Femicide meaning explained as Shanquella Robinson's death in Cabo is reclassified as a homicide 

The death of Charlotte woman Shanquella Robinson continues to baffle investigators in Mexico as they re-classify her death as a homicide.

The mysterious case of 25-year-old Shanquella Robinson, who died while vacationing in Cabo, Mexico, last month, was first classified as a femicide after authorities revealed the cause of death was a "broken neck, and her spine in the back was cracked."

Femicide is described as a hate crime as the killing is motivated by the gender of a female individual.

However, after exploring the case further, authorities now believe Shanquella Robinson was not killed due to her gender. Mexican authorities said that Robinson’s death will now be investigated as a homicide. The State Attorney General’s Office (PGJE) of Baja California Sur also agreed with its assessment and will look into a potential homicide.

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Everything you need to know about Shanquella Robinson's case so far

On October 28, 2022, Shanquella Robinson left for a vacation with a group of friends in Cabo to celebrate one of her friend's birthdays. However, the vacation quickly soured after she was found dead a day later.

Robinson's friends claimed that her death was caused due to alcohol poisoning, and the same was relayed to Robinson’s mother. However, Robinson's mother contacted the FBI after the victim's death certificate revealed that the deceased had no alcohol in her system at the time of her death.

A video circulating on social media that showed Shanquella Robinson being violently attacked by an unidentified woman in her group provided credence to the mother’s suspicions. “Quella, can you at least fight back? At least something?” an off-camera voice speaks in the background as Robinson tries to stave off the attack while pinned to the floor.

Consequently, a concerted investigation into femicide was launched by authorities in Mexico and the U.S. It should be noted that none of the victim's friends are facing charges. After launching a probe into femicide, the State Attorney General’s Office (PGJE) of Baja California Sur, issued the following statement:

“State Criminal Investigation Agents went to the scene, where the first investigations were carried out under the corresponding protocols. Experts from the Directorate of Forensic Services, carried out the processing of the place, looking for clues that will be attached to the investigation folder."

They added:

“We inform you that the result of the autopsy determined the cause of death: Severe spinal cord injury and atlas subluxation. An investigation was initiated for femicide."

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After Mexican authorities reclassified Shanquella Robinson's case as a homicide, in an email, the State attorney’s office reversed their initial investigation into Femicide, saying:

“The simple fact that the victim is a woman doesn’t determine that it’s a femicide.”

While authorities have launched a new investigation, the case riddled with mystery has garnered national attention, with celebrities, including Cardi B, calling for justice. However, no arrests have been made in the incident so far.

Meanwhile, the victim's family, who have launched a GoFundMe page to pay for Robinson’s funeral, told Channel 9 that they will continue to fight until the case is resolved.