Suspect in Shanquella Robinson’s death named in letter sent to White House 

A 26-year-old woman from North Carolina is wanted by police in Cabo, Mexico who are investigating the killing of Shanquella Robinson, according to lawyers who are imploring U.S. officials to act on a pending extradition request.

At a recent press conference and in a letter dated March 13 to President Joe Biden and diplomatic leaders, attorneys Ben Crump and Sue-Ann Robinson said Daejhanae Jackson is wanted by Mexican authorities. A copy of the letter was shared with The Charlotte Observer on Tuesday by a representative with the law firm.

The letter presents findings from a trip Sue-Ann Robinson took to Mexico recently. The packet of information includes 18 pages — which includes an autopsy and some prosecutor and police records not previously released.

Shanquella Robinson, from Charlotte, died Oct. 29, under suspicious circumstances while on vacation with six acquaintances. She was 25.

Previously, authorities in Mexico said a warrant was issued for the arrest of an American citizen who traveled with Robinson. The charge, officials said then, was femicide, a form of homicide. Part of the outcry and intense interest on the case revolves around how U.S. officials have handled matters, including that no suspect has been taken into custody.

Jackson, not officially named until recently, was believed by many following the case closely to be the suspect. Attention centered on claims she was the person seen beating Robinson in a video just before she died.

But until now, no public officials or entities responsible for sharing information about criminal cases have named a suspect.

In Mexico, a federal law offers some protection pre-trial for those accused of crimes, which typically means police there keep private certain documents, blur mugshots and refrain from releasing full names when a person is arrested. But over the months, the identities of those dubbed the “Cabo 6” have come to light via leaks to media, conversations with friends of people on the trip, and a copy of the vacation home check-in list.

In the letter to Biden and U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, Crump and Sue-Ann Robinson say Jackson was identified as a suspect upon investigation by the Attorney General’s Office in Baja California Sur, where the popular vacation destination of Cabo San Lucas is located. Attorney Sue-Ann Robinson is not related to Shanquella Robinson.

Who is Daejhanae Jackson?

A criminal background check of Daejhanae Jackson shows two prior arrests in North Carolina on misdemeanor non-violent offenses. In 2018, public records show, Jackson pleaded to a lesser charge on a speeding offense in Guilford County. Public records show Jackson’s last known address is Jamestown, close to High Point. And the records show that she graduated from Winston-Salem State University, which is also Robinson’s alma mater.

Previously, WSSU released a statement saying none of those involved in Robinson’s death who attended WSSU are current students.

Jackson, according to the letter from Crump’s and Robinson’s law office, was one of three people who returned Robinson’s luggage to her mother’s home in Charlotte and told her mother Shanquella died of alcohol poisoning.

But that explanation contradicts what official records say about Robinson’s condition and death.

An autopsy indicates Robinson died from “severe spinal cord injury and atlas luxation,” or a broken neck, The Charlotte Observer has previously reported. According to a statement to police from a doctor who was called to the Cabo villa Oct. 29, Robinson was alive when medical help arrived and suffered a seizure. In the police report, the doctor observed Robinson had “stable vital signs but (was) dehydrated, unable to communicate verbally and appearing to be inebriated.” No official record released has shown authorities deemed alcohol to be the leading cause of Robinson’s death, the Observer previously reported.

Witnesses, the lawyers say, identified Jackson as the person seen beating Shanquella Robinson on the viral video that surfaced after her death.

A phone number listed for Jackson has been disconnected. The Observer has been unable to reach her.

Extradition request in Shanquella Robinson death

In the four months since her death, the fight for Shanquella Robinson has moved from Charlotte to Washington D.C. where prominent civil rights activists are calling on President Joe Biden to intervene in her case. Crump and Robinson say the U.S. needs to either extradite the person named on an arrest warrant issued by Mexican officials or to take over jurisdiction and prosecute that person in the U.S.

There is an active FBI investigation into Robinson’s death, the agency confirmed in November.

The Department of State previously told the Observer it would not comment on extradition matters.

“The Department of State supports a thorough investigation into the circumstances of this incident and is closely monitoring local authorities’ investigation. We refer you to the Mexican authorities for further questions regarding an investigation,” the Department of State said.

This is a developing story. Check back for more details.

This story was originally published March 14, 2023 at 12:39 PM with the headline "Suspect in Shanquella Robinson’s death named in letter sent to White House ."

Kallie Cox

The Charlotte Observer

Kallie Cox covers public safety for The Charlotte Observer. They grew up in Springfield, Illinois and attended school at SIU Carbondale. They reported on police accountability and LGBTQ immigration barriers for the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. And, they previously worked at The Southern Illinoisan before moving to Charlotte. Support my work with a digital subscription

Anna Douglas

The Charlotte Observer

704-358-5078

Anna Douglas is The Charlotte Observer’s deputy managing editor and previously worked as an investigative reporter and news editor in the newsroom. Prior to joining the Observer, she worked as a local news reporter for The (Rock Hill) Herald and as a congressional correspondent in Washington, D.C., for McClatchy. Anna is a past recipient of the South Carolina Press Association’s Journalist of the Year award and the Charlotte Society of Professional Journalists’ Outstanding Journalism Award. She’s a South Carolina native, a graduate of Winthrop University, and a past fellow of the Dori Maynard Diversity Leadership Program, sponsored by the Society of Professional Journalists. Anna has lived in Charlotte since May 2017.