Shanquella Robinson arrived in the picturesque Mexican town of San José del Cabo on Oct. 28 with six of her friends.
One day later, the 25-year-old student at Winston-Salem State University in North Carolina died while staying in a luxury rental property in Baja California Sur.
Now, nearly one month after the death, the FBI is investigating and Mexican prosecutors are seeking to extradite one of Robinson's friends as a suspect in the case.
Robinson Last Spoke With Her Mother the Day Before Her Death
Robinson traveled to Mexico on a vacation with her college friends from Winston-Salem State University, according to her father, Bernard Robinson.She last spoke to her mother, Salamondra, on the phone on the morning of Oct. 28, according to her father.
Autopsy Deepens Mystery of How She Died
The cause of Robinson's death was "severe spinal cord injury and atlas luxation," which is instability or excessive movement in the uppermost neck vertebrae, according to a copy of her death certificate obtained by CNN affiliate WBTV.Viral Video Shows Robinson Being Beaten
After Robinson's death, her six friends returned to the United States.A video circulating online in recent weeks appears to show a physical altercation inside a room between Robinson and another person.
It's not clear when the video was taken or if it depicts the moment she suffered the fatal injury.
Death Resulted From 'a Direct Attack'
Mexican prosecutors said last week that an arrest warrant had been issued there for a woman suspected of fatally assaulting Robinson.The prosecutors said they were working on extradition proceedings with Mexico's attorney general and the Foreign Affairs Ministry.
Evidence showed the death resulted from "a direct attack, not an accident," and involved a female friend of the victim, the prosecutors said.
Suspect Has Not Been Publicly Identified
Mexican officials have not named the suspect but confirmed she is a US citizen who is believed to be in the US.No one has been charged in the case, and authorities have not released the names of Robinson's friends.
CNN has reached out to the US State Department, FBI and US Justice Department for comment.
Mexican Prosecutor Says Extradition Process is Underway
The death did not result from a "quarrel" but from "a direct aggression that this person made," the attorney general for Baja California Sur, Daniel de la Rosa, told local media last week.The extradition process for the suspect was underway, according to the prosecutor.
"There is already an arrest warrant issued for the crime of femicide," or the killing of a woman because of her gender, said de la Rosa, adding that "a friend" of the victim was allegedly responsible for the death.
The arrest warrant is valid in Mexico, prosecutors said, and they are in consultation with federal government officials in both countries about the extradition request.
Suspect Could Be Prosecuted in the US or Mexico
Mexico and the United States have a longstanding extradition treaty and a history of cooperation on such matters, according to CNN legal analyst Joey Jackson."On the one hand, you could see Mexico engage in the prosecution," Jackson said. "On the other, we certainly have a statute in the United States that would provide for our government to be involved. In the event that you go overseas and an American citizen is ultimately killed by another American citizen, there's a statute that could provide for the prosecution to take place in this country."
Robinson's family, meanwhile, awaits more information from authorities and their daughter's friends.
"You took my only jewel from me," Bernard Robinson said. "You put a big hole in my heart. The only thing I can do is fight for her. I cannot let her die in vain."