WASHINGTON — The family of Shanquella Robinson met with White House officials Friday demanding federal authorities step in and extradite a woman who they say is wanted in Mexico in connection with Robinson's death last year.
Attorneys Ben Crump and Sue-Ann Robinson held a news conference ahead of a rally in Washington Friday marking the 200th day since Shanquella Robinson's death.
"We were praying that we would not have to come here on this day, six months later, 200 days from when her baby was tragically killed," Crump said.
Robinson, 25, mysteriously died while on vacation in Mexico with a group of friends. The group told a doctor who responded to their vacation home that she'd been drinking excessively. An ambulance was called approximately two hours later before she was pronounced dead.
While this narrative appears in the police report, Shanquella's death certificate says she died 15 minutes after suffering a severe spinal cord injury and a broken neck. Her family has claimed since her death that Robinson was brutally attacked by someone in the friend group and has demanded justice for the Charlotte native.
"We were hopeful that the killers of Shanquella Robinson would have already been picked up with the warrant the Mexican government issued for the merciless beating," Crump said.
An autopsy conducted by the Department of Justice in Charlotte found no evidence of such a spinal cord injury. Based on that evidence, the Justice Department said it would not seek federal charges in connection with Robinson's death.
"When the FBI declined charges I know it was hard for the community to understand what was happening," Sue-Ann Robinson said.
Attorney Robinson questioned the DOJ's autopsy findings, saying it was performed after her body was embalmed. She said the second autopsy showed brain swelling for the cause of death was inconclusive.
"We had a meeting with the White House and they heard us and they're hearing the family and understanding this is a case that came from the people," Robinson said. "It's the people's movement. It's Shanquella, her family's loss, but Shanquella is our sister. The White House is starting to get the message we're not going to stand down, we're not going to accept no, not later, not tomorrow, not 10 years."
Attorney Robinson said Shanquella's family was told any criminal action is now up to Mexico and that an arrest from federal prosecutors there could happen.
"We were hopeful that once the FBI got engaged that they would respect this American citizen, this young Black woman who based on the video did absolutely nothing to warrant such a savage beating, but yet here we are six months later and everybody who participated in the maiming and brutality of Shanquella Robinson is still completely free," Crump said.
As of May 19, no official from either country has ever publicly named a suspect in the case.
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