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- [00:01]
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Hey, it's Carter. If you're enjoying Murder True Crime Stories, there's a new crime house show for you to check out. It's called the Final Hours, hosted by Sarah Turney and Courtney Nicole. Sarah is an advocate for missing and murdered victims whose own sister disappeared in 2001. And Courtney is a true crime storyteller who has seen firsthand how crime can change a family forever. Together, they bring lived experience to every case, examining the moments just before a person disappears. The routines, the timelines, the small details that often get overlooked because every disappearance has a moment where everything still feels normal. Until it doesn't. Listen to and follow the final hours on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes drop every Monday. This is crime house. Music is all about connection, community and joy. That's certainly what it meant to Selena Quintanilla. She united people across borders and backgrounds, all with the power of her voice. But for Yolanda Saldivar, her relationship with Selina wasn't about connection. It was about control. Eventually, Selina started to see Yolanda's true colors and tried to distance herself, but she believed she could do that without blowing up their friendship entirely. Selina didn't wake up the final morning of her life believing she was at risk. She walked into what she thought was a conversation with an old friend. One last meeting to settle unfinished business. It wasn't supposed to be the end of everything, just the end of something that no longer worked. She couldn't have known that this attempt at closure would be the moment when devotion turned deadly. Or that trying to leave peacefully would become the most dangerous decision she ever made. People's lives are like a story. There's a beginning, a middle, and an end. But you don't always know which part you're on. Sometimes the final chapter arrives far too soon, and we don't always get to know the real ending. I'm Carter Roy and this is True Crime Stories, a Crime House original powered by Pave Studios. New episodes come out every Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, with Friday's episodes covering the cases that deserve a deeper look. Thank you for being part of the Crime House community. Please rate, review and follow the show and for early ad free access to every episode. Subscribe to Crime House plus on Apple Pie podcasts. This is the second of two episodes on the murder of 23 year old Selena Quintanilla in 1995. Selena was at the height of her career when her life was cut brutally short in Corpus Christi, Texas. Last time I traced Selena's rise from child prodigy to global superstar. I talked about her friendship with Yolanda Saldivar, a superfan turned trusted insider and employee. And finally, the dark secret that led to Yolanda getting fired. Today, I'll cover what happened when Selina tried to walk away from Yolanda and how a private rupture became a public tragedy. Then I'll discuss what came next for the woman who pulled the trigger and for the world Selena left behind. All that and more coming up.
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- [05:42]
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At the start of 1995, 23 year old Selena Quintanilla was at the top of her game. She was the undisputed queen of Tejano music. Some critics were already calling her the Latin Madonna. She'd recently played for more than 60,000 fans at the Houston Astrodome, a huge milestone for any artist, and her most recent album had just earned a Grammy nomination for Best Mexican American Performance. But Selena wasn't slowing down. She was just getting started. She was deep into recording her first English language crossover album, Dreaming of youf. The goal wasn't just success in the Latin music world anymore. Selena wanted to become a household name across America, someone like Gloria Estefan who could move effortlessly between cultures, languages and audiences without losing herself in the process. And outside of her singing career, life felt full in a way it never had before three years earlier, she had married Chris Perez, the lead guitarist of her band. Recently, the two of them had bought a 10 acre plot of land in Corpus Christi, Texas. They talked about building a house there and having kids. It would be a future that for once, didn't revolve entirely around tour buses and hotel rooms. Selena had also taken her creativity in a new direction. She'd opened two boutique clothing stores in San Antonio. In Corpus Christi, filled with designs she'd sketched herself. Fashion had always been her escape, a way to unwind when the pressure of fame became overwhelming. So seeing her clothes hanging on racks for anyone to buy felt like another dream realized. From the outside, everything looked perfect. There was just one little problem she had to deal with. Her former personal assistant and president of her Fan Club, 34 year old Yolanda Saldivar. Weeks earlier, Selena's family uncovered evidence that she had been embezzling money from the boutiques and mishandling fan club funds. As a result, Yolanda had been fired from both of her roles. Selena's dad, Abraham, had handled the termination, but critical financial records were still missing. For the past month, Selena had been trying to get them back. Now she was on her way to