New details continue to surface in the death of Ashly Robinson, a lifestyle influencer known to her followers as Ashlee Jenae.
The Miami-based influencer was found unresponsive at a hotel in Zanzibar, Tanzania on April 8, and died under mysterious circumstances.
According to CBS News, authorities are questioning her American fiancé, Joe McCann, as a witness and holding his passport until an autopsy is completed.
McCann, 45, and Robinson traveled to Tanzania to celebrate her 31st birthday. She posted a video on Instagram April 4, showing him getting down on one knee and proposing. The two appeared thrilled, but their celebratory mood soon faded.
Police and Robinson’s family both said the couple had a heated argument on April 8, and management at the Zuri Zanzibar luxury resort moved McCann to a separate villa.
A few hours later, a hotel worker found Robinson unresponsive in a closet, with a belt around her neck, police told CBS. She was taken to a hospital, where she died the next day.
Her parents did an interview with Philadelphia news station ABC 6 Action News.
Her mother, Yolanda Denise Endres, told the TV station she received a phone call from her daughter days earlier, saying she had been in a serious argument with McCann.
The next day McCann called her mother and said, “Ashly did something to herself and she was taken to the hospital.” Her family hasn’t heard from McCann since then. Instead, they were notified about Robinson’s death by the resort.
Her parents received additional information from the medical facility where she passed away. The hospital sent the family a report saying she died from cerebral hypoxia by strangulation and suffocation.
News reports out of Tanzania suggested Robinson took her life. But her family countered she had everything to live for.
“She’s never done anything that would ever, ever lead me to believe that she would harm herself,” her mother told the TV station.
Hotel management has said they are cooperating with local authorities and with the U.S. Embassy, as the search for answers continues.
Robinson’s family set up a GoFundMe account to help with travel costs, funeral arrangements, and unexpected expenses. It quickly surpassed the $50,000 goal they set.
On April 14, her father posted a statement on Instagram saying, “We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of love, prayers, and support shown to our family during this incredibly difficult time. Your support means more to us than words can express.”
Discover more from Urban Hollywood 411
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
