Family of Shanquella Robinson rallies in D.C., renews push for extradition

WASHINGTON, D.C. (WBTV) - The family of Shanquella Robinson, their attorney and supporters renewed their push Friday for, “the Biden administration (to) prioritize extradition in Shanquella’s case.”

The rally, which was held exactly 200 days after her death, came after federal authorities announced last month there would be no charges filed in her case.

A rally was also held in March in D.C.

“Get some charges. They’re walking around living life...and care-free. But you have Shanquella on the other hand who’s resting, and her family is grieving,” Mario Black told WBTV ahead of Friday’s rally.

Black, the founder of the Million Youth March of Charlotte and Salisbury, traveled to Washington, D.C. Thursday. He along with family attorney Sue-Ann Robinson, attorney Ben Crump and activist Tamika Mallory were among the speakers at the rally.

Family members also spoke on Friday.

“What happened to my sister, her untimely demise was caused by the individuals that was on that trip,” sister Quilla Long said.

More than six months after she died, Robinson's family maintains the notion that someone is responsible for her death.

Robinson’s family maintains someone on the October 2022 trip to Cabo, Mexico, is responsible for her death.

The Charlotte native was found dead on Oct. 29, just a day after family members say she arrived in Mexico.

“We’re asking for the case to be prioritized for the State Department for the Office of International Affairs to get the file and prioritize the case and let the extradition process go forward, if they’ve decided to decline charges,” Sue-Ann Robinson said.

Robinson, who is of no relation to Shanquella, and is serving as the family’s attorney, claims proper protocol was not followed in the young woman’s case.

“The FBI should have been involved from the beginning if they had taken seriously but they did not it,” the attorney said. “Protocol is that the US State Department has to acknowledge the documentation that the Attorney General from Mexico and Cabo has already submitted, it has to be acknowledged by the US State Department. And then once it’s acknowledged and they accept the documents as they are and extradition process would start in federal court here.”

While U.S. authorities say they don’t have sufficient evidence to bring federal charges, Mexican authorities have named one person who they believe is responsible for Robinson’s death.

They’ve issued an arrest warrant -- under Mexican law -- calling her death a “femicide.”

[New report details minutes before and after Shanquella Robinson’s death]

An autopsy report conducted in Mecklenburg County found no broken spine -- a key part that contradicted an autopsy done by Mexican authorities.

Following Friday’s rally, there is no definitive timeline for when there could be another update in the Robinson case. However, Crump did say that officials will release them as they come.

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