Shanquella Robinson
Shanquella Brenada Robinson, born January 9, 1997, was a graduate of the historically black college university Winston-Salem State University.
Shanquella was and an American businesswoman from North Carolina. She was a skilled hairstylist, and also an entrepreneur, starting both a women's fashion brand, The Exquisite Boutique, as well as Exquisite Kids & Co hair salon in her hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina.
She was also a popular social media personality (Channels - @Its.quella, @theexquisitekids, @theboutique.exquisite), which may be part of the reason social media has been such a powerful force driving interest in her case, and pressuring authorities to do their jobs.
She died on October 29, 2022, after travelling to the Mexican resort town of Cabo San Lucas with a friend and five acquaintances who have been identified as Khalil Cooke, Malik St Patrick Dyer, Wenter Essence Donovan, Alysse Michelle Hyatt, Daejhanae Jackson, Nazeer Wiggins.
The group was checked into a luxury rental villa (which Shanquella reportedly paid for) at the Puerto Los Cabos resort, in the resort town of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico.
The Los Cabos municipal Police Department initially treated the death as a case of alcohol poisoning.
A journalist from the Baja California Sur news chronicle Metropoli.Mx said that Mexican journalists started hearing rumors about video of the attack being shared between Winston-Salem students.
On November 15th, 2022 video of the attack that led to her death was uploaded by a Twitter user named "BK – @Prettybrklyn" at 8:34 pm. Salamondra Robinson confirmed that it was her daughter being beaten in the video.
In the video, an attacker identified as Daejhanae Jackson begins to viciously beat Robinson with a series of relentless, wild haymakers and jabs to her head, beating her from one side of a large hotel room to the other, while violently yanking her neck, throwing her to the floor, delivering further blows to her face and head, even kicking, and kneeing her in the face, before stumbling back to the other side of the room, where the video cuts off.
There are at least two other people present during the filmed incident. A male filmed the assault, and another person filmed the male filming. The footage includes a male voice that is heard telling Robinson: "Quella? Can you at least fight back? At least sum`in?", to which Robinson responds "No!"; she was not interested in fighting.
I have seen claims that the male voice belongs to Malik, and I have also seen claims the voice has been identified as Khalil. I have been unable to verify or falsify either claim.
People on social media have asked why suspects or witnesses in a femicide or homicide investigation were allowed to return to the United States without arrest or interrogation. Authorities in Mexico have not responded to these queries.
Additionally, there are claims that a second video shows further assaults and that the motive for the murder was the theft of $10,000.
On October 29, around 2:15 p.m., a doctor from the American Medical Centre, Cabo San Lucas was requested because a resident at the resort was feeling unwell. Dr. Karolina Beatriz Ornelas-Gutiérrez from the American Medical Centre
At around the same time, Shanquella's mother, Salamondra Robinson, received a telephone call from an unidentified travel companion of Shanquella, telling her that her daughter was ill, and a doctor was en route to her at the rented villa.
The doctor attempted to administer an IV drip but Robinson's condition worsened and she suffered a tonic–clonic seizure (a stiffening of the body and extremities), as well as a spontaneous defecation, around 4:13 p.m., about an hour into the doctor’s arrival.
An ambulance was called around 4:20 p.m. when Robinson began having trouble breathing and her pulse began dropping. Robinson soon went into cardiac arrest.
Paramedics arrived at the scene around 4:49 p.m., attempting to resuscitate Robinson by administering fourteen rounds of CPR, as well as injecting five doses of adrenaline, and six discharges from a defibrillator.
Police officers "Omar" and "David" of the Los Cabos Municipal Police Department were the two first responding officers on scene around 5:25 p.m. They were told by Dr. Ornelas-Gutiérrez that medical treatment had been requested for a woman who had ingested "too much alcohol".
She explained to the officers that she had found a female stable but unresponsive, that she had planned to admit her to hospital, except her travel companions objected, insisting that Robinson be treated in the hotel room, after which her condition worsened, even after arrival of paramedics, and ambulatory care.
Shanquella Robinson was declared dead at 5:57 p.m.
After Robinson was declared dead, the investigating officers notified the General Prosecutors Office in Baja California Sur around 6:35 p.m., informing State Attorney Julio Daniel of the death of an American citizen.
They were instructed by Daniel to file their reports and investigation forms before handing the case over.
Based on eyewitness accounts and consultation with Dr. Ornelas-Gutiérrez, the police report came to the conclusion that a "deceased person (cardiopulmonary arrest)" died of alcohol poisoning two hours and 45 minutes after the doctor was called to the residence.
No observation of internal or external injuries is noted in the police report.
Based on both the police report, and investigations by Mexican Authorities, the U.S. State Department released a statement that "Mexican authorities said there was no clear evidence Robinson was murdered".
On November 5 a notarized English translation of Robinson's death certificate, based on an autopsy report from forensic doctor Rene A. Galvan-Oseguera, from the Secretariat Of Health, Baja California Sur, dated on November 4, 2022, was released.
The autopsy report describes Robinson's death as coming within 15 minutes after a severe spinal cord injury and an atlas luxation, or a dislocation/separation of the skulls base from the atlas bone (the first bone of the neck in the spinal column). The autopsy report does not mention cardiac arrest, nor does it mention alcohol poisoning.
Some forensic observations from the autopsy report.
Date and time of death: October 29, 2022 – 15:00 p.m..
Cause of death: "Severe Spinal Cord Injury and Atlas Luxation".
Approximate time between injury and death: 15 minutes
Situation, circumstance or reason in which the injury occurred: "Person found unconscious on her living room."
