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SHANQUELLA Robinson’s family has slammed red flags in the investigation into the tourist’s death after the FBI told them they cannot release her autopsy results.
Shanquella’s legal team and family continue to demand diplomatic intervention from the United States after she died while on vacation in Mexico.
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Shanquella, the owner of a hair braiding business and online fashion boutique, traveled to Mexico on October 28 but died the next day in a luxury villa in Cabo San Lucas.
The 25-year-old was vacationing with friends when she suffered a head injury and died of a broken neck, according to her autopsy, which was conducted by Mexican authorities.
It was determined during the investigation in Mexico that one of Shanquella’s travel mates was the attacker in the caught-on-camera incident that claimed the tourist’s life.
Shanquella’s family and legal team, including attorney Sue-Ann Robinson, hoped that the United States would pursue the case and extradite the suspect back to Mexico.
But it was announced in April that the FBI office in North Carolina, where Shanquella was from, declined to press charges against the alleged aggressor in the woman’s death.
Meanwhile, authorities in the US conducted their own autopsy once Shanquella’s body was embalmed – which attorney Robinson said compromised the investigation.
Attorney Robinson, who is representing Shanquella’s family but is not related to them, spoke exclusively with The U.S. Sun to provide updates on the case.
”The FBI says we cannot release the documents [autopsy results] to you because the case is still open, because we are waiting for documents to be translated to English that we received from the Mexican authorities,” Sue-Ann Robinson told The U.S. Sun.
“Which again, red flags everywhere because you’ve made a decision in the case, you’ve announced the decision publicly to the family and to the public, but you’re saying the case is still not closed and admitting that some of the documents from the investigative file that arguably would affect your decision to charge have not been fully translated.
“So the family is disappointed.
”They’re concerned obviously about the red flags and the lack of transparency in the investigation, but they’re not deterred.
“There’s still a path to justice and the family recognizes that.”
When reached for comment on Monday, the FBI pointed The U.S. Sun to a previous press release about the agency meeting with Shanquella’s family.
It said in part: “As in any case, the government is prepared to review and examine new information related to the investigation should it become available.”
‘LEVEL OF URGENCY’
Sue-Ann shared that Shanquella’s family is planning to return to Washington D.C. on May 19, which will mark the 200th day since Shanquella’s death.
There, the team of lawyers and family members will again demand diplomatic intervention.
“There should be a level of urgency, a level of prioritization by the US authorities that just isn’t there yet,” Sue-Ann said.
“We all saw what happened on the video and we are demanding that US authorities step in and prioritize the case and allow the extradition process to flow, allow Mexican authorities to prosecute the person they’ve identified as the aggressor in Mexican courts.”
Despite the setback, the family isn’t giving up.
“We’re still encouraging and grateful for all the platforms that are still saying Shanquella’s name and not giving up on the case because we’re not giving up on it,” Sue-Ann said.
‘FACT-FINDING MISSION’
Sue-Ann recently traveled to Mexico to check in on the status of the case and advocate for the Robinson family after sending a letter to the White House in March demanding diplomatic intervention.
She shared that the investigation into Shanquella’s death has been completed in Mexico and that an extradition packet was handed to the US government.
She and Shanquella’s family continue to plead with US officials for action in the case, which has been deemed femicide – a term used by Mexican police to describe the homicide of a woman on account of her gender.
The lawyer called the trip a “fact-finding mission” in the letter to the White House, which was obtained by The U.S. Sun.
“It was a surreal experience in the sense that I’ve been an attorney for almost 17 years. I’m a former prosecutor, criminal defense attorney,” Sue-Anne said.
“I have never had to physically go to another country to investigate on behalf of any family.
“So it was unreal in that regard because the lengths that this family has had to go through while trying to grieve a loved one, but also seek justice on behalf of the loved one at the same time … it’s a very heavy burden.
“I always say that I’m amazed at how they’ve put their shoulder to the plow to really push this forward.”
