Shanquella Robinson’s family wants justice two years after her mysterious death in Mexico.
Shanquella, 25, of Charlotte, N.C., died on Oct. 29, 2022, while on vacation in Cabo San Luca with six others, who have since been dubbed “The Cabo Six.”
Her travel mates have allegedly insisted she died of alcohol poisoning, but an autopsy conducted by Mexican authorities showed her death was caused by violence — specifically, “atlas and medullary dislocation,” PEOPLE previously reported.
As questions surrounding her death remain unanswered two years on, Shanquella’s mother, Sallamondra Robinson, filed a lawsuit against “The Cabo Six,” as well as the United States Department of State and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), per outlets including WBTV, ABC News and The Charlotte Observer.
Per the documents posted by WBTV, Sallamondra is seeking damages in excess of $25,000 from each of the six people Shanquella was traveling with at the time. The documents — filed in Mecklenburg County Superior Court on Friday, Oct. 25 — stated the plaintiff is seeking damages on various grounds, including battery, civil conspiracy and intentional infliction of emotional distress.
Sallamondra is also seeking damages in excess of $25,000 from the U.S. Department of State and FBI, per the lawsuit.
While speaking about the lawsuit in a press conference, Sallamondra appeared alongside her attorney Sue-Ann Robinson.
“We need justice for Shanquella Robinson,” Shanquella’s mom said, urging people to “step in.”
“This has been two years and there’s no reason that no one has not been arrested yet,” she added.
Attorney Sue-Ann said during the conference, “The lack of justice serves as a painful, painful reminder of the vulnerabilities faced by individuals, especially young Black women, when they seek adventure in unfamiliar places with unfamiliar faces,” adding, “It is our responsibility to ensure that such tragedies do not go unanswered.”
When we reached out to the FBI for comment, the department shared that their “standard practice is to decline to comment on pending litigation.”
Sue-Ann and the U.S. Department of State didn’t immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE.
Shanquella Robinson.
The suit comes after Shanquella’s family attorneys Ben Crump and Sue-Ann sent a letter to President Joe Biden asking him to put pressure on authorities to make an arrest in March 2023.
The following month, the U.S. Department of Justice said in a news release that based on the available evidence, authorities “have concluded that federal charges cannot be pursued.” The release at the time claimed a separate autopsy had been conducted in the U.S., but didn’t go into detail regarding its results.
Weeks after Shanquella’s death, a violent and disturbing video began circulating online showing her being beaten in what appeared to be the luxury villa she was vacationing at when she died.
Mexican authorities called her death a femicide, a gender-based murder and hate crime in Nov. 2022 and Mexican law enforcement issued an arrest warrant for one of Shanquella’s travel companions. Authorities in the U.S. didn’t name the person.
While speaking to us in April of last year, Shanquella’s mom, Sallamondra, said she received a phone call from her daughter hours before her death.
“She said they were all having a good time, and I told her I’d talk to her tomorrow,” Sallamondra said. “And I never spoke to my daughter again.”
