Attorneys, family ask for federal help again in Shanquella Robinson case

SALISBURY, N.C. — Civil rights attorney Ben Crump spoke about the Shanquella Robinson case Thursday at Livingstone College.

Crump hosted a panel at the college on national bail reform and policing.

Crump’s law firm also represents the family of Shanquella Robinson. He and Robinson’s family, alongside leaders from the NAACP, Charlotte, and Washington, D.C. went early this month to the U.S. capital to demand justice for her case.

Attorney Bakari Sellers began the press conference Thursday echoing Crump’s calls to Washington to step in on Shanquella’s case. Sellers has worked on several high-profile cases, including the Charleston church massacre, where he helped broker an $88 million settlement for the victims’ families.

“It’s time for Washington D.C. to act so that these parents can begin the opportunity to grieve so that they can actually sleep at night knowing that they fought for justice for their loved one,” Sellers said.

Crump asked for two courses of action from U.S. authorities:

1. Extradite the suspect(s) back to Mexico. He said there is an outstanding warrant from the Mexican government based on the evidence in the autopsy report.
2. Accept the concurrent jurisdiction that the Mexican government has offered America to come and help federal authorities there prosecute Robinson’s killer(s).

Crump said he expects a meeting, whether virtually or in person, with the White House after April 1. He said he expects, at the very least, to hear something from them in regard to their request.

“She was an American citizen. She was killed on a foreign land on video,” Crump said. “We expect for you to care about this Black woman, just like you would care about any other American citizen killed in a foreign country on video.”

Robinson, of Charlotte, was killed in Cabo five months ago while on vacation with friends, investigators say. Those friends told Robinson’s family she died of alcohol poisoning, but an autopsy revealed she died of a broken neck and spinal cord.

A video later surfaced showing Robinson being attacked by a woman on that trip.

“You’ve got all the evidence in the world. What is taking so long?” Crump said.

The Mexican government issued an arrest warrant for a friend of hers but never named that person.

So far, there have been no arrests in the case.

Shanquella Robinson’s mother said she doesn’t understand why the case has not been resolved.

“They had a video that went viral,” said Sallamondra Robinson, mother. “The whole world sees the video and there have been no arrests since Oct. 29. What kind of system is this? I just don’t understand it.”

SHANQUELLA ROBINSON CASE:

• Letter to White House includes concierge’s account of Shanquella Robinson’s death
• Answers in Shanquella Robinson’s death not coming fast enough, family says
• Shanquella Robinson case needing ‘high-level diplomatic intervention,’ attorney says
• Arrest warrant issued for friend of Shanquella Robinson, Mexican prosecutor says
• Mexican prosecutor: Shanquella Robinson death investigation ongoing
• ‘Gone before your time’: Charlotte mayor speaks with mother of woman killed in Mexico
• FBI opens investigation into death of Charlotte woman in Mexico
• Charlotte woman’s death in Cabo being investigated as killing, state AG in Mexico says

The White House acknowledged the investigation for the first time publicly last week.

The press secretary expressed condolences but declined to comment on specifics.

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