Federal officials said they won’t file any charges in connection with the deἀth of Shanquella Robinson, who lived in Charlotte, North Carolina, and dἰed in Mexico while on vacation in October.
Sandra J. Hairston and Dena J. King, who are the U.S. Attorneys for the Middle and Western Districts of North Carolina, said in a statement that the government must show “beyond a reasonable doubt” that a federal crime was committed in every case that could go to federal court.
According to ABC News, they wrote –
“Based on the results of the autopsy and after a 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.”
In October, the body of Shanquella Robinson, a Black woman, was found in San Jose Del Cabo, Mexico, where she and her friends had gone on holiday.
Shortly after Robinson’s deἀth, a video went viral that showed another woman badly beating her in a hotel room while two other people watched.
At first, Robinson’s friends thought she had dἰed from drinking too much, but a later autopsy by Mexican officials showed that she had been hurt in her neck and spine.
Legal representation for Shanquella Robinson’s family, including Ben Crump and Sue-Ann Robinson, pointed out a contradiction between that autopsy and the one conducted by U.S. officials as the reason why criminal charges were not filed.
When federal officials and the Robinson family met earlier that same day, they told the family what they had found. They wrote –
“These discrepancies can be credited to the delay in investigation by U.S. officials, who conducted a second autopsy once Shanquella’s body was embalmed.”
“When an investigation is delayed, the hard evidence to support prosecution diminishes, but in this case, that is due to the U.S. not considering this case to be a high priority.”
In their statement, U.S. attorneys Hairston and King said that the government is ready to look at any new information or proof that is given.
The family’s lawyers said that Mexican authorities have already issued arrest warrants and asked that the suspect in Shanquella Robinson’s deἀth be sent there to face charges. However, legal experts say it’s rare for the U.S. to extradite its own citizens.
The Robinson family is not ruling out a civil lawsuit, but their top goal is to keep asking the White House and the State Department for a “high-level diplomatic intervention.”
Sue-Ann Robinson said at the press conference –
“It’s going to take more than the local FBI field office in Charlotte, with all due respect to all the work that they do.”
“Heads of state have to talk to heads of state.”
She added –
“The message cannot be that U.S. citizens can go overseas and commit crimes against other U.S citizens and come back and say that they’re on base, that they’re safe, that they’re not going to be arrested.”
Sue-Ann Robinson said again that the family plans to gather and march to the State Department on May 19, which will be 200 days since Shanquella Robinson dἰed, if diplomatic action doesn’t happen.
Note: We made this article based on the information we got from reliable sources. We do not intend to offend anyone here.
Sue-Ann Robinson, the family’s attorney, has said that while they are “disappointed,” they will “not be deterred” by the lack of charges.
She said –
“It’s not something that’s necessarily unexpected in the sense that Black and brown people always have to carve their own path of justice.”
With that, we conclude our coverage of the autopsy results for Shanquella Robinson and the decision by federal prosecutors not to press charges in connection with her deἀth.