A young woman dies while on vacation with her friends, but dueling international inquests stall the wheels of justice.

This is the Shankella Robinson story.

Hi, Amy. Hi Amy and hello listeners.

Hi, finally. Someone covered this story. I know, right? This is a pretty haunting and unresolved case. And it has been requested, I think, by a number of listeners. Would you say

that? That's correct? Absolutely. It's also a case we've talked about and we've considered

covering. I think we've been waiting for something to happen in the case. Sometimes we do wait

because we think justice is just around the corner. Right. I will tell you, there... Well, there's something that's happened, but sometimes justice doesn't happen in the criminal court. Sometimes it takes a civil action. So I wouldn't say that this case is without movement. There have been developments. And for some reason, for me, I was just... It was time. I was a little concerned, I think, at the outset of this case, that maybe there wouldn't be enough information for a full episode. But then I thought, even if there wasn't,

all the more reason we should cover it. So I think sometimes we resist when we're like, we don't have

enough. And then it's like, well, but how, if there's never enough, how will the case get attention?

And in fairness, after I did the research, there ended up being quite a lot,

I think. And there's some very interesting themes that we'll visit throughout the episode,

including trust among friends, challenges of international laws, and the vulnerability of black

women whose cases often struggle for urgency. But before we get there, let me introduce

you to the woman at the center of all of this. Shankuela Robinson. Born in Charlotte, North

Carolina in 1997, Shankuela had one sister and was raised in a close, loving family. She's been

described by her parents as a, quote, beautiful spirit,

someone who radiated warmth and generosity. Chankuela attended Winston-Salem State University,

where she is fondly remembered for her style, confidence, and entrepreneurial drive. In fact,

she had built two small businesses at the time of her death.

A children's hair braiding service.

She had very cool braids, and you could see some of that in her social media posts,

and a boutique clothing line she promoted online.

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