By eighth grade, Selena's father pulled her out of school so she could devote all of her time to her growing musical career. This may have been a questionable strategy, but it did lead to success. Selena won two Tejano Music Awards in 1987, which opened the door for six hit albums. By 1994, Selena received her first Grammy nomination, sold approximately 500,000 copies of her Amor Prohibido (Forbidden Love) album, and was well-poised to finish transitioning into mainstream success.
However, the very next year, 1995, her friend and fan club manager, Yolanda SaldÃvar, turned her into a huge news story for all the wrong reasons. Selena was only 23 when SaldÃvar fatally shot her. Sadly, Selena became one of the greatest musicians who died before 30. The shockwave of Selena's murder quickly reverberated through the Mexican-American and Latino communities, and the singer's music became more popular than ever. SaldÃvar was ultimately convicted and sentenced to prison for life. To find out more about Selena's unfortunate death, read on below.Â
Selena Identified Her Killer While Asking Motel Staff For Help
Photo: Pam Francis/The LIFE Images Collection / Getty Images
Saldívar pursued Selena through the hotel and allegedly called her a "b*tch." Selena made it to the lobby, where she begged the staff to keep Saldívar away, saying, "Lock the door! She'll shoot me again!" The few bystanders were shocked as they watched the bleeding woman collaspe.
Selena stayed conscious long enough to tell motel staff, "Yolanda... 158." She identified her killer and her room number before passing out. She would never regain consciousness.
Selena Was Shot By Her Friend And Fan Club Manager, Yolanda SaldÃvar
In March of 1995, Selena had a falling out with her friend and fan club manager, Yolanda Saldívar. Saldívar, who had also been entrusted with managing Selena's fashion and jewelry stores, Selena Etc., had been embezzling money from both the fan club and the stores. The two agreed to meet at the Days Inn in Corpus Christi, Texas, because Selena needed tax documents from Saldívar regarding the businesses.
Motel staff confirmed that the two women were arguing loudly, and some witnesses stated Selena told Saldívar she was no longer trustworthy. This may have been what pushed Saldívar over the edge as she responded by shooting the singer.
Selena ran from the room, calling for help. The blood trail from the scene of the shooting to where Selena collapsed was 392 feet long. Witnesses told police Selena was screaming as she ran from her killer. "Help me! Help me! I've been shot!" A later medical examination would reveal that the bullet severed an artery in Selena's lower right shoulder. This led to Selena bleeding out and going into cardiac arrest within two hours.
An Ambulance Came Within Two Minutes
An ambulance arrived at the scene in two minutes. Richard Fredrickson, a paramedic, rushed to Selena's aid and testified, "The girl was covered with blood. Blood was thick from her neck to her knees, all the way around both sides." He realized it was already too late to save the girl's life because she had lost too much blood.
Medical Staff Were Able To Get An Erratic Heartbeat At The Hospital, But It Wasn't Enough
At noon, Corpus Christi Memorial Hospital emergency room staff helped Selena recover an erratic heartbeat, and they started giving her blood transfusions. Her father protested this step of the medical process due to Selena's religious beliefs. Doctors spent more than an hour trying to repair the damage that one bullet caused, but they were unsuccessful and pronounced her dead at 1:05 p.m.
An Autopsy Was Conducted A Mere Three Hours After Selena Was Shot
Photo: Barbara Laing/The LIFE Images Collection / Getty Images
Pressure on medical examiners was immense in the immediate aftermath of Selena's death. Due to her popularity and the public outcry, an autopsy began within three hours of the shooting. The bullet severed her right subclavian artery, which caused unrepairable damage. In a cruel twist of fate, doctors announced that only one millimeter in any other direction would have produced much less damage and blood loss.
Her Murderer Embezzled $60K From Her Fan Club And Her Selena Etc. Stores
Yolanda Saldívar was a registered nurse who grew to love Selena's music so much, she asked for permission to start a fan club. This led to Saldívar developing a friendship and business relationship with Selena. From 1991 to January 1995, Selena's family believed Saldívar to be a trusted member of their inner circle. Some time in 1994, Selena also entrusted Saldívar with managing the only two boutiques of Selena Etc., which featured "Selena’s signature line of fashions and jewelry."
Everything began to fall apart when it became clear that someone embezzled $60,000 via the fan club and Selena Etc. Saldívar's handwriting on forged checks immediately revealed her culpability.
