February 2, 2026
The wrongful death lawsuit tied to Shanquella Robinson’s 2022 death remains unresolved after a federal judge returned the case to state court.
The wrongful death lawsuit tied to Shanquella Robinson’s death is being sent back to state court after a federal judge ruled that the case no longer falls under federal jurisdiction.
On Jan. 27, Judge Max Cogburn sent the civil lawsuit back to Mecklenburg County Superior Court, finding that only state-law claims remain against the individuals who traveled with Robinson to Mexico, where she died in 2022, WCNC reported. The decision follows the court’s earlier dismissal of all federal claims against the FBI and the U.S. State Department, leaving the case solely against her travel companions, often referred to as the “Cabo Six.”
Robinson, a 25-year-old Charlotte resident, died while vacationing in Mexico on Oct. 29, 2022. The “Cabo Six” continue to face public scrutiny after a viral video surfaced weeks following Robinson’s death that appeared to show her being beaten inside the villa where the group was staying. Mexican authorities later ruled her death a femicide and issued an arrest warrant, though no one has been extradited or criminally charged in the United States.
Robinson’s mother, Sallamondra Robinson, first filed the lawsuit in Mecklenburg County in October 2024. The case was later moved to federal court after the FBI and the U.S. State Department removed it, citing federal jurisdiction over claims under the Federal Tort Claims Act and the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).
However, the judge ruled that once those federal claims were dismissed, the court no longer had jurisdiction over the remaining state-law causes of action, which include wrongful death, negligence, battery, conspiracy, and emotional distress under North Carolina law. As a result, the civil case against the six people Robinson traveled with to Cabo San Lucas will return to state court.
The defendants continue to deny any wrongdoing, with several arguing the case should be dismissed or heard in Mexico rather than North Carolina.
In the federal suit, Robinson’s family alleged the State Department failed to process an extradition request and that the FBI botched its investigation and improperly withheld records. A judge dismissed those claims in June 2025, citing sovereign immunity and jurisdictional limits, leaving only state-law claims against the individual defendants.
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