Summary
Overview
Ashley Flowers and Britt examine the tragic death of 25-year-old Shanquilla Robinson, who died in October 2022 during a last-minute trip to Cabo, Mexico with college friends. What was initially reported as alcohol poisoning was revealed to be far more sinister after a leaked video showed a brutal one-sided fight, conflicting autopsy reports emerged, and an anonymous caller tipped off the family. Despite evidence of violence and a Mexican arrest warrant, no one has been held accountable, leaving Shanquilla's family still fighting for justice three years later.
The Fateful Trip and Initial Reports
Shanquilla Robinson joined a group of college friends on a last-minute trip to a luxury villa in San Jose del Cabo, Mexico in October 2022. Her mother Salamandra spoke with her the first night and everything seemed fine—Shanquilla was happy and having fun. But the next day, her best friend Khalil Cook called to say Shanquilla had alcohol poisoning and needed medical attention. Hours later, he called again with devastating news: Shanquilla was dead.
- Shanquilla Robinson, 25, went on a last-minute trip to Mexico with college friends in October 2022 after someone else dropped out
- Salamandra spoke with her daughter the first night who sounded happy at the villa with a private chef and pool
- The next day, October 29, 2022, Khalil Cook called saying Shanquilla had alcohol poisoning and was sick
- Khalil said they couldn't afford the emergency room but a doctor was coming to the villa
- Around 6 p.m., Khalil called again to tell Salamandra that Shanquilla had died from alcohol poisoning
" I think there is this low-level hum of anxiety that almost all mothers live with. And it truly never goes away. "
" I'm also a crime junkie mom. And that means in the back of my head, I am picturing the worst case scenario, something terrible happening to my daughter, but in a place a zillion miles away where I can't get to her. "
Conflicting Stories and an Anonymous Call
When Mexican authorities interviewed the friends, their stories began to vary significantly. Some said Shanquilla hit her head on a toilet, others claimed she fell in the pool. Within 24 hours of her death, Salamandra received an anonymous call from someone who said there had been a fight the morning Shanquilla died—contradicting everything the friends had been telling her. When confronted, Khalil and others from the trip adamantly denied any fight occurred.
- Mexican authorities found varying stories from the friends—some said Shanquilla hit her head on a toilet, others said she fell in the pool
- An anonymous caller told Salamandra there was a fight the morning Shanquilla died, then hung up
- The family believes the anonymous caller had to be someone on the trip or in communication with the group
- When Khalil returned to North Carolina and visited the family, he and Dejanae Jackson insisted there was no fight
- Khalil visited the family four days in a row, sometimes with other friends from the trip, all denying the fight while crying and discussing funeral plans
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