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It has been just over a year since 25-year-old Shanquella Robinson of Charlotte, North Carolina, mysteriously died during a trip to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, with several friends. Now, Robinson’s family will sue six of her travel companions for allegedly hindering an investigation into her death.
“The lawsuit will be against the six travel mates, including the three who lied by omission by failing to disclose that someone had been beating Shanquella prior to her death,” family lawyer Sue-Ann Robinson told Newsweek.
Sue-Ann said she and the family “are tired, weary, heartbroken and missing Shanquella but motivated by her legacy to keep moving forward on the path to her justice.”
Despite the fact that Robinson’s body was found badly beaten, and the video that circulated on social media showing a woman who was identified as Shanquella by her family being violently attacked by another woman, an investigation by the FBI and Mexican authorities has yet to result in any arrests. In fact, Newsweek noted that the woman alleged to have beaten Robinson has since returned to the United States and has shut down her social media accounts. Meanwhile, U.S. authorities have said an arrest warrant has been issued, though it’s unclear who it’s for.
From Newsweek:
“This case is fully clarified, we even have a court order, there is an arrest warrant issued for the crime of femicide to the detriment of the victim and against an alleged perpetrator, a friend of her who is the direct aggressor,” state prosecutor Daniel de la Rosa Anaya told ABC News at the time.
“Actually it wasn’t a quarrel, but instead a direct aggression. We are carrying out all the pertinent procedures such as the Interpol alert and the request for extradition to the United States of America. It’s about two Americans, the victim and the culprit.”
Sue-Ann Robinson has already traveled to Mexico and was in direct contact with Mexican authorities, who shared some of their investigative files. She has not said to Newsweek when she intended to launch the civil action against the six.
Paul Arnell, associate professor at Robert Gordon University, previously told Newsweek that political issues can interfere with the extradition process, even though the U.S. and Mexico are allies.
“Political concerns can affect the decision to request an individual and the decision whether or not to accede to hand the person over. The process is therefore somewhat dependent upon the overall relations between the countries. If, say, Mexico has refused to send persons to the U.S. then in turn the U.S. may act similarly,” he said.
Whatever the reason is for the slow-moving case against those responsible for Robinson’s death, it’s clear that her family—like any family who has lost a loved one unjustly—is all out of patience for all of the red tape standing between them and the justice they seek. Somebody caused the untimely death of Shanquella Robinson, and that person or persons needs to be brought to account.