try again. On the night of March 30, 1995, Selena and Chris drove to the Days Inn motel in Corpus Christi, Texas. Yolanda was staying there in room 158. Earlier, Yolanda had called Selena and insisted she finally had the missing bank statements. She maintained her innocence, telling Selena that once she saw the documents, everything would make sense. Yolanda believed the accusations would fall apart and her name would be cleared. Selena wanted to believe it, too. She went to see Yolanda by herself, leaving Chris to wait in the parking lot. Inside the motel room, Yolanda handed over some documents, but not all of them again. It was the same frustrating pattern Selena had encountered for weeks. Yolanda was giving her just enough to keep the conversation going, but never enough to resolve it. Then, suddenly, the tone shifted. Yolanda collapsed onto the bed and began to cry. She told Selena that earlier that day, on her way back from a trip to Monterrey, Mexico, she had been assaulted by two men in the bathroom of a roadside diner. Selena was stunned. She didn't know how to respond. Instinctively, she offered to take Yolanda to a doctor. But Yolanda hesitated. She didn't want to go right away. Selena tried to convince her otherwise, but Yolanda didn't budge. So Selena left Yolanda at the motel that night, saying she would check on her. Then she went home with Chris and told him what had happened. Selena said she wanted to be sympathetic, but something about Yolanda's story just didn't sit right. Later that night, Yolanda called Selena again. She said she would have all the remaining paperwork the next morning, and she asked Selena to come alone. Selena agreed. She told Yolanda she'd also take her to see a doctor. Whatever had happened on the way back from Mexico needed to be addressed. Selena still believed everything could be handled. The next morning, March 31, 1995, just after 9am Selena picked Yolanda up and drove her to a local hospital. There, doctors conducted an examination. They found some bruises on her arms and shoulders that looked like they were healing, but not much else. Yolanda recounted the alleged assault, but as Selena listened, her frustration grew. Yolanda's story kept changing and the details just didn't seem to line up. Selena didn't accuse Yolanda of lying, but the seed of doubt had taken root. After the exam, Selena drove Yolanda back to the Day's Inn, where they returned to room 158. They left the door open. Inside, Selena once again asked for the missing business documents. Yolanda handed over even more paperwork along with her work cell phone. At that point, we don't know exactly what had happened. Maybe Selina flipped through the pages, realized key documents were still missing and got angry with Yolanda. Or perhaps she got everything she needed, then told Yolanda they were done, that Yolanda was no longer a part of Selena's life. One way or another, things escalated. Yolanda reached into her bag and pulled out a gun. It was the same.38 caliber revolver she'd shown Selina two weeks earlier. The one Selina had urged her to return. Yolanda had agreed at the time, but she'd gone back and repurchased it without Selina knowing. Now she held it in her hand. There are two stories of what happened next, but only one person to tell their side. We don't know if Yolanda raised the gun and pointed it at Selina or if she turned it on herself, threatening to put a bullet in her own head as a last ditch effort to win Selina back. What we do know is this. At approximately 11:48am 23 year old Selena turned to leave the motel room through the open door. And then the gun went off. The bullet struck Selena in the back, tearing through her body and exiting through her upper right chest. Suddenly, there was blood everywhere. Despite the wound, Selena ran. She bolted from the room, adrenaline carrying her down the motel walkway and across the parking lot. She dropped her purse and cell phone along the way. By the time she got to the motel lobby, she could barely stand. She screamed for help that someone had shot her and was coming after her. The employees asked who? With the last of her strength, Selina managed to say just a few words before losing consciousness and hitting the floor. Yolanda Saldivar Room 158.
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Build something you can be proud of there's something incredibly satisfying about learning something new and actually watching your progress build over time. That's what I love about Rosetta Stone. You don't have to dive in for hours. You start small, fit lessons into your day and suddenly you're understanding more than you thought you would. Rosetta Stone has been the trusted leader in language learning for over 30 years, and their immersive, intuitive method really stands out. There's no memorizing random vocabulary lists and no feeling lost. You learn naturally, starting with words, building to phrases, and then full sentences without English translations so it actually sticks. Plus, Rosetta Stone offers 25 languages from Spanish and French to German and Japanese, all designed for long term retention. Don't wait. Unlock your language learning potential. Now listeners of this podcast can grab Rosetta Stone's lifetime membership for 50% off. That's unlimited access to 25 language courses for life. Visit RosettaStone.com RS10 to get started and claim your 50% off today. Go to RosettaStone.Press10 and start learning today.
