Friends and family say, however, they will not let her death be in vain and will continue her fight to discover what happened to her son, Shawn Alston.

“I spoke with her family and they told me she had passed,” said Tony Burnette, president of the Northampton County Chapter of the NAACP, which has held several vigils honoring the missing in Halifax and Northampton counties. “It was heartbreaking. She was one of the most determined persons I had ever seen. She was a justice fighter.”

Burnette said even though Robinson died with the case of her son's disappearance unsettled the NAACP and others will not let her fight rest. “We are all going to work and are determined to find justice for Shawn.”

Sheila Moses, whose brother Daniel is among the Roanoke Valley missing, said she and Robinson became close friends through the meetings and vigils. “We talked all the time. She always remembered Daniel's birthday.”

Moses believes those who are still seeking information about their missing loved ones must also carry Robinson's burden now. “We have to pick up the fight. We owe it to her. I know we can do it better than those with badges.”

Robinson, her sister Brenda said, had lupus for some time, but in the last week five weeks found out she had cancer. Through that ordeal she had also developed a bacterial infection.

“She was very determined,” Brenda said, not only with the search for her son, but from taking care of other relatives. “We were like you need to slow down. You need to take care of you. There was just a lot on her.”

Brenda said her determination showed in trying to find out what happened to her son, who went missing the evening of October 18, 2012. “She continued to fight for Shawn. I think what's most heartbreaking is not knowing what happened to her child.”

Robinson kept detailed notes on her son's disappearance, Brenda said. “She had a lot of notes and kept more notes than the police.”

Brenda said she and her brothers, who planned on making funeral arrangements today, would be discussing how to carry on Robinson's search for the truth.

Northampton County Sheriff Jack Smith said, “I hate we were not able to determine what happened to her son.”

Smith said the sheriff's office will continue to work on the case. “She would always speak about God's will. She always kept a Christian attitude and a humble disposition. She was respectful and acknowledged we were doing all we could do to locate him. I certainly hope her family will be able to reflect on what a wonderful, sweet lady she was.”

Said Smith: “We are going to work on all of them (the missing cases) and are trying to do everything humanly possible.”