Zanzibar authorities have said that Ashlee Jenae, a 31-year-old Miami-based lifestyle influencer who was found dead in a Tanzania hotel just days after her engagement, died by suicide. TMZ reported that North Unguja Regional Police Commander Benedict Mapujira said that Ashlee died after allegedly hanging herself inside her room at the Zuri Zanzibar resort on April 9.
Mapujira said that hotel staff had already intervened earlier in the day after Ashlee and her fiancé, Joe McCann, got into a dispute, The Citizen reported. The couple even moved into separate rooms.
Mapujira said resort employees became worried about Ashlee’s condition and contacted authorities after she was believed to be at risk of harming herself.
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“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.
According to police, Robinson was still alive when officers were called. She was transported to a hospital, where she died the next day.
What we know so far
The Deputy Commissioner of Police in Zanzibar, who also serves as the Deputy Director of Criminal Investigation (DCI), Zuberi Chembera, previoudly said that the hotel management had received a report from a guest in room number 24, saying they heard an altercation coming from room number 25, where Joe and Ashlee were staying. The disturbance prompted the management to decide to shift Joe to room number 65, located about an eight-minute walk from their original room.
Before the incident, Ashlee has reportedly requested a charging cable from a hotel employee because she faced issues with her own. The employee was asked to return after ten minutes, and when he did, he found Ashlee hanging from a clothesline. She was rushed to a hospital, where she died.
Read More | Who is Joe McCann? Ashlee Jenae’s fiancé under spotlight after US influencer’s death, ‘She would never commit suicide’
Ashlee’s loved ones have rejected the suicide claim, including her close friend, PR executive Savannah Britt, who wrote on X, “We need justice for my friend Ashlee Jenae who was found dead in her hotel in Tanzania and her fiance Joe McCann claims she hung herself. Anyone who knows Ash knows she would NEVER commit suicide. We need answers now!”
Ashlee’s family said in a statement that that “one moment she was celebrating love and life in true Ashly fashion, and the next, she was gone,” adding that the “unanswered questions” surrounding the case have made the loss harder to deal with.
The Citizen later reported that police in the Tanzanian islands of Zanzibar were holding Joe. His passport was also “withheld,” the local police said in a statement, according to the BBC. He was understood to be speaking to police as a witness.
Discussing suicides can be triggering for some. However, suicides are preventable. If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
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