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The parents of American social media influencer Ashly Robinson say they are desperate for answers after their daughter died under circumstances they describe as making no sense — a sentiment that has only deepened as Tanzanian authorities confirmed they are holding the passport of her partner, Joe McCann.
Zanzibar police announced in a statement that McCann, 45, has had his travel document “withheld” as investigators look into the death of Robinson, 31, widely known to her online following as Ashlee Jenae. Authorities were careful to note, however, that no arrests have been made and that McCann is being treated as a witness. “Investigations into the case are ongoing, including awaiting the official medical examination report from doctors,” police said.
Robinson’s family said she had “been found unconscious in her villa and taken to hospital, where her death was confirmed hours later.” According to Zanzibar’s North Unguja police chief Benedict Mapujira, the couple had reportedly been involved in a disagreement, which prompted management at the upscale Zuri Zanzibar resort to move them into separate rooms. Hotel staff later raised the alarm after growing concerned that a guest may have been suicidal, Mapujira said, adding that the case was formally reported to a nearby police station late on a Wednesday evening. “[Robinson] was then taken to hospital for treatment that night, but she passed away the following day (9 April),” he told the BBC. Zanzibar police had separately told the BBC that Robinson had attempted to take her own life — a characterisation her family has not accepted.
The hotel, for its part, confirmed only that it was “deeply saddened by the tragic incident involving one of our guests” and said it was co-operating with authorities and the US Embassy. It declined to elaborate on the specifics relayed by police, citing privacy concerns and the need to protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation.
For Robinson’s parents, the silence and sparse communication have compounded their grief. They told CBS News that McCann had not contacted them until 11 hours after the incident, and even then “not with a lot of detail.” They only learned of their daughter’s death directly from the hotel. Speaking to the network, they described Robinson as “a light” and a “beautiful person” who was “supposed to be happy.” The timing of her death made the loss all the more painful — she had just celebrated her birthday and had become engaged to McCann during the very trip on which she died. “And then she is just gone,” her mother, Yolanda Endres, said. “We are confused about how that could change so drastically.”
McCann has not issued any public statement. Robinson’s parents say they are co-operating with investigators as the case continues to unfold.
In Washington, the State Department confirmed the death of an American citizen in Zanzibar, saying the administration “has no higher priority than the safety and security of Americans.”
In the days before her death, Robinson had shared photographs and videos from the couple’s East African holiday, including footage from a zoo in Tanzania’s northern Kilimanjaro region — images that now serve as a painful reminder of a trip that began in celebration. On her Instagram page, followers have flooded her posts with messages of condolence.
By: Andrews Kwesi Yeboah
