American man held in Zanzibar after partner’s death following a dispute

ZANZIBAR, Tanzania (AP) — Police in Zanzibar are holding an American citizen whose partner died in mysterious circumstances following a dispute at the hotel where they were staying.

Joseph Isaac McCann, 45, was questioned by police on Monday, four days after his partner, Ashly Robinson, better known online as Ashlee Jenae, was found dead in her room.

The Deputy Director of Investigations in Zanzibar, Zuberi Chembera, refused to comment on Thursday, saying that investigations were ongoing.

Police said witness accounts indicate that the couple arrived at Zuri Hotel in Zanzibar on April 4 and had been quarreling frequently until the night of April 8, when hotel management separated them and asked McCann to move to a separate villa about a 10-minute walk away.

A few hours later, a hotel worker found Robinson unresponsive in a closet, with a belt around her neck, police said. She was taken to a hospital, where she died the following day.

Her family told CBS News that McCann called them and said something had happened, but the hotel management later called to inform them that their daughter had died. The parents said they are seeking transparency.