Suspicion surrounds death of US influencer Ashly Robinson in Zanzibar

Ashly Robinson, a US lifestyle influencer, died last week while on vacation in the Tanzanian islands of Zanzibar with her boyfriend, Joe McCann. Robinson’s death on 9 April, just days after her birthday and a marriage proposal from McCann, has sparked suspicion on social media, with users doubtful of the current narrative surrounding her death.

No arrests have been made, and police previously said that McCann was not suspected of wrongdoing. But officials in Zanzibar released a statement on Tuesday saying that McCann’s passport has been “withheld”.

Robinson’s family is seeking answers into her death. The visit was supposed to be “one of the happiest of trips”, according to a statement the family issued on Sunday. Instead, Robinson was “found unconscious in her villa and taken to hospital, where her death was confirmed hours later”.

“Nothing about this loss feels real,” the statement reads. “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.”

According to the BBC, Robinson’s parents said they had heard from McCann 11 hours after the incident that is thought to have led to her death, though with not much detail. He told them at the time that Robinson was OK. Later, Zuri Zanzibar, the hotel at which they had been staying, informed the family that Robinson was dead. The hotel told the BBC that it was cooperating with authorities and the US embassy. The family told TMZ that McCann had not reached out since the initial call.

The confusion around her death grew from there.

Initially, Zanzibar police reported that Robinson, 31, had attempted to take her own life, according to the local outlet Mwanachi. Zanzibar’s North Unguja police chief, Benedict Mapujira, said that the couple had a misunderstanding that led to hotel management splitting them into different rooms – something the hotel did not confirm.

Local police, as of Tuesday, maintain that McCann is not suspected of wrongdoing.

“We cannot take legal action or detain him under these circumstances,” Mapujira said to Mwananchi.