- [15:41]
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Your little one grew three inches overnight. Adorable. Also expensive. Sell their pint sized pieces on Depop and list them in minutes with no selling fees because somewhere a dad refuses to pay full price for the clothes his kids will outgrow tomorrow and he's ready to buy your son's entire wardrobe right now. Consider your future growth. Bird budget secured. Start selling on Depop where taste recognizes taste. Payment processing fees and boosting fees still apply. See website for details. On March 31, 1995, 23 year old Selena Quintanilla had gone to meet her former assistant, 34 year old Yolanda Saldivar, at a Days Inn motel in Corpus Christi, Texas. Selena was there to recover missing financial records from her boutiques, but when she turned to leave the motel room, Yolanda shot her in the back. Selena made it out of room 158 and across the parking lot before collapsing inside the motel lobby. Blood pooled beneath her. She was barely conscious, just lucid enough to say exactly who had shot her. The motel manager called 911 and the ambulance arrived two minutes later. Paramedics tried to slow Selena's bleeding, then started CPR as they rushed her to the nearby Corpus Christi Memorial Hospital. There, surgeons moved quickly to get Selena into an operating room, opening up her chest to assess the damage. What they found was catastrophic. The bullet had shattered her right shoulder and torn through a lung, severing a major artery. She was losing too much blood too fast. The doctors began transfusions immediately, but the blood just poured right back into the wound. They did everything they could, but soon it became clear that saving her might be impossible. While doctors fought to keep Selina alive, Yolanda ran. She fled the motel room, heading straight for her pickup truck while still clutching the gun. But she didn't get far. Police were already arriving on site, and officers blocked the exits to the parking lot. Before she could drive away, Yolanda was trapped. She stayed inside the truck, parked feet away from where Selena had collapsed earlier. As she pressed the revolver to her head and refused to come out, a standoff began between her and law enforcement. Corpus Christi police called in Larry Young, a hostage negotiator trained to talk people down in moments exactly like this. His goal wasn't to interrogate Yolanda or bully her into a confession. It was to keep her talking and to keep her alive. The first step was to de escalate the situation. After the first hour or so, it seemed like Young might be able to get Yolanda out of the car. But Yolanda had the radio on, listening to a local station. And sometime shortly after 1:05pm a little over an hour since she'd fired the gun, the news broke. The doctors at Corpus Christi Memorial Hospital had done their best, but they were too late. Selena was dead. At that point, Yolanda started freaking out. It was clear to Larry Young that any chance of de escalation had gone out the window. For the next few hours, Yolanda was volatile. She cried and screamed. Sometimes she begged the police to shoot her. Then she begged them not to. She said she was terrified of leaving the truck. She was worried that if she stepped outside, she would be killed. Young spoke to her over her cell phone, keeping his voice calm and steady. He asked her simple questions, trying to listen more than he talked. Several hours into the standoff, Young carefully floated an idea. Well, maybe the whole thing had been an accident. The suggestion was an opening, one that Yolanda immediately seized. She told Young that she hadn't meant to hurt Selina, that she'd actually been threatening to kill herself. She said that Selena had tried to stop her and calm her down, but in that moment, the gun had accidentally gone off. It was the first version of a story Yolanda would repeat many times over the next several hours. And yet she still refused to get out of her truck. She kept the gun to her head, threatening to pull the trigger. At times, she sounded incoherent. Other times, she was strangely composed. At one point, she told Young a far more elaborate version of events. In Yolanda's telling, she was the one trying to cut ties with Selina, not the other way around. She claims she told Selina she was done. She was going to walk away and never work for her again. But then, she claims, Selina fell to her knees and begged her to stay. Yolanda said she'd raised the gun to her own head and told Selina to go, to leave the room, or she would pull the trigger. According to Yolanda, Selena tried to close the door to keep talking. And in that moment, as Yolanda waved at Selina to stop, that's when the gun went off. Young didn't challenge her version of events directly. That wasn't his role. But later, Young would say that while parts of her story seemed rehearsed, others felt honest and genuine, like when she started talking about being afraid of Selina's dad, Abraham Centania. Yolanda said Abraham had been working against her behind the scenes, all because he didn't like how close she was to Selina. She accused him of slashing her tires, sending people after her to hurt her. She even called him evil. Young had a hard time wrapping his head around the whole thing, but he did feel like Yolanda believed everything she was saying. Whether or not it was true, well, that was a different story. The standoff dragged on into the night. Police continued to surround the truck as news helicopters circled overhead, waiting for an update. The parking lot of the Day's Inn had been taped off, lit by flashing blue and red lights. A growing crowd of onlookers gathered, none of them aware of the full truth of what had happened in that motel room. Finally, after nearly 10 hours, Yolanda told negotiators that she was tired. And then, slowly, she put the gun down and opened the door. The moment she did, police rushed in, hauled her from the truck, and placed her under arrest. By the time the standoff ended, the news of Selena's tragic death had spread across the country. For millions of fans, the announcement didn't feel real. It couldn't be. She was 23 years old. She'd been on stage just weeks earlier, smiling and dancing. The disbelief was so widespread that rumors immediately took hold. Whispers that Selena was still alive, that the reports were wrong, and there'd been a mistake. The rumors became so intense that the Quintanilla family made a painful decision. They would hold an open casket funeral so there could be no doubt. Before the funeral, thousands gathered for candlelight vigils. Fans filled streets in Corpus Christi and beyond, holding photos of Selina, singing her songs and openly crying. During the funeral, more than 50,000 people came to pay their respects. As the world mourned her, one question lingered. How could someone so close to Selina kill her in cold blood?
