In 1995, the Grammy-winning queen of Tejano music Selena Quintanilla-Perez was killed by Yolanda Saldivar in Corpus Christi, Texas. Saldivar ran Selena’s fan club and was found to have embezzled over $30,000 from the club. She was convicted of fatally shooting Selena in the back when confronted about it.
Selena was often called the Mexican Madonna and was rapidly ascending in the music industry when she died. Fans stretched a mile to visit her open casket with over 78,000 signing a book of condolence.
In 1997, a life-sized statue was forged from bronze by sculptor H.W. “Buddy” Tatum as the centerpiece of the memorial. Named Mirador de le Flor (Lookout of the Flower), it receives an estimated 30,000 visitors per year and was significantly upgraded and restored in early 2024 with LED lighting and a sound system that plays a selection of Selena’s music.
