Zanzibar Police have officially concluded their investigation into the death of American social media influencer Ashlee Jenae Robinson, announcing that evidence gathered over nearly two months shows she died by suicide and that no criminal act was involved.
The findings were presented on Thursday, June 4, by Zanzibar Deputy Director of Criminal Investigations (CID) DCP Zuberi Chembera during a press briefing.
According to Chembera, investigators examined witness accounts, digital communications, forensic evidence, and information collected from both Robinson’s mobile devices and those belonging to her fiancé, Joseph McCann.
“Our investigation, together with other institutions involved in the inquiry, has established that there was no criminal act committed by another person,” Chembera told reporters.
The announcement brings to a close a case that attracted significant attention both in Tanzania and abroad after Robinson, 31, was found unconscious in her hotel villa in Zanzibar in April.
Police said Robinson and McCann arrived in Zanzibar on April 6 and checked into the five-star Zuri Hotel in northern Unguja, where they were assigned Villa 25.
Investigators said a disagreement later developed between the couple on April 8, prompting hotel management to separate them by relocating McCann to a different villa.
According to the police timeline, a hotel employee conducting a routine evening inspection later visited Villa 25 after noticing unusual conditions. After receiving no response from inside, the staff member entered using a master key and discovered Robinson in critical condition.
She was rushed to Ampolla Hospital in the Urban West Region, where doctors later confirmed her death.
Chembera said the investigation found evidence that Robinson had been experiencing psychological difficulties before her death.
“Through witness statements and analysis of communication devices belonging to both the deceased and her fiancé, we found indications that Ashlee was suffering from emotional distress,” he said.
Police said text messages recovered during the investigation showed repeated complaints about personal struggles and emotional challenges.
The case generated widespread speculation online, with some social media users accusing McCann of involvement in Robinson’s death. Those claims prompted authorities to detain him temporarily and seize communication devices for forensic examination.
However, police said the investigation found no evidence linking him to any crime.
The findings largely align with details released by authorities in the days following Robinson’s death, though investigators said the final report incorporates additional forensic and technological analysis completed over recent weeks.
The case drew international attention after Robinson’s family and fiancé publicly disputed aspects of the circumstances surrounding her death, while online discussions fueled competing theories about what happened in the final hours of her life.
With the investigation now officially closed, Zanzibar Police have urged families and communities to pay closer attention to mental health challenges affecting young people.
Authorities said emotional and psychological struggles often go unnoticed until they become serious, calling for greater awareness and support systems to help individuals facing personal difficulties.
The conclusion of the investigation ends one of the most widely followed cases in Zanzibar this year, while leaving renewed discussion about mental health, online speculation, and the impact of social media narratives during high-profile investigations.