- [24:35]
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- [25:06]
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Hey, it's Carter. If you are enjoying murder true crime stories, there's a new crime house show for you to check out. It's called the Final Hours and it's hosted by Sarah Turney and Courtney Nicole. Sarah is an advocate for missing and murdered victims whose sister disappeared in 2001, and Courtney is a true crime storyteller and investigator who witnessed firsthand how crime can change a family forever. Together, they bring lived experience to every case, looking not only at what happened, but what led up to it. Each episode examines the moments just before a person disappears. The routines, the timelines, and the small details that often get overlooked. Because every disappearance has a moment where everything still feels normal. A text that doesn't raise concern, a routine that goes unchanged. A door that closes just like it always has. Until it doesn't. The Final Hours puts those moments under a microscope because when it comes to justice, there's no such thing as overanalyzing. Listen to and follow the Final Hours on Apple podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you listen New episodes every Monday. On March 31, 1995, 34 year old Yolanda Saldivar shot 23 year old Selena Quintanilla inside a motel room in Corpus Christi, Texas. Selena was rushed to the hospital and declared dead about an hour later. Meanwhile, Yolanda had engaged in a standoff with police in the Days Inn parking lot for 10 hours. She insisted the shooting had been an accident. When Yolanda finally surrendered, police arrested her immediately. There was never any doubt about who had pulled the trigger. Yolanda herself acknowledged that it was her gun and her finger on the trigger. The only question detectives had, the one that shaped everything that followed, was why? After her arrest, Yolanda was taken into custody and given the opportunity to speak with a lawyer. She waived her right, instead agreeing to give a statement directly to the police. In that statement, Yolanda reportedly said, quote, I pulled the hammer back and I shot her as she was walking towards the door, which was opened. There was no mention of anything being accidental. The problem was, for some reason, the police didn't record the audio of Yolanda's initial interview. They relied on handwritten notes that they later transcribed. Investigators maintained that the statement was accurate and that it had been signed by Yolanda herself. But later, Yolanda disputed that. She claimed the investigators failed to include her claims that the gun had gone off accidentally. And she said they intimidated her to sign the confession they'd written for her, even though it misrepresented what she had said. She just endured a 10 hour standoff and was emotionally exhausted and frightened about what was going to happen. And they wouldn't stop hounding her. So eventually, under immense pressure, she signed. It became her word against the official record. However, the physical evidence painted a much clearer picture. Investigators determined the shooting occurred in the doorway of the motel room. Blood was found there, not deeper inside the room. This supported the conclusion that Selena had been shot as she was leaving. Not only that, but witnesses reported hearing a single gunshot. Some motel employees confirmed they saw Selena run from the room, screaming and bleeding. One motel maid even claimed she'd seen Yolanda following Selena out the door, pointing the gun at her. According to that witness, when Yolanda realized Selena had already made it too far, she lowered the gun and yelled bitch. To investigators. It all pointed toward the same conclusion. Yolanda had the means, the motive, and the opportunity to pull off a premeditated murder, no matter what she claimed about it being an accident. Then, five days later, a new detail emerged. On April 5, after room 158 was no longer considered a crime scene, a maid found a purse inside the safe. She turned it over to investigators, who confirmed the purse belonged to Yolanda. Inside was a typed resignation letter dated March 13, more than two weeks before the shooting. The letter stated that Yolanda was resigning because day to day dealings with certain members of the Quintanilla family had made it impossible for her to continue working for Selena. The letter raised questions. If Yolanda had already resigned, had she really been fired? And if she had intended to leave. Of her own accord. Why would she have been so angry that she shot Selina? Ultimately, investigators decided the letter held no legal significance. It was never signed, and there was no proof it had ever been sent. Even so, it added another layer of uncertainty. One more document that complicated a case already tangled with emotion, loyalty and grief. Yolanda's trial began in October 1995, just over six months after the shooting. She pleaded not guilty and her lawyers hoped to convince the jury that Yolanda's version of events was the real one. The defense portrayed her as Selena's closest confidant. A woman who loved