Shanquella Robinson's Family Wants Justice Two Years After Her Suspicious Death
"I’m fed up with this stuff. I need justice for my child."
Published Nov. 1 2024, 11:00 a.m. ET
Two years after Shanquella Robinson's death made headlines, her family is filing a lawsuit in hopes some justice will be served.
Shanquella died while on vacation with her friends in Mexico. However, the hairstylist's family is now suing those six friends, claiming they had a role in her death — as well as the FBI for failing to make any arrests.
“We need justice for Shanquella Robinson,” Sallamondra Robinson, Shanquella’s mother, said, according to WCNC. “It’s been two years and there’s no reason that no one has been arrested yet. I need justice for my child.”
So, what happened to Shanquella Robinson? Keep reading to find out.
Shanquella Robinson's death was initially blamed on alcohol, but it was soon revealed she suffered a severe spinal cord injury.
On October 29, 2022, Shanquella was in Cabo San Lucas with her friends when a doctor was called as Shanquella was allegedly not feeling well.
The doctor arrived on the scene and advised that Shanquella be taken to the hospital, but her friends insisted she be treated in the hotel room. Shortly after, Shanquella is said to have suffered a seizure.
An ambulance was called, but Shanquella went into cardiac arrest. Paramedics arrived on the scene and administered CPR but they were unable to revive Shanquella.
She was 25 years old.
At the time, her friends alleged she had consumed a lot of alcohol, and an initial police report ruled her cause of death "alcohol poisoning." However, an autopsy was conducted that revealed Shanquella actually died from a severe spinal cord injury and "atlas luxation," which is the dislocation of the skull base from the first bone in the neck.
A video leaked of Shanquella being violently attacked by her "friends" following her death.
A video surfaced shortly after her death, showing the group Shanquella traveled with violently beating her. Despite the evidence, the FBI declined to bring charges, and no arrests have been made, according to The New York Post.
Now, her family is suing the US Department of State, the FBI, and the friends she traveled with aka "The Cabo Six," claiming multiple counts of wrongful death, battery, negligence, conspiracy, and emotional distress.
“This lawsuit is not just about seeking justice for Shanquella Robinson; it’s about holding accountable those who were entrusted with the duty to investigate, act, and protect the interests of US citizens abroad,” their attorney Sue-Ann Robinson wrote. “The heartbreaking details of Shanquella’s death and the subsequent mishandling by federal authorities only add to the family’s grief, and they deserve both full transparency and justice.”
The lawsuit also alleges that Shanquella's mother has experienced anxiety, depression, and other mental distress after her daughter’s death.
“We should have been had justice,” her mom said at a press conference. “Even if they couldn’t arrest the whole Cabo Six, some of these people should have been already in jail, long time ago. Long time ago.”
Sallamondra continued, "I’m fed up with this stuff. I need justice for my child."