It has been 26 years since the untimely death of Selena Quintanilla-Perez, the beloved singer who was shot and killed by Yolanda Saldivar, the founder of her fan club.
This tragic incident occurred just a few weeks before Selena’s 24th birthday in Corpus Christi, Texas.
Selena had gone to a Days Inn motel in Corpus Christi to retrieve missing financial records from Saldivar.
The singer’s family had accused Saldivar of embezzling $30,000 from Selena’s boutiques and fan clubs.
Recently uncovered 911 calls from that fateful day provide a chilling account of the aftermath of the shooting.
Bleeding from a bullet wound inflicted by Saldivar’s .38-caliber gun, Selena sought help in the motel lobby.
Reports indicate that she named Saldivar as her shooter before being rushed to the hospital, where she tragically succumbed to her injuries.
According to Ruben Deleon, the sales director at Corpus Christi’s Days Inn, Selena managed to say “Yolanda Saldivar in Room 158” before seeking assistance.
Another witness, Shawna Vela, a front desk clerk, testified during Saldivar’s trial that Selena burst into the motel lobby in tears, pleading for the door to be locked to prevent further harm.
One of the 911 calls captures the panic-stricken conversation between the motel clerk and the operator.
The clerk describes a woman who ran into the lobby, bleeding and collapsed on the floor.
When asked about Selena’s age, the clerk estimates she appears to be around 20 years old.
The trial took place at the Harris County Courthouse in Houston, as it had been moved due to extensive media coverage.
In the recorded calls, Saldivar’s name is also mentioned, indicating her involvement in the incident.
During the trial, motel employees testified that they witnessed Selena, a Grammy winner at the age of 23, running and screaming down a corridor with Saldivar chasing her.
They recalled Saldivar stopping just short of the lobby, lowering her gun, and returning to room 158.
Saldivar has consistently claimed that the shooting was accidental.
However, she was convicted of first-degree murder and received a life sentence.
Currently, she is serving her term in the Mountain View Unit, a maximum-security women’s prison in Gatesville, Texas.
This facility houses female death row inmates and other high-profile prisoners, including Amber Guyger, the former Dallas police officer who mistakenly entered her neighbor’s apartment and fatally shot him.
Saldivar, now 60 years old, will be eligible for parole in 2025, thirty years after Selena’s tragic death.
As we remember Selena on this anniversary, the released 911 calls offer a haunting reminder of the events that unfolded on that fateful day.
The pain and loss caused by this senseless act of violence continue to resonate, reminding us of the lasting impact Selena had on her fans and the music industry.
Archived footage of Yolanda Saldivar’s trial provides a glimpse into the courtroom proceedings and the subsequent celebrations in the streets following her murder charge in relation to Selena Quintanilla-Perez’s death.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
