Influencer Dies On Vacation To Exotic Destination With Fiancé. Family Says They’ve Been Kept Out Of The Loop

An influencer from New Jersey died while on a recent vacation to Zanzibar with her fiance, prompting her family to call for an investigation, according to CBS News.

Ashly Robinson, a travel influencer who uses the name “Ashlee Jenae” online, died suddenly during the trip with Joe McCann, according to CBS News. McCann proposed to Robinson during the trip, which was seemingly meant to celebrate her 31st birthday. Tanzanian Police said during an April 14 press conference that they are questioning the fiance and keeping his passport until autopsy results are finished.

Robinson’s family alleged to the outlet that while McCann called to inform them Robinson was in the hospital, they learned of her death from the hotel where the couple was staying, according to CBS News. The family also alleges that McCann stopped communicating with them after his initial call. (RELATED: Doctor Allegedly Removes Wrong Organ In Fatal Mistake, Faces Manslaughter Charge)

“They were in a gorgeous place in Africa and happy,” Robinson’s mother, Yolanda Endres, told CBS. “Everything that we knew was that she was supposed to be happy. She was engaged, she celebrated her birthday thereafter, and then she’s just gone.”

“I asked him when it happened and where it happened, and he told me that something had occurred 11 hours prior to when he was reaching out to me,” she continued.

“The fiancé did not reach out to us at all. We found out from the hotel,” Robinson’s father, Harry Robinson, told the outlet. “That’s devastating when your daughter’s halfway around the world. We just wanted to know where she was at, who she was with, and that she was OK. Just give us something.”

Robinson was allegedly discovered unresponsive in her hotel room and pronounced dead April 9, according to 6ABC. Police are investigating her death as a possible suicide. Robinson allegedly fought with McCann ahead of her death, prompting hotel workers to separate them, investigators in Tanzania said. McCann was then moved to a villa about a 10-minute walk away from where Robinson was staying, 6ABC reported.

Robinson’s family is calling for a full investigation into her death, including a review of the hotel’s surveillance cameras.

“There’s cameras everywhere at a resort and that will match the timeline,” Harry Robinson said. “Just do the investigation and let us know.”

The influencer had a mark around her neck when she died, the Independent reported, citing a hospital report. The documents alleged her fiance “found she hung herself on the door.”

An investigation into Robinson’s death is ongoing, according to Tanzanian Police. The U.S. State Department is also monitoring the case, CBS News reported.

The hotel said it is cooperating with the U.S. Embassy in Tanzania and local authorities, according to the outlet.

“We respectfully request continued patience and understanding as law enforcement officials proceed with their investigation, ensuring due process and upholding integrity for all parties concerned,” the Zanzibar government’s ministry of tourism and heritage stated, CBS News reported.