of Champions on that version.-Jeopardy!:...
, Peter Fitzgerald
Peter Fitzgerald (actor)
Peter Fitzgerald is an American actor who played a dancer in the 1985 musical film A Chorus Line.-External links:...
and Michael Vega
Michael Vega
Michael Vega is an American actor. He grew up in central New Jersey and attended Trenton State College where he studied theatre and communications...
were on board to stage the musical. Later on, librettist and lyricist Edward Gallardo was brought in to write the show's book and lyrics. Gallardo was followed by Fernando Rivas
Fernando Rivas
Fernando Rivas is a Cuban-born composer, pianist, arranger and producer.He graduated from the Juilliard School of Music where he studied with National Arts Award recipient David Diamond. He has worked extensively in film and theater, as well as in broadcast media and advertising. Mr...
to compose the show's songs. In 2000, Selena Forever
Selena Forever
Selena Forever is an American stage musical, based on the film Selena , that tells the life of the famous Tejano singer Selena. The musical has been staged under two titles. The first - Selena Forever was conceived with book and original lyrics by Edward Gallardo and original music by Fernando...
was first produced for a thirty city national tour with a budget of over US$2 million. After a national casting call, the producers chose Veronica Vasquez
Veronica (singer)
Veronica is a dance music singer and theatrical actress. Along with singers Ultra Nate, Deborah Cox, she is considered to be one of the divas of the 1990s club music scene...
to portray Selena. She alternated in the role with Rebecca Valdez. The musical previewed on March 21 and opened on March 23 at the San Antonio Municipal Auditorium.
On television
Selena's legacy, music and life has been covered by various media including The Oprah Winfrey ShowThe Oprah Winfrey Show
The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....
, George Lopez
George Lopez
George Lopez is an American comedian, actor, and talk show host. He is mostly known for starring in his self-produced ABC sitcom George Lopez. His stand-up comedy examines race and ethnic relations, including the Mexican American culture...
's Lopez Tonight
Lopez Tonight
Lopez Tonight was an American late-night television talk show hosted by comedian George Lopez. The hour-long program premiered on November 9, 2009, on cable network TBS. Lopez was the first Mexican American to host a late-night talk show on an English-language network in the United States. The...
, María Celeste Arrarás
María Celeste Arrarás
Maria Celeste Arrarás is a Puerto Rican journalist and actress and the host and producer of Spanish language news program Al Rojo Vivo Con Maria Celeste.- Biography :...
's Selena's Secret: The Revealing Story Behind Her Tragic Death and various specials in both English and Spanish including Dave Holmes
Dave Holmes
David Robert "Dave" Holmes is a television personality who gained national attention as the runner-up on MTV's first Wanna Be a VJ contest in 1998. From the beginning, he distinguished himself from other candidates with an encyclopedic knowledge of music trivia.Despite his loss to Jesse Camp, MTV...
, Nick Lachey
Nick Lachey
Nicholas Scott "Nick" Lachey is an American singer, songwriter, actor, producer and television personality. Lachey rose to fame as a member of the boy band 98 Degrees. He later starred in the reality television series Newlyweds: Nick and Jessica with his then-wife, Jessica Simpson. He has released...
, Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey
Mariah Carey is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. She made her recording debut with the release of her eponymous studio album in 1990, under the guidance of Columbia Records executive Tommy Mottola, whom she later married in 1993...
, Lola Ogunnaike
Lola Ogunnaike
Lola Ogunnaike is an American features and entertainment journalist of Nigerian origin. She most recently appeared as the entertainment correspondent on CNN's morning program, American Morning. Ogunnaike has also made regular guest appearances on NBC's Today Show, MTV and VH1...
, who talks briefly about Selena's death.
Selena also has been covered in many documentary shows on VH1
VH1
VH1 or Vh1 is an American cable television network based in New York City. Launched on January 1, 1985 in the old space of Turner Broadcasting's short-lived Cable Music Channel, the original purpose of the channel was to build on the success of MTV by playing music videos, but targeting a slightly...
, MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
and A&E
A&E Network
The A&E Network is a United States-based cable and satellite television network with headquarters in New York City and offices in Atlanta, Chicago, Detroit, London, Los Angeles and Stamford. A&E also airs in Canada and Latin America. Initially named the Arts & Entertainment Network, A&E launched...
, such as E! True Hollywood Story
E! True Hollywood Story
E! True Hollywood Story is an American documentary series on E! that deals with famous Hollywood celebrities, movies, TV shows and well-known public figures...
and Famous Crime Scene
Famous Crime Scene
Famous Crime Scene is a VH1 show that follows a documentary format. This show exposes the evidence and the last moments and the subsequent chaos about their deaths; all this through the view of special investigators, and even exposes the point of view and details that only the ones present are able...
. Selena's life was also covered in The Biography Channel
The Biography Channel
The Biography Channel is an American digital cable television channel owned by A&E and based on the television series of the same name. A version of the channel also airs on ONO and Telefónica in Spain and on Sky Digital and cable television in the United Kingdom, a version of the channel also...
's Biography
Biography (TV series)
Biography is a documentary television series. It was originally a half-hour filmed series produced for CBS by David Wolper from 1961 to 1964 and hosted by Mike Wallace. The A&E Network later re-ran it and has produced new episodes since 1987...
and Notorious
Notorious (TV series)
Notorious is an American documentary television series that profiles the lives of infamous individuals in history. The series airs on The Biography Channel....
. The Spanish-language Univision
Univision
Univision is a Spanish-language television network in the United States. It has the largest audience of Spanish language television viewers according to Nielsen ratings. Randy Falco, COO, has been in charge of the company since the departure of Univision Communications president and CEO Joe Uva...
and Telemundo
Telemundo
Telemundo is an American television network that broadcasts in Spanish. The network is the second-largest Spanish-language content producer in the world, and the second-largest Spanish-language network in the United States, behind Univision....
networks usually broadcast Selena's biography on the anniversary of her murder.
Law
After Selena's murder and subsequent murder, the Texas SenateTexas Senate
The Texas Senate is the upper house of the Texas Legislature. There are 31 members of the Senate, representing 31 single-member districts across the state with populations of approximately 672,000 per constituency. There are no term limits, and each term is four years long. The Senate meets at the...
passed a bill to legalize carrying a concealed weapon in Texas. The law was passed after 124 year-long-ban. The concealed weapons bill was passed with a 101-46 by the Texas House. George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
signed the law the following week. It took effect on January 1, 1996. Bush had campaign about passing this law in 1994 against Ann Richards
Ann Richards
Dorothy Ann Willis Richards was an American politician from Texas. She first came to national attention as the state treasurer of Texas, when she delivered the keynote address at the 1988 Democratic National Convention. Richards served as the 45th Governor of Texas from 1991 to 1995 and was...
. Quintanilla Jr., Selena's father, launched an anti-crime campaign against the illegal use of handguns.