Selena deeply and would never intentionally harm her. They argued that Yolanda had been suicidal and had only meant to hurt herself. They said the gun had discharged accidentally during a moment of chaos and desperation. The prosecution, on the other hand, described Yolanda as obsessed. They argued that she had built her entire identity around Selina. Her career, her friendships, herself, sense of purpose. And when Selina began to pull away, Yolanda couldn't accept it. According to the prosecution, the shooting wasn't an accident. It was an act of control. A final attempt to keep Selena from leaving. After all, motel employees testified they saw Yolanda pointing the gun straight at Selena after she fled the room. And the physical evidence placed Selena at the doorway, moving away, not toward Yolanda. The trial lasted eight days and the jury deliberated for less than three hours. When they returned, they delivered a unanimous verdict. 35 year old Yolanda Saldivar was found guilty of first degree murder. She was sentenced to life in prison. In recent years, Yolanda's family has tried to reopen the conversation about what really happened in room 158. In a documentary titled Selena and the Secrets Between Them, they argued that the public never heard the full story. They claimed there was no definitive proof that Yolanda had ever embezzled money from the boutiques or the fan club. According to them, no one ever identified a specific amount that had gone missing and no stolen money was ever recovered. Yolanda also maintained that the boutiques themselves were struggling financially and there wasn't much money to steal in the first place. She said she and Selena had discussed ways to keep the businesses afloat. That Selena didn't want to admit failure, but Yolanda had been unsure about the business's long term viability. Not only that, but Yolanda's family also alleged that she'd already secured a new nursing job in San Antonio. They said she was scheduled to begin orientation in April after Selena's death. They said this was clear evidence that she had ordinarily already moved on, both mentally and literally from her job as Selina's right hand woman. So why would she be that upset with Selina? They placed much of the blame on Abraham Quintanilla. They echoed Yolanda's long standing claims that he was controlling and intimidating and that he resented anyone who grew too close to his daughter. None of the claims Yolanda's family made have been substantiated. If anything, they hope their participation in the documentary would help her get parole. As of March 2025, 30 years after Selena's death, 65 year old Yolanda became eligible for the first time. Her request was denied. She will not be eligible for review again until 2030. Until then, she continues to serve her life sentence at a maximum security women's prison in Gatesville, Texas. Meanwhile, Selena remains a cultural icon. In July 1995, three months after her death, her posthumous album Dreaming of youf was released. It debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, the first time a Latin artist had ever achieved that milestone. Five years later, Selena received a posthumous Lifetime Achievement Award from the Grammys. Her life has been portrayed in films, series and documentaries, from the 1997 biopic starring Jennifer Lopez to the 2025 Netflix documentary Selena e Los Dinosaurs, produced with her family's involvement. The list goes on. But more than anything, it's her music that endures. Songs that still play at weddings and parties and quinceaneras, songs that carry joy, longing and possibility. Sadly, Selina didn't get to decide how her story ended, but she did leave behind a voice that refuses to fade. And that's something that can never be taken away from her. Thanks so much for listening. I'm Carter Roy and this is Murder True Crime Stories. Come back next time for the story of a new murder and all the people it affected. True Crime Stories is a Crime House original powered by Pave Studios. Here at Crime House, we want to thank each and every one of you for your support. If you like what you heard today, reach out on social media, Rimehouse on TikTok and Instagram. Don't forget to rate, review and follow Murder True Crime Stories wherever you get your podcasts. Your feedback truly makes a difference and to enhance your Murder True Crime Crime Stories listening experience, subscribe to Crime House plus on Apple Podcasts. You'll get every episode early and ad free. We'll be back on Friday. True Crime Stories is hosted by me, Carter Roy and is a Crime House original powered by Pave Studios. This episode was brought to life by the Murder True Crime Stories Team Max Cutler, Ron Shapiro, Alex Benidon, Natalie Pertovsky, Sarah Camp, Alex Burns, Hania Said and Russell Nash. Thank you for listening. Hi, it's Carter. If you love murder true Crime stories, check out the new Crime House original about disappearances, the Final Hours, hosted by Sarah Turney and Courtney Nicole. Listen and follow the Final Hours on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music or wherever you get your podcasts. New episodes drop every Monday.