25-year-old’s death in Cabo now being investigated as a homicide, Mexican officials say

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (WBTV/Gray News) – Mexican authorities confirmed on Thursday that they are now investigating the death of a 25-year-old North Carolina woman as a homicide after the mystery surrounding her death gained national attention.

Shanquella Robinson’s parents were initially told their daughter died from alcohol poisoning while on a trip with friends in Cabo, Mexico, that she left from Charlotte on Oct. 28. But they aren’t convinced that is the truth.

“After they said it was alcohol poisoning, we received the autopsy report and it said that her neck had been broken and she had a back spasm there was a crack, the spinal cord was cracked,” Robinson’s mother, Salamondra Robinson, said. “That took it to a whole ‘nother level because that meant somebody had attacked her.”

According to the State General Attorney’s Office of Baja California Sur, Shanquella Robinson was found dead at the Fundadores Beach Club in San Joe Del Cabo on Oct. 29. Officials began a crime scene investigation at that time.

Despite her parents being told she died from alcohol poisoning, Shanquella Robinson’s death certificate from Mexico suggests a different story, saying she died from a severe spinal cord injury.

According to her family, a new video on the internet allegedly shows Shanquella Robinson being beaten inside a hotel room. WBTV is not able to verify at this time when or where the video in question was recorded.

In addition to Mexican officials’ homicide investigation, the FBI has also opened an investigation into her death. In a statement to WBTV, the FBI said that they have “opened an investigation in the death of Charlotte resident, Shanquella Robinson in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, on or about Oct. 29. Due to the ongoing investigation, we have no further comment.”

On Thursday, Salamondra Robinson said she is a little relieved to know there is an investigation to discover the truth about what happened.

“It feels good. My stomach doesn’t feel so empty. Feels like we are getting somewhere,” she said.

Shanquella Robinson’s father, Bernard Robinson, said all he has been doing is crying and trying to figure out what happened to his daughter.

“I can’t even be a grandfather, can’t even walk her down the aisle, she’s gone,” Bernard Robinson said.

The family has started a GoFundMe page to help pay for the funeral.

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