Photo: Instagram
She claims there was hidden evidence.
By Elizabeth Ward — Written on Oct 24, 2019
It's been 24 years since pop singer Selena Quintanilla’s tragic death and her convicted murderer, Yolanda Saldivar, has requested a second look at the evidence from her crime. Saldivar claims Selena’s shoes were a piece of vital evidence withheld in her trial by the prosecutor, Carlos Valdez, which could have potentially worked in the defendant’s favor.
Saldivar is infamous for being caught in lies and even in being unable to keep up with her stories by contradicting them, so it is difficult to believe that this piece of evidence would have had any impact on her conviction. Even years after the trial, she has fought to tell her side of the story — which has remained inconsistent and has changed countless times. According to KSABFM, “The version that has maintained during the 22 years since Selena’s death is that Saldivar did have the gun, but never thought to take the life of her friend.” Saldivar is not a reliable source with information to consider due to her past history of inconsistencies; however, if these shoes were withheld as evidence, this does draw curiosity as to why they were.
This concern drawn by Saldivar is likely due to hoping it could lead to an earlier date for her potential parole which she will be eligible for in 2025.
Read on below to find out how this new piece of evidence surfaced and the impact it could have in a new trial — who is Yolanda Saldivar?
1. Saldivar filed a Second Writ of Habeas Corpus on March 28, 2019.
Twenty-three years later, Saldivar claimed that attorney Valdez mentioned the shoes in an interview last year but failed to present evidence to the jury that could have worked in Saldivar’s favor. The evidence included “white high top Reebox Tennis Shoes and/or a Black Baseball Cap” worn by Selena during the crime, according to In Touch Weekly.
2. Potentially, with this piece of evidence, ‘intent’ could have been proven or disproven.
In court paperwork obtained from the United States District Court’s Waco Division, “The ‘withholding’ of the victim’s shoes are of a great consequence because if it is as Mr. Valdez claimed in his March 16, 2018 interview that the Petitioner ‘stepped’ on victim’s blood as she followed the victim, then ‘intent’ would have been proven or disproven,” according to Radar. If the Petitioner were the one to step on the victim’s blood, wouldn’t it make sense to use their shoes as evidence instead of the victim’s?
3. The jury nor the defense knew these shoes existed.
“For 23 years, the jury nor the defense knew that such shoes existed," according to paperwork from the United States District Court’s Waco Division.
4. The case was dismissed
The case was dismissed “without prejudice” because it was filed in district court and permission needed to be sought from the Fifth Circuit, according to In Touch Weekly. This means the case is not dismissed forever and can be reopened. This also gives Saldivar the opportunity to see if she is eligible for parole.
5. It’s alleged Saldivar planned to stage Selena’s attack to avoid repaying the money she embezzled from Selena.
According to KSABFM, Saldivar’s intent was to say that they had “both had been attacked in order to not be responsible for the $200,000 she had illegally obtained while working for Selena”.
6. Saldivar has the right to request parole in 2025 because the murder was alleged as an accident.
Saldivar claimed that “what happened on March 31, 1995 was an accident, as the gun went off just as Selena left the Corpus Christi motel room.”
7. Amber Guyger was sent to Saldivar's prison
As a refresher, Amber Guyger was convicted of murder after shooting Botham Jean upon enterting the wrong apartment. She was sent to the same Texas prison — Mountain View Unit in Gatesville — that houses Saldivar.
Elizabeth Ward is a writing student finishing her bachelor’s at the University of Louisville. She covers topics in news, entertainment, relationships, and everything in between.