The final moments of Valeria Márquez’s life unfolded in real time, broadcast to thousands of her followers on TikTok. On May 13, 2025, the 23-year-old Mexican influencer, beloved for her vibrant beauty tutorials and lifestyle content, sat in her salon, Blossom the Beauty Lounge, in Zapopan, Jalisco. Holding a pink stuffed toy, she chatted casually with her audience, unaware that a man would soon enter the premises and end her life with three gunshots. The brutality of her death, captured on a livestream, has left a nation reeling and reignited urgent conversations about gender-based violence in Mexico.
Valeria Márquez was more than a social media star. Born in Guadalajara, she had built a following of nearly 200,000 across TikTok and Instagram, where her charm, humor, and expertise in beauty and modeling resonated with fans. In 2021, she was crowned Miss Rostro in a local beauty pageant, a milestone that propelled her into the spotlight. Her salon, located in the Real del Carmen neighborhood, was both a business and a creative hub where she connected with clients and produced content. On the day of her death, Márquez was livestreaming from this familiar space, engaging with her audience as she often did. She mentioned an “expensive gift” someone had attempted to deliver earlier, expressing unease about the situation. Moments later, a man’s voice asked, “Are you Valeria?” She confirmed her identity, muted the stream, and was shot—once in the chest and twice in the head. The attacker fled on a motorcycle, leaving chaos in his wake.
The Jalisco State Attorney General’s Office is investigating Márquez’s death as a femicide, a legal classification in Mexico for the killing of women or girls because of their gender. Femicide cases often involve extreme violence, sexual abuse, or a relationship between the victim and the perpetrator. This designation underscores the broader crisis of gender-based violence in Mexico, where approximately 10 women are murdered daily, according to United Nations data. Mexico ranks among the highest in Latin America for femicide rates, with 1.3 deaths per 100,000 women in 2023. Jalisco, a state plagued by cartel activity, is the sixth most violent in the country, with over 900 homicides recorded since October 2024.
Disturbing details have emerged in the investigation, raising questions about whether Márquez was betrayed by those close to her. Leaked private messages, allegedly between two women connected to the influencer, suggest a possible setup. One woman, identified as Erika, was reportedly an employee at the salon and present during the livestream. The other, Viviana, described as a friend, had sent Márquez gifts earlier that day, including a coffee and a stuffed animal. In the alleged conversation, Erika instructs Viviana to ensure Márquez stays at the salon for a delivery, warning of consequences if the plan fails. The messages, which authorities are working to authenticate, hint at a coordinated effort to lure Márquez into a vulnerable position. Witnesses noted that Erika ended the livestream abruptly after the shooting, further fueling suspicion.
The investigation is ongoing, with police analyzing digital communications, surveillance footage, and witness accounts. No arrests have been made, and authorities have urged the public to avoid speculation that could revictimize Márquez or hinder the case. Some local media reports have pointed to a possible link with the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), a powerful criminal organization active in the region, but officials have not confirmed this connection. The same day as Márquez’s murder, a former congressman was killed in a nearby café, highlighting the pervasive violence in Zapopan.
Márquez’s death has sparked widespread grief and outrage online. Her social media pages, once filled with vibrant posts, are now flooded with tributes and calls for justice. Hashtags like #JusticiaParaValeria and #NiUnaMenos have trended across platforms, amplifying demands for accountability and reform. Activists and followers alike have pointed to her killing as a stark reminder of Mexico’s femicide epidemic, where conviction rates remain dismally low—fewer than one in four cases results in prosecution. For many, the public nature of her death, witnessed live by thousands, underscores the brazenness of such crimes and the urgent need for systemic change.
As authorities continue their search for answers, Valeria Márquez’s legacy endures through the community she built. She was a young woman who turned her passion for beauty into a platform for connection, only to become a symbol of a nation’s ongoing struggle against gender-based violence. The Jalisco Attorney General’s Office has encouraged anyone with information to come forward, as the quest for justice for Valeria—and countless others—presses on.
