Original Autopsy Report Surfaces After Nearly Three Decades
Following the release of Netflix's new documentary about Selena Quintanilla-Pérez, the Daily Mail has obtained the original 1995 autopsy report detailing the tragic death of the Tejano music superstar. The 23-year-old Grammy winner was fatally shot on March 31, 1995, in a case that shocked the music world and continues to captivate fans nearly three decades later.
The Medical Examination's Critical Findings
The Nueces County Medical Examiner completed the autopsy report in just two and a half hours due to overwhelming public interest in the case. Coroner Lloyd White officially ruled the death a homicide caused by massive bleeding due to a perforating gunshot wound of the chest. The forensic examination revealed that the single bullet severed Selena's right subclavian artery and perforated her right upper lung before exiting through the front of her chest.
Medical experts noted that had the bullet trajectory differed by just one millimetre in either direction, the beloved singer might have survived her injuries. The report also documented mysterious circumstances surrounding evidence - Selena's green sweatshirt, which showed the bullet's entry point, was missing when her body arrived from Corpus Christi Memorial Medical Center, though blood was present across much of her remaining clothing.
The Crime and Its Aftermath
The shooting occurred at a Days Inn in Corpus Christi, Texas, where Yolanda Saldívar, then the president of Selena's fan club and manager of her boutique, shot the singer in the back. The confrontation stemmed from Selena repeatedly questioning Saldívar about embezzling $60,000 from the singer's businesses.
After being shot, Selena managed to run to the hotel lobby where she identified Saldívar as her attacker before collapsing. The incident culminated in a ten-hour standoff with police during which Saldívar threatened to take her own life.
The tragedy prompted an unprecedented public response, with over 78,000 fans attending a public memorial at Bayfront Auditorium. Four months after her death, Selena's crossover English album Dreaming of You reached number one on the US Billboard 200 chart, demonstrating her enduring popularity.
Legal Developments and Family Response
Yolanda Saldívar, now 65, is serving a life sentence for first-degree murder at the Patrick O'Daniel Unit in Gatesville, Texas. On March 27, 2024, the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles denied her parole application, though she will become eligible again in 2030.
The Quintanilla family and Selena's widower, Chris Pérez, released a statement expressing that while nothing can bring Selena back, the parole decision reaffirms that justice continues to stand for the beautiful life taken too soon from her family and millions of fans worldwide.
New Documentary Presents Authorised Account
Netflix recently premiered Isabel Castro's 105-minute documentary Selena y Los Dinos, which features Selena's sister Suzette and brother A.B. as executive producers. The fully-authorised film includes never-before-seen footage and new interviews with family members and bandmates. The documentary has earned critical acclaim, achieving a 94% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 17 reviews.
Chris Pérez, now 56, reflected on his continuing grief, telling People magazine that he divides his life into periods before and after Selena's death. He described his most prized possessions as her love letters and acknowledged the difficulty of watching documentary segments about her murder.
This new Netflix production follows previous dramatisations of Selena's life, including the 2020 series Selena: The Series and the 1997 biographical film Selena that launched Jennifer Lopez to stardom.
