Yolanda Saldívar was born on September 19, 1960, in San Antonio, Texas. She was the youngest of seven children in her family, born to Frank and Juanita Saldívar. Yolanda grew up in a large household, which shaped her early experiences.

As a young adult, Saldívar trained to become a nurse. She worked in this profession for several years before she became involved with singer Selena Quintanilla's fan club. Yolanda was a fan of country music, and after attending one of Selena's concerts, she started to call Selena's father, Abraham Quintanilla. She wanted to establish a fan club in San Antonio. After many calls, Quintanilla agreed, and Saldívar became the president of the fan club.

Under Saldívar's leadership, the fan club grew rapidly. By 1993, it had more than 1,500 members in less than four years and eventually expanded to over 5,000 members, making it one of the largest fan clubs in the San Antonio area. Due to her success, she was also promoted to the position of manager of Selena's clothing boutiques, called Selena Etc. Saldívar had a strong connection with Selena's music and legacy, which influenced her life for several years. 

In early 1995, Yolanda Saldívar was found to be embezzling money from both Selena's fan club and the boutiques she managed. She was fired in the first week of March. On March 31, 1995, Selena arranged to meet Saldívar at a Days Inn motel in Corpus Christi. The meeting was to retrieve financial records that Saldívar had not given back. Saldívar delayed the meeting and claimed she had been raped in Mexico. Selena took her to the hospital for an examination, but they were told it needed to happen elsewhere.

After returning to the motel, Selena asked again for the records. At this point, Saldívar took out a .38 Taurus Model 85 revolver from her purse and pointed it at Selena. As Selena tried to escape, Saldívar shot her in the back, hitting a major artery. Critically injured, Selena ran toward the lobby to get help, while Saldívar followed her and yelled insults. Selena collapsed on the floor as the motel clerk called for emergency services. She died from blood loss at 1:05 PM in a hospital.

The trial for Saldívar's murder of Selena began after a strong public reaction from the Latino community. Though the trial was not televised, it garnered significant media attention. Saldívar's lawyers moved the trial to Houston, Texas, arguing that she could not get a fair trial in Selena's hometown. The prosecution planned to use a police confession from Saldívar, who claimed she shot Selena during an argument over money. However, the defense tried to argue that the shooting was accidental. Saldívar, who was a trained nurse, did not call for help or attempt to assist Selena after the shooting.

On October 23, 1995, after less than three hours of deliberation, the jury found Saldívar guilty of murder. Three days later, she was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole in thirty years. This was the maximum sentence available in Texas at the time. Saldívar was processed at the Gatesville Unit in Gatesville, Texas, on November 22, 1995. She is currently serving her life sentence at the Patrick O'Daniel Unit in Gatesville and is eligible for parole on March 30, 2025.

Following the trial, the revolver used in the crime went missing but was later found in a box belonging to a court reporter. Despite some objections, the gun was destroyed and its pieces were disposed of in Corpus Christi Bay in 2002. Saldívar has requested a review of her conviction, claiming that a petition she filed in 2000 was never sent to the higher court. This request was received on March 31, 2008, marking the 13th anniversary of Selena's death.