Miami Lifestyle Influencer Ashlee Jenae was found dead on April 5 in a luxury rented villa in Tanzania. She died days after her fiancé, Joe McCann, proposed to her.
Joe is founder of the cryptocurrency investment firm Asymmetric Financial. He is not under suspicion. Joe has not spoken publicly about the incident.
Authorities in Tanzania are investigating Ashlee’s death as a possible suicide by hanging.
But Ashlee’s family is demanding answers. They say Ashlee was happy and she would not have taken her own life on another continent.
In a statement on Sunday, family members said Ashlee (born Ashly Robinson) was celebrating her 31st birthday with her fiancé at the Zuri Zanzibar resort in Tanzania.
“But just days later, that dream turned into our family’s worst nightmare,” they wrote. “Ashly was found unconscious in her villa and was rushed to a local hospital, where her death was confirmed hours later.”
They continued, “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.”
Ashlee’s death raises questions regarding her fiancé, who has come under heavy scrutiny on social media.
Ashlee posted a video on April 3 of Joe proposing to her on one knee during a safari. She posted photos of them posing with lions, zebras and giraffes during the safari. In one photo she is seen feeding a giraffe out of a bowl.
On the floor at her feet is a mat of red and white rose petals that spell out “HBD Ashlee.”
She captioned the post, “Chapter 31 and I’m exactly where I need to be.”
Social media activist Tariq Nasheed had little sympathy for Ashlee, whom he referred to as a “bed wench.”
He tweeted:
“A woman named Ashlee Jenae, who had a long history of Zaddy worshiping, went on vacation with her current Zaddy and ended up unalived under questionable circumstances. People in her comment section was giving her warnings months ago. This is very unfortunate… But…if you lay with lice you pay the price.”
Tariq posted examples of Ashlee degrading black men on social media. In one post, she wrote, “Every day black men wake up and find new ways to embarrass us.”
Ashlee’s death is drawing comparisons to Shanquella Robinson’s death in Mexico in 2022. Robinson, 25, of Charlotte, traveled to San José del Cabo with six friends on Oct. 28, 2022.
The next day, Shanquella was found dead in a luxury villa at the swanky Fundadores Beach Club. Authorities said she died of alcohol poisoning. But viral video showed a “friend” beating Robinson. No arrests were made.