Was it accidental or violent death? Yes
On November 16, the U.S. Department of State responded they were aware of this new information:
"We are aware of these reports. Protecting the welfare of U.S. citizens overseas is among our top priorities. Out of respect for the privacy of those involved, we have no further comment at this time," the department stated.
Salamondra Robinson, Shanquella's mother, disclosed in an ABC News Good Morning America interview that the family became suspicious of her daughter's travel companions after they each returned with a different story, and each story with different inconsistencies.
Some of her travel companions claimed a maid found her unconscious, some reported they called a doctor, some said the villa concierge called the doctor.
Her companions raised further skepticism when one claimed to her mother they found Shanquella unconscious on the floor, another claimed they found her in bed, while another still told her father, Bernard Robinson, that they found her in a chair.
Shanquella's mother told CBS News during an interview that her daughter's acquaintances suggested Shanquella had alcohol poisoning, which surprised her since a doctor had not even arrived yet, and she had just been told that a doctor was just en route to the villa.
She suggested her daughter be taken to an emergency room, but her daughter's travel companions lied to her, saying that her daughter's insurance was useless in Mexico, and the emergency room required $5,000 up front cash for Shanquella to receive treatment.
She had further doubts when the autopsy report emerged showing the cause of death was the result of a broken neck, and not alcohol poisoning.
Salamondra Robinson also said her daughter's body, which was repatriated to America on November 12 ahead of the funeral service, showed obvious trauma such as a knot on her head, a bruised and swollen face and eye, and a busted lip.
For over two weeks the family attempted to convince American and Mexican authorities that their daughter's death was suspicious, and deserved a thorough investigation.
On November 16, the State Attorney General's Office of Baja California Sur reopened their investigation into Robinson's death as a possible femicide, confirming investigators had revisited the crime scene, and were collecting "more evidence to achieve the accurate clarification of the events".
In a statement released to the press the Attorney General’s Office said:
"The State Attorney General’s Office (PGJE) of Baja California Sur carries out the field and cabinet proceedings to clarify the facts in which a female person of foreign origin lost her life, on October 29, in a beach club in San José del Cabo.
It is reported that last Saturday, October 29,at approximately 6:15 p.m., he received a call from a public security element who reported that, in a house in the Fundadores Beach Club subdivision, in San José del Cabo, there was a woman without life.
State criminal investigation agents moved to the scene, where the first investigations were carried out under the corresponding protocols.
Experts from the Directorate of Expert 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 investigation to collect more evidence to achieve the accurate clarification of the facts, without ruling out any hypothesis".[30]
According to the local media, a group of agents from the FBI's Charlotte Field Office were reportedly seen at the crime scene in Los Cabos. Local media also stated that local authorities are also investigating the doctor, two officers of the local police force, and the investigating state attorney for negligence, official misconduct, and dereliction of duty.
On November 18, the FBI field office in Charlotte, North Carolina, confirmed "it has also opened an investigation in the death of Charlotte resident, Shanquella Robinson in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, on or about October 29, 2022. Due to the ongoing investigation, we have no further comment".
"Our investigation is completely separate from Mexico, I am not privy to anything they are doing", a spokesperson added.
On November 23, Daniel de la Rosa Anaya, Attorney General of Baja California General Prosecutors Office, announced an arrest court order on a femicide charge issued against a person identified only as an American, and “the direct aggressor" in the death of Shanquella Robinson.
During a video interview with the YouTube channel of local newspaper BCS Noticias, Attorney General Daniel de la Rosa Anaya clarified the cause of death, stating directly that Robinson did not die from alcohol intake, and also not from a fight, but instead died from "direct assault against the 25 year old girl" causing spinal cord fracture.
He said his office had approached both Mexican federal prosecutors and US officials to "carry out all relevant procedures both issuing an Interpol Red Alert to locate the suspect in the United States", and that his office was “working on formal extradition proceedings to extradite the suspect back to Mexico".
The announcement of the extraditions by the Southern District of California’s U.S. Attorney said: “The proceedings were held pursuant to the Extradition Treaty between the United States and Mexico, which obligates each nation to extradite offenders wanted in the other country.”
The Treaty between the United States of America and the Republic of Mexico for the Extradition of Criminals has been in place since May 4, 1978, and was ratified in 1998 by President Bill Clinton who said the treaty would “enhance cooperation between the law enforcement communities of both countries.”
Interpol agents arrested Daejhanae Jackson on the night of Nov. 28. Daejhanae Jackson was placed in federal custody, and awaits her extradition to Mexico, where she will be formally accused of the femicide of Shanquella Robinson.
The arrest warrant explicitly states that Shanquella Robinson was the victim of “femicide”, or murder of a woman for being a woman.
“This case is fully clarified, we even have a court order, there is an arrest warrant issued for the crime of femicide to the detriment of the victim and against an alleged perpetrator, a friend of her who is the direct aggressor,” said Mexican prosecutor Daniel de la Rosa Anaya. “Actually it wasn’t a quarrel, but instead a direct aggression. We are carrying out all the pertinent procedures such as the Interpol alert and the request for extradition to the United States of America. It’s about two Americans, the victim, and the culprit.”
Despite these claims, information on social media suggests that there was a wider conspiracy, that more people participated in her assault than Daejhanae Jackson, and that it is about more than just “two Americans”.
In a statement by the Robinson family published on GoFundMe where the family was raising funds in service of their legal fees, Robinson's sister Quilla Long announced the family will continue to seek out the truth of what happened to Shanquella:
"The United States State Department released a statement claiming "no clear evidence of foul play," yet there is a video circulating of a woman violently attacking Shanquella," Long said. "This statement is unacceptable, and we are beyond devastated. We continue to fight for the truth."
