The news was delivered to Shanquella’s family by US prosecutors.
According to US Attorney Dena King, there is insufficient evidence against the CABO 6 to bring criminal charges.
Federal prosecutors informed Ms. Robinson’s family today that the available evidence does not support a federal prosecution based on the results of the autopsy and after careful deliberation and review of the investigative materials by both U.S. Attorney’s offices.
Federal prosecutors in North Carolina have decided not to press federal charges in the death of Shanquella Robinson, a 25-year-old woman discovered dead in Mexico while on a trip with friends in October.
Many people, from Robinson’s family to Black social media users, have consistently demanded answers and prosecution in the months since the Charlotte woman was discovered dead at a villa in Cabo San Lucas on Oct. 29. However, officials with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina announced on Wednesday that, following a lengthy investigation with the Middle District of North Carolina, they “concluded that federal charges cannot be pursued.”
“As in every case under consideration for federal prosecution, the government must prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that a federal crime was committed,” authorities said in a statement. “Based on the autopsy results and after careful deliberation and review of the investigative materials by both U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, federal prosecutors informed Ms. Robinson’s family today that the available evidence does not support a federal prosecution.”
Ben Crump and Sue-Ann Robinson, attorneys for Robinson’s family, said in a statement Wednesday that there were discrepancies between the autopsies performed in the United States and Mexico in Robinson’s death.
“These discrepancies can be attributed to the delay in investigation by US officials, who conducted a second autopsy after Shanquella’s body was embalmed,” the attorneys wrote. “When an investigation is delayed, the hard evidence to support prosecution diminishes, but in this case, that is because the United States does not consider this case to be a high priority.”
The announcement comes just weeks after Robinson’s legal team urged the US government in a letter to intervene in the case and speed up the prosecution process.
Robinson’s family has long suspected foul play was involved in her death. Robinson arrived at the Mexican resort on October 28 with six friends. She died less than 24 hours later, with friends claiming she died of alcohol poisoning, according to her family. Robinson’s body was covered in bruises and cuts, and she had knots on her face. The Baja California attorney general’s medical examiner’s necropsy report, made public by Ben Crump, one of the family’s attorneys, labeled Robinson’s death as “violent.”
Robinson’s death sparked outrage on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
People have also expressed their support outside of the social media outpouring. A fundraiser for the family raised more than $363,000. Hundreds of family members, friends and supporters gathered for Robinson’s funeral in November.