Nearly a month after Ashlee Jenae was laid to rest, there has been an update on her cause of death. As previously reported, the influencer died soon after her boyfriend Joe McCann proposed to her while on a birthday vacation. Tanzania authorities doubled down this week on initial reports that Ashlee, real name Ashly Robinson, passed away from self-harm.
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Update On Ashlee Jenae’s Cause Of Death
According to local outlet The Citizen, the Zanzibar Police Force has closed the investigation into Ashlee’s death. Deputy Director of Criminal Investigations, Zuberi Chembera, reportedly provided the update to local Zanzibar journalists on June 4, 2026. Chembera said the investigation found that the 31-year-old influencer took her own life due to mental distress. This cause, the deputy said, has been established “beyond a reasonable doubt,” per The Citizen. No other individual, including Joe McCann, has been implicated in the death.
“Through witness statements and analysis of communication devices belonging to the deceased and her fiancé, we established that she has been experiencing mental distress. SMS exchanges showed repeated complaints regarding her life circumstances,” Chembera reportedly said.
Initial docs from April had cited her immediate cause of death as “cerebral hypoxia caused by strangulation and suffocation,” per TMZ. Her family previously revealed that they received Ashlee’s remains on April 24 without any of her belongings. Also, they had allegedly ordered an independent autopsy in the U.S. However, it’s unclear whether that was completed or what the findings were.
More Details Surrounding Ashly Robinson’s Death
Ashlee died on April 9 while being treated at a hospital. The day before, April 8, Ashlee and Joe had allegedly gotten into a domestic dispute that forced the Zuri Hotel in North Unguja to place them in separate rooms. This was reportedly around midday. Later, at nearly 9 p.m., a hotel staff member accessed her room, Villa 25, using an emergency key. They were allegedly conducting “routine evening duties” and knocked on her door but didn’t receive an answer, per The Citizen. Upon entering, the staff member reportedly found the room unlit and investigated a sudden thud-like sound. They allegedly found her unresponsive body hanging from a hotel-provided clothing belt tied to the inside of a wardrobe. She was taken to the Ampolla Hospital in the West Urban Region, but died the following day.
The Internet Previously Pointed Fingers At Joe McCann
Soon after Ashly Robinson died, heads turned toward her fiancé Joe McCann. Social media users and fans, particularly on Black online forums, weren’t convinced that a Black woman would end her life while on a dream birthday vacation, following her engagement. The final post the influencer shared on Instagram was on her 31st birthday. It showed her at a wildlife retreat, feeding a giraffe from her room deck. She captioned it, “Chapter 31 and I’m exactly where I need to be.”
