A fundraiser for the family of Ashly Robinson, known online as Ashlee Jenae, has raised more than $50,000. Robinson died last week while on holiday in Zanzibar with her fiancé, Joe McCann. He is understood to be speaking to police as a witness. Zanzibar police have told local media that he is not suspected of wrongdoing.

The police had previously told the BBC that Robinson had attempted to take her own life, but her family said that her death did not make sense and that they were seeking answers.

The Context

Robinson was a lifestyle content creator with more than 130,000 followers on Instagram. She died on April 9 while on a vacation on the Tanzanian island of Zanzibar. During the trip, she celebrated her 31st birthday and got engaged to McCann.

Days after her birthday on April 5, she was taken to a hospital where she was pronounced dead.

An image shows Ashly Robinson, known online as Ashlee Jenae, shortly before her death. | Instagram/Ashlee Jenae

What To Know

“Our beloved daughter, Ashly Robinson, traveled to Zanzibar, Africa, to celebrate her 31st birthday and got engaged during what should have been a joyful and memorable trip,” the description for the GoFundMe reads.

A video of the engagement showed McCann getting down on one knee at Serval Wildlife, a luxury safari lodge. McCann, 45, is a Miami-based entrepreneur and founder of crypto investment management firm Asymmetric Financial.

“Days later, she was found unconscious in her villa at the Zuri Hotel and was rushed to a local hospital, where her death was confirmed hours later. What was meant to be a dream became our family’s worst nightmare,” the GoFundMe reads.

The description states that as the family grieves, they are navigating the ongoing investigation and challenges of being far away as they try to bring Robinson home. The fund was set up in order to try and assist with travel costs, arrangements and unexpected expenses.

McCann has not been accused of any wrongdoing but police in Zanzibar are withholding his passport as a probe continues.

Robinson’s mother, Yolanda Denise Endres, told WPVI: “My daughter Ashly, she’s no longer here with us, and we’re trying to find out why.”

Robinson had called her mother on April 8 and said that she and McCann had been arguing and had moved into separate rooms. Endres received a call from McCann the next day, and he said that Ashly had done something to herself and was being taken to the hospital.

Hours later, the family was notified of Robinson’s death by the hotel. She had an unidentified mark around her neck and died at a hospital, which listed her cause of death as cerebral hypoxia by strangulation and suffocation, WPVI reported.

A hospital report stated that McCann had hung herself, but Endres said: “She’s never done anything that would ever, ever lead me to believe that she would do something to harm herself like that.”

In a statement shared to Instagram, the Robinson family said: “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.”

What Happens Next

The investigation into Robinson’s death is ongoing.