The fiancé of American social media influencer Ashly Robinson, widely known online as Ashlee Jenae, is being held in Zanzibar as authorities investigate the circumstances of her death. Joseph Isaac McCann has had his passport confiscated pending the outcome of a formal autopsy, Tanzanian officials confirmed.
Robinson, a 31-year-old content creator from the United States, died earlier this month during what was intended to be a celebratory birthday holiday on the archipelago. The trip, which began on April 4, turned into an international case after Robinson was found unresponsive in her hotel room following a dispute with McCann. According to a hotel worker, she was discovered in a closet with a belt around her neck. She was transported to hospital and died the following day.
Witnesses Describe Repeated Quarrels
Witnesses who spoke to investigators stated that the couple argued frequently throughout their stay. Hotel management eventually separated them on April 8, placing each in a different room approximately ten minutes apart. Hours after the separation, Robinson was found. Deputy Director of Investigations in Zanzibar, Zuberi Chembera, declined to issue a formal statement, indicating the probe remains active. Tanzanian authorities have suggested the death may have been a suicide based on initial findings, though that conclusion is still under investigation and has been disputed by Robinson's family.
Family Demands Transparency
Robinson's parents have publicly called for a thorough and transparent investigation. Speaking to CBS News, her mother Yolanda Endres said the couple had appeared happy and that the news of her daughter's death came as a devastating shock. Her father, Harry Robinson, expressed frustration at McCann's conduct in the hours following the incident, alleging the fiancé did not notify the family for approximately eleven hours and subsequently ceased all communication. The family ultimately learned of Robinson's death directly from the hotel. Harry Robinson noted that surveillance footage from the resort should help establish a clear timeline of events and urged investigators to follow the evidence. McCann remains in Zanzibar, barred from leaving the country as authorities continue to piece together the final hours of Ashly Robinson's life.
