The family of Shanquella Robinson is asking Mexican officials to thoroughly investigate her death.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A nationwide call for justice has been shared through social media posts as more people learn about 25-year-old Shanquella Robinson of Charlotte who died during a vacation to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico last month. Many posts use the hashtag “#JusticeforShanquella” along with similar variations.
The North Carolina Beat reports Robinson and a group of friends left for Mexico on Oct. 29. Less than 24 hours later, according to the blog, the friends said Robinson wasn’t feeling well due to alcohol poisoning and later died.
Robinson’s family believes there is much more to her death.
A video posted online shows Robinson being attacked by one of the friends she traveled with. WCNC Charlotte is choosing not to include the video due to the graphic images.
Chris Swecker, a retired FBI assistant director, said emerging details like this should be enough to make Mexican officials take a second look at the case.
“Based on the autopsy, I think this is a suspicious death that ought to be thoroughly investigated, and the more you put it front and center with the media,” Swecker said. “I’ve had experience with this before the more the Mexican government will apply pressure to their investigative agencies and get to the bottom of it.”
So far no one in the group is facing charges related to the assault on Robinson or her death. Swecker said there is a statue that gives the FBI and State Department the ability to investigate the murder of a U.S citizen in a foreign country at the hands of another U.S citizen, but there are limitations.
“If the foreign country is willing to prosecute… that individual they will exercise that jurisdiction,” Swecker said. “The other one is if that perpetrator is out of the country where the murder took place and that country has no means of prosecuting or investigating the perpetrator.”
The Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department said they are not involved at all in the investigation. WCNC Charlotte has worked to track down the friends who Robinson traveled with; they have either offered no comment or have left the area and can no longer be reached.
WCNC Charlotte contacted the FBI Charlotte Field Office to see if it was investigating her death. They released the following statement:
“The FBI Charlotte Field Office has opened an investigation in the death of Charlotte resident, Shanquella Robinson in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, on or about October 29, 2022. Due to the ongoing investigation, we have no further comment.”
The state attorney general’s office of Baja California Sur said “the case was opened as a femicide. We will continue the investigation.”
U.S. Congresswoman Alma Adams issued the statement following reports of Robinson’s death:
“I was saddened to hear of the passing of Shanquella Robinson, and my heart goes out to her family and those who loved her. No parent deserves to suffer this tragedy.
“As with all cases involving constituents, our Congressional Office is ready to assist in any way we can with federal agencies. Any constituent who needs assistance with a federal agency can open a case with our office by calling 704-344-9950 or visiting adams.house.gov.”
The family has organized a GoFundMe to help lay Robinson to rest. Funeral services are planned for Saturday, Nov. 19 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Macedonia Baptist Church in Charlotte.
Contact Briana Harper at bharper@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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