Charlotte woman’s death in Cabo being investigated as killing, Mexican State AG says

There are more questions than answers in the death of Charlotte woman Shanquella Robinson. She died while on a trip to Cabo with friends, but her parents don’t believe the story those friends told them.

The agency presiding over the case in Mexico confirmed to ABC News they have begun a femicide investigation into Robinson’s death.

The state attorney general’s office of Baja California Sur -- the state Cabo is in -- tells Channel 9 it “maintain the lines of investigations to collect more evidence to achieve the accurate clarification of the events, without ruling out any hypothesis.”

On Wednesday, Channel 9 obtained Robinson’s death certificate. It lists the cause of death as “severe spinal cord injury and atlas luxation,” and says she died within 15 minutes of injury. Alcohol poisoning is never mentioned.

In the box asking whether the death was accidental or violent, the medical examiner wrote “yes.”

Then on Thursday, the attorney general’s office sent ABC News a statement, adding they’ve also started a homicide investigation.

Channel 9 spoke to Robinson’s parents, who said they are not giving up until they have answers.

“I just want some truth because this doesn’t add up right,” said her father, Bernard Robinson.

“She was a good child and had a great heart,” said Sallamondra Robinson, Shanquella’s mother. “And she did not deserve to be treated like that.”

At this time, none of her friends who she went on the trip with are facing charges. Her mom says she has been in contact with the FBI, and a spokesperson for the FBI told Bruno the agency’s Charlotte Division has been in contact with the family.

The statement from the attorney general’s office Wednesday is below:

“The State Attorney General’s Office (PGJE) of Baja California Sur carries out the field and cabinet proceedings to clarify the events in which a female person of foreign origin lost her life, on October 29th, in a beach club in San José del Cabo. It is reported that Saturday, October 29th, at approximately 6:15 pm, it received a call from a Public Security member who reported that, in a house room of the Fundadores Beach Club area, in San José del Cabo, there was a woman without life.

“State Criminal Investigation Agents went to the scene, where the first investigations were carried out under the corresponding protocols. Experts from the Directorate of Forensic Services, carried out the processing of the place, looking for clues that will be attached to the investigation folder. The PGJE maintains the lines of investigations to collect more evidence to achieve the accurate clarification of the events, without ruling out any hypothesis.”

The attorney general’s office sent ABC News a statement Thursday, adding they’ve also started an investigation for femicide. An expert told Channel 9 that in Mexico, homicide investigations typically begin as femicides. Then they might turn into homicide investigations once it has been ruled out that gender was not a motive.

The attorney general’s office sent the following statement to ABC News:

“We inform you that the result of the autopsy determined as the cause of death: Severe spinal cord injury and atlas luxation. An investigation was initiated for femicide. Yesterday’s statement and this latest information are what the Baja California Sur Attorney General’s Office can share for now. The investigation continues its course and to the extent that the legal framework allows it, the results will be informed.”

This story was originally published November 18, 2022 at 10:00 AM.