The body of New Jersey social media influencer Ashly Robinson has been returned to her family — but without her engagement ring or other personal belongings — as Tanzanian authorities continue investigating the circumstances of her death.
Ms. Robinson, who shared lifestyle content under the name Ashlee Jenae to more than 100,000 Instagram followers, was found unresponsive in her hotel room in Zanzibar on the night of April 8 and pronounced dead April 9, according to ABC News and NBC News. She had traveled to the Tanzanian island with her fiance, Joseph McCann, to celebrate her 31st birthday. Her father, Harry Robinson, told TMZ the remains were returned to the family in New Jersey on Friday, but that her personal belongings, including her engagement ring, have yet to be handed over. He believes authorities are holding the items as part of the ongoing investigation.
A funeral service is expected early this week, according to TMZ.
Mr. McCann proposed during an apparent safari excursion on April 3, and Ms. Robinson documented the moment on Instagram. Her final post, dated April 5, showed her feeding a giraffe and celebrating her birthday. She captioned the image, “Chapter 31 and I’m exactly where I need to be,” NBC News reported.
According to a statement from Tanzanian police, the couple checked into the Zuri Zanzibar hotel on April 6. On the night of April 8, other guests reported a disturbance, and hotel staff separated the couple — moving Mr. McCann to a different villa roughly eight to 10 minutes away on foot. A room service attendant found Ms. Robinson unresponsive in her room hours later. Tanzania Police subsequently announced their belief that she died by suicide following what they described as a “misunderstanding” between the pair, though a full investigation and independent autopsy results remain pending.
Mr. McCann’s passport has been suspended, and he has continued to be questioned by Tanzanian authorities, though police have not elaborated on the nature of the inquiry, Fox News Digital reported. Sources told the BBC that Mr. McCann is being interviewed as a witness and is not accused of any wrongdoing. Whether he has returned to the United States remains unclear.
Ms. Robinson’s family has commissioned an independent autopsy, with results still pending. Her parents, Harry and Yolanda Robinson, have disputed the suicide announcement from the start. Her sister, Alyssa Endres, told NBC News that she had spoken with Ms. Robinson shortly before her death and that everything seemed normal. “She was so ready to take the next steps with who she thought was the love of her life,” Endres said. “She was happy.”
The family said Mr. McCann contacted them 11 hours after Ms. Robinson was taken to the hospital, and only reached out again to inform them she had died. Her parents told TMZ they have not heard from Mr. McCann since and described the silence as “very, very odd.”
“The sadness, the unanswered questions, and the distance from home have made this tragedy even more overwhelming for our family,” the Robinsons said in a statement posted to social media. “At this time, there is an active investigation into the circumstances surrounding Ashly’s suspicious passing.”
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