Yolanda Saldívar, Fan in Prison for Murdering Tejano Singer Selena, to Seek Parole: ‘She Thinks It’s Time’ (Exclusive)

Yolanda Saldívar, the woman serving a life sentence for the 1995 murder of Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, is eligible for parole in 18 months — and she's hoping to finally be released from prison.

"She is a different person than she was in 1995," one of Saldívar's relatives tells The Messenger. "She would like to be paroled."

Saldívar, now 62, was convicted of first-degree murder in Selena's shooting death more than 28 years ago. She is serving a life sentence in Mountain View, a female prison in Gatesville, Texas.

Her parole eligibility date is March 30, 2025.

According to court documents, Selena confronted Saldívar — then the founder of her fan club — on March 31, 1995. Saldívar had embezzled more than $60,000 from the singer, who was planning to fire her. During the confrontation, Saldívar shot and killed Selena.

At trial, attorneys for Saldívar claimed that the shooting was accidental and that she had meant to kill herself.

The murder sent shockwaves throughout Selena's fanbase. Known as the Queen of Tejano, the 23-year-old was on the verge of crossover success when she was gunned down. Her first posthumous album, Dreaming of You, hit #1 on the Billboard charts and went double platinum.

A 1997 biopic was a critical and box office success — and became a breakout role for Jennifer Lopez.

Saldívar's relative says she will file necessary paperwork to the parole board in hopes that she will be freed after the eligibility date in March of next year.

"She thinks it's time," the relative says. "She's been in jail for almost 30 years."

It won't be Saldívar's first bid for freedom. She has appealed her conviction three times, most recently just three years ago.

According to documents obtained by The Messenger, Saldívar filed a writ of habeas corpus in 2019, arguing that her detention was unlawful.

Saldívar, who was representing herself, argued that the prosecution had withheld "exculpatory material evidence" that would have been favorable for her defense, thus preventing her from having a fair trial.

Her motion was denied.

She also filed a 2017 civil suit against the Department of Corrections, seeking $50,000 in compensation for "pain, suffering, physical injuries, and emotional distress."

In the lawsuit, she alleged that she fell off the top bunk and that her cell was "unsafe."

The lawsuit was thrown out of federal court.

But now, Saldívar is betting on parole, hoping that her age and medical conditions will help her become a free woman again. (According to court documents, she is clinically obese and taking both heart and thyroid medications.)

"She can never change what happened," says Saldívar's family member. "But she thinks it's time to get out of prison."