Cause of death confirmed after influencer Ashlee Jenae died while on holiday with fiancé
A cause of death has been confirmed following the tragic death of US influencer Ashlee Jenae who was found dead in a hotel room just days after getting engaged.
Ashlee, real name Ashly Robinson, was staying at a luxury hotel in Zanzibar, Tanzania, with her new-fiancé Joe McCann on 8 April when she was discovered unconscious.
The 31-year-old, who went by Ashlee Jenae on social media, was rushed to hospital but was pronounced dead the following day.
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Speaking to the media in the wake of the tragedy, Ashlee’s family said her death ‘didn’t make any sense’ and were desperately seeking answers.
Yesterday, 4 June, officials in Tanzania announced that they had concluded their investigations and found that she died by suicide as a result of 'mental distress'.
Deputy Director of Criminal Investigations Zuberi Chembera said at a press conference in Zanzibar: “Through witness statements and analysis of communication devices belonging to the deceased and her fiancé, we established that she had been experiencing mental distress.
“SMS exchanges showed repeated complaints regarding her life circumstances.”
He added that the investigation concluded no one else was implicated in her death, The Citizen reports.
In April, the Tanzania Police Force announced that it had ‘withheld’ McCann's passport and was interviewing him ‘as a witness’.
In a statement to TMZ after Ashlee’s cause of death was established 45-year-old McCann said: "Today's official announcement from Tanzanian authorities that my soulmate Ashly Robinson died by suicide does not lessen the tragedy of her death.
“I miss Ashly every moment of every day and the pain of being without her will never go away. A sudden loss of this magnitude is not something I can simply get over.
"My priorities all along were getting Ashly home and cooperating with the authorities to ensure that the truth would be revealed. I wish to express my deepest gratitude to the dedicated men and women of the Tanzania Police Force for their professional, sensitive, and thorough investigation.”
His lawyer Edward Andrew Paltzik told the outlet: "Today, the Tanzania Police Force officially announced that the tragic death of Ashly Robinson was 'beyond any doubt' by suicide.
“This exonerating announcement marks the end of an exhaustive, professional, and unbiased investigation carried out for the sole purpose of revealing the truth.
“Beyond any doubt, the truth now revealed to the world is this: Joe McCann is a completely innocent man."
If you’ve been affected by any of these issues and want to speak to someone in confidence, please don’t suffer alone. Call Samaritans for free on their anonymous 24-hour phone line on 116 123 or contact Harmless by visiting their website https://harmless.org.uk.
Claire Reid