CHARLOTTE — The father of Shanquella Robinson spoke Monday for the first time since the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced it would not be prosecuting anyone in her death.
Bernard Robinson spoke at Beatties Ford Memorial Garden, which is where Shanquella was laid to rest. He said there were delays and complications in getting her headstone ordered, but it is finally marking her final resting place nearly six months after her death.
Her headstone has her nickname, “Boss Lady,” engraved on it along with the message “God bless, love mom, dad, and family.”
Shanquella Robinson died while on a trip with five acquaintances in Cabo, Mexico. Her father hasn’t spoken publicly about her death in months.
Robinson said he wanted to let all those who love Shanquella know they can come see her at the memorial garden. He is trying to move on while still deeply in grief over the loss of his daughter.
Robinson spoke for about 20 minutes and answered several questions, including his reaction to the U.S. Attorney’s Office declining a week ago to prosecute anyone for Shanquella’s death.
“She will be at peace once the United States Department or who else involved, the higher-ups, got to do something with this case, to make it happen,” Robinson said. “Then she will be at peace.”
He said that having a gravesite is one way he can begin to grieve, but there are other facets of the case that are holding the process back.
“I’m frustrated about it to the utmost,” the father said. “I just can’t understand why the autopsy that I got back saying that her neck and spinal cord were broken.”
The Mecklenburg County medical examiner released its autopsy last week, which contradicted a partial autopsy conducted by Mexican officials’ that showed Shanquella’s spinal cord had been severed and her neck was broken.
Mexico only did a partial autopsy, and officials there did not make a visual confirmation that her spinal cord was severed and spinal cord was broken.
Shanquella’s cause of death was undetermined, according to the Mecklenburg County Medical Examiner’s Office.
“I would like to know how many years’ experience he had in doing an autopsy on a body,” Robinson said.
That’s not the only crucial piece of this puzzle he wants to be solved.
There’s still no word whether Mexico will extradite one of the five others on that trip.
Mexican prosecutors issued an arrest warrant in the case but have not named that person.
“Ya’ll put a hole in this father’s heart right here, sure enough have,” Robinson said. “I don’t know if God going to be able to mend it. Their life is moving along, walking around here like they enjoy life, but this father is struggling each and every day.”
(WATCH BELOW: White House responds to Shanquella Robinson investigation)
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