Zanzibar. Police in Zanzibar have confirmed that suicide was the cause of death of a 31-year-old Miami-based lifestyle influencer, Ashly Robinson, better known online as Ashlee Jenae.
North Unguja Police Commander Benedict Mapujira told The Citizen’s sister newspaper, Mwananchi, on Monday, April 13, 2026, after news of Ashlee Jenae went viral across global social media platforms.
He said the incident occurred on Thursday, April 9, 2026, when the woman allegedly hanged herself using a piece of cloth from her dress inside a wardrobe.
The regional police chief said the couple had been staying together but later had a disagreement, prompting hotel management to separate them into different rooms.
“The fiancé, as it was reported, had disagreements, and later hotel management decided to separate their rooms, so the woman had her own room, and the man had his own room,” he said.
The police commander said the matter was reported at Nungwi Police Station after hotel staff raised an alarm that a guest was suspected to be suicidal.
“The woman was with a companion, a tourist who had come to the island for tourism purposes. She was still alive when the matter was reported to the police. She was rescued and taken to the hospital. However, she passed away the following day (Friday, April 10),” he said.
He said the body remains in Tanzania pending further examination before arrangements for repatriation are made.
When asked about action taken against the fiancé, Commander Mapujira said: “We can’t take legal action or detain him under these circumstances.”
According to circulating social media reports, Robinson had travelled to Zanzibar to celebrate her birthday on April 5.
During the trip, McCann allegedly surprised her with a marriage proposal during a safari, an event later described by her family as memorable. The couple was staying at the Zuri Zanzibar resort when the incident occurred.
“One moment she was celebrating love and life in true Ashly fashion, and the next, she was gone,” the Robinson and Endres families said in a joint statement.
“The suddenness, the unanswered questions, and the distance from home have made this tragedy even more overwhelming for our family.”
A statement shared by Savannah Britt, a friend of Ms Robinson, raised concern over the lack of official information in the early stages of the case.
“I find it very alarming that an American woman died abroad days ago, and before my initial tweet, nothing had been said from our State Department, Tanzanian government, or local media,” she wrote.
The families said they are cooperating with Zanzibar authorities in the ongoing investigation, but urged the public to treat all information not issued by the family as unverified.
“Ashly was deeply loved. She was vibrant, full of life, and had so much ahead of her,” the statement added. “Our family is completely devastated.”
Foul play claims
Online speculation has intensified, with users on platforms including Reddit and Threads suggesting McCann may have strangled Robinson and staged the scene to appear as a suicide.
Others pointed to the timing of the incident, shortly after a birthday celebration and engagement proposal, as suspicious.
“A woman who just got engaged does not hang herself days later,” read one viral post on Instagram. “Something is wrong here.”
Calls for justice
Across X, Instagram, Reddit, Threads and other platforms, calls for a thorough investigation continue to grow, with users demanding clarity and rejecting early conclusions.
Ms Robinson’s Instagram account has been flooded with tributes, combining messages of condolence with demands for justice. Her family has also appealed for patience as investigations continue.
The case remains under investigation, with authorities urging the public to avoid speculation as they work to establish the full circumstances surrounding the death.
Register to begin your journey to our premium contentSubscribe for full access to premium content
