Joe McCann — the fiancé of late influencer Ashlee Jenae — has broken his silence after police in Zanzibar, Tanzania revealed her cause of death and cleared McCann of any criminal charges in her death.
As we previously shared, McCann took the influencer overseas for her birthday, April 5. During the trip, McCann proposed to Jenae, born Ashly Robinson, but within a day’s time, authorities said the couple got into a heated disagreement — resulting in hotel staff separating the couple into two different rooms.
On April 9, officials declared Jenae dead after McCann told authorities he found her unconscious in her room. He alleged she hung herself from a door, killing herself. The Tanzania Police Force said she was suspended from the closet’s clothing rail using a robe belt the hotel provides for guests. Local officials initially ruled her death as a suicide.
However, Jenae’s family — namely her parents Yolanda Endres and Harry Robinson — has consistently denied her ever wanting to harm herself. Following Jenae’s death, police in Tanzania held McCann, and his passport, as they questioned him. Police eventually released him, and later issued a statement.
“There are no adequate words to describe the total devastation, emptiness, and shock I feel after losing my best friend, confidante and fiancé, Ashly Jenae Robinson. As a father myself, I am also heartbroken for Ashly’s parents, Yolanda Endres and Harry Robinson. Ashly’s death is an incomprehensible tragedy.
Devoted fans knew Ashly through her charismatic online persona Ashlee, but the person I loved was Ashly, a woman who embodied the virtues of compassion, empathy, kindness, generosity, and love. 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.
Ashly 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.
Ashly’s talents extended well beyond her online persona, Ashlee Jenae. She was a creative genius, even writing, directing, and acting in her own short film. She was an incredible decorator, always making sure our home reflected the current holiday or season. Hosting was second nature to her, going above and beyond for the guests that we entertained. Ashly also had an encyclopedic knowledge of music, especially her favorite band, Aerosmith. She enjoyed techno and dancing, was learning to DJ, and could rap too.
Ashly was an angel who shined her light on everyone fortunate enough to be in her presence. 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. Ashly, I love you forever. – Joe.”
Police In Zanzibar, Tanzania Reveal Official Cause Of Death For Ashlee Jenae And Clear Fiancé Joe McCann Of Any Charges
Since then, on Tuesday (June 4), TMZ reported that the Tanzania Police Force officially ruled Jenae’s death a suicide, clearing McCann of any wrongdoing. McCann later released a statement to TMZ. He used an old Swahili proverb: “The heart is like a forest. One cannot see into it.” He then 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.”
Joe’s attorney, Edward Andrew Paltzik, also told TMZ:
“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.”
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