Influencer Ashlee Jenae's cause of death has been revealed two months after her passing at a luxury hotel in Zanzibar. The New Jersey native, whose real name is Ashly Robinson, was pronounced dead at age 31 on April 9 after being discovered unconscious at the Zuri Zanzibar resort.
Her death occurred hours after she was heard having a volatile argument with her crypto mogul fiancé, Joe McCann, 45, and just six days after the couple became engaged during a safari. According to local outlet The Citizen Press, authorities concluded their investigation into Jenae's death and determined that she died by suicide as a result of mental distress.
Deputy Director of Criminal Investigations Zuberi Chembera stated at a press conference in Zanzibar on Thursday, '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 'confirmed no individual was implicated in the death.'
A hospital listed her cause of death as cerebral hypoxia by strangulation and suffocation. The Tanzania Police Force announced on April 14 that McCann was questioned by investigators and his travel document had been withheld amid the ongoing probe. It was believed McCann was being questioned as a witness, as authorities previously told local media he was not suspected of any wrongdoing, according to the BBC.
McCann, the wealthy founder of crypto fund Asymmetric Financial, recently described Jenae as 'an angel who shined her light on everyone fortunate enough to be in her presence.' He said, 'There is no way to fill the unfillable void left by Ashly's passing and no way to make sense of this unfathomable loss. All we can do is carry on Ashly's legacy of helping other people and strive to live up to her virtues every single day.'
Police said her death was related to the fight the newly-engaged couple had at the resort, which became so volatile that staff moved McCann to a separate room for their safety. McCann said he returned with a security guard to check on Jenae and found her hanging from a door.
In his post, McCann described Jenae as 'a woman who embodied the virtues of compassion, empathy, kindness, generosity, and love.' He continued, 'A nurturing presence, Ashly cared deeply for the people closest to her, which to my eternal gratitude included me. She fattened me up with her amazing cooking and had a great relationship with my kids. Each day, we shared both quiet moments of reflection and the many joys of being in love with each other.' McCann noted that she 'was a loving soul, so much so that she called herself a “lover gyal” as an homage to her Trinidadian roots, in which she took great pride. What Ashly desired most was to become a mother and to raise a family together. There is no question that she would have been an amazing mom.'
McCann said he was 'also heartbroken for Ashly's parents, Yolanda Endres and Harry Robinson.' Jenae's parents have claimed that McCann only alerted them to the tragedy 11 hours later and has continued to be vague about what happened in the days since. They have publicly disputed claims that Jenae would take her own life, as her sister Alyssa Endres, 20, previously told the Daily Mail that her late sibling was a 'beautiful' and high-spirited person, as reflected on social media. Endres said a suicide would have been 'extremely' out of character for her sibling and makes no sense given the context.
The family also released a statement describing her death as 'suspicious.' The statement read, 'Nothing about this loss feels real. One moment she was celebrating love and life in truly Ashly fashion, and the next, she was gone. The suddenness, the unanswered questions, and the distance from home have made this tragedy even more overwhelming for our family. At this time, there is an active investigation into the circumstances surrounding Ashly's suspicious passing. Although we have many questions, we are placing our trust in the officials in Zanzibar and are working closely with them as we seek clarity and answers.'
The influencer's parents, Yolanda Denise Endres and Harry Robinson, said she had been traveling with McCann, her boyfriend of one year, and appeared to be having the time of her life on the island off Tanzania when they received the news of her death. 'She was starting the next chapter of her life. She called us to FaceTime us to share with us her travel and her vacation,' Endres told ABC13. Jenae's social media posts echoed the same sentiment. 'Chapter 31 and I'm exactly where I need to be,' she wrote on her final post dated April 7, after describing her vacation as 'a dream' three days prior.
But her mother said Jenae called on April 8 to tell her parents that she had argued with her fiancé, and they had moved to separate rooms. The next day, Endres said she received a disturbing call from McCann. 'He told me that Ashly did something to herself and she was being taken to the hospital, and he told me she was stable,' Endres told ABC13. 'I said what happened, and he told me, it had been 11 hours prior.' Several hours later, the luxury villa where the couple had been staying broke the news that Jenae had died.
If you or someone you know needs help, please call or text the confidential 24/7 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline in the US on 988. There is also an online chat available at 988lifeline.org.
