Zanzibar police conclude investigation into death of influencer Ashlee Jenae
“We established that she had been experiencing mental distress,” Zanzibar Deputy Director of Criminal Investigations Zuberi Chembera said at a press conference.
The cause of an influencer’s sudden and tragic death during a vacation abroad has been confirmed.
The Zanzibar Police Force has concluded that 31-year-old Ashly Robinson, who went by the name Ashlee Jenae online, died by suicide as a result of mental distress, according to a local publication, The Citizen.
The news of Robinson’s death broke in April, after the Portland, Oregon-based content creator had been documenting her travels to the Tanzanian archipelago with her fiancé, Joe McCann. On April 3, Robinson revealed that the two were engaged, but just days later, on April 9, she was reportedly found unconscious in her hotel room and later confirmed dead.
According to The Citizen, Zanzibar Deputy Director of Criminal Investigations Zuberi Chembera said messages from Robinson’s communication devices helped lead investigators to their conclusion.
“Through the witness statements and analysis of communication devices belonging to the deceased and her fiancé, we established that she had been experiencing mental distress. SMS exchanges showed repeated complaints regarding her life circumstances,” Chembera said.
Zanzibar police held McCann’s travel documents so he could be questioned about Robinson’s death as a witness and not a suspect. As theGrio previously reported, the couple had a dispute in the days leading up to her passing, and were moved to separate rooms by hotel staff “for the safety of each other.”
Authorities initially investigated Robinson’s death as potentially a suicide, but her family felt differently, even calling the incident suspicious.
“The suddenness, the unanswered questions, and the distance from home have made this tragedy even more overwhelming for our family. At this time, there is an active investigation into the circumstances surrounding Ashly’s suspicious passing,” they wrote in a statement posted to social media on April 12. “Although we have many questions, we are placing our trust in the officials in Zanzibar and are working closely with them as we seek clarity and answers.”
McCann released a statement on May 5, writing on X, “There is no way to fill the unfillable void left by Ashly’s passing and no way to make sense of this unfathomable loss.”