Partner of US influencer who died in Zanzibar speaking to police as witness

The partner of US influencer Ashly Robinson, who died last week while on holiday with him on the Tanzanian islands of Zanzibar, has had his passport “withheld”, the local police said in a statement.

Joe McCann, 45, is understood to be speaking to police as a witness. No arrests have been made and the police had previously told local media that McCann was not suspected of wrongdoing.

Zanzibar’s police had earlier told the BBC that Robinson, 31, known online as Ashlee Jenae, had attempted to take her own life. McCann has not made any public statement on the matter.

In a US interview, Robinson’s parents said her death in Tanzania “doesn’t make any sense” and were seeking answers.

“Investigations into the case are ongoing, including awaiting the official medical examination report from doctors,” the police said.

Robinson had “been found unconscious in her villa and taken to hospital, where her death was confirmed hours later”, her family said in a statement issued on Sunday.

In an interview with the BBC’s US media partner CBS News, Robinson’s parents described their daughter as “a light” and a “beautiful person” who was “supposed to be happy”.

She had just celebrated her birthday and had got engaged during the trip, “and then she is just gone”, her mother, Yolanda Endres, said.

“We are confused about how that could change so drastically.”

The parents said they had heard from McCann 11 hours after the incident that supposedly led to Robinson’s death and “not with a lot of detail”. They were later told by Zuri Zanzibar, the hotel where the couple had been staying, that she had died.

Zanzibar’s North Unguja police chief Benedict Mapujira told the BBC that the couple were reported to have had a misunderstanding, prompting Zuri Zanzibar’s management to separate them into different rooms. But in a statement to the BBC, the hotel did not confirm details of the case given by the police.

Mapujira said the case was reported late last Wednesday at a nearby police station after hotel staff raised the alarm over a guest suspected to be suicidal.

“[Robinson] was then taken to hospital for treatment that night, but she passed away the following day (9 April),” he told the BBC.

In a statement, Zuri Zanzibar told the BBC that it was deeply saddened by the “tragic incident involving one of our guests”.

It said it was co-operating with authorities and the US embassy, but declined to comment further citing privacy concerns and the need to protect the integrity of the investigations.

Offering its condolences, the state department in Washington confirmed the death of an American in Zanzibar adding that the administration “has no higher priority than the safety and security of Americans”.

Robinson’s parents have said they are co-operating with authorities as investigations continue.

Days before her death, Robinson had posted photos and videos from her trip, including one taken at a zoo in Tanzania’s northern region of Kilimanjaro.

On her Instagram page, followers have been sharing condolence messages.