Ashlee Jenae’s fiancé Joe McCann tried reaching out to her family after her death … but the communication basically hit a wall immediately afterward.
Joe’s lawyer, Edward Andrew Paltzik, tells TMZ … Ashlee’s mother Yolanda texted Joe asking what happened on April 9 shortly after Ashlee died in Tanzania … and despite being completely crushed by her death, Joe responded promptly and appropriately.
But according to Joe’s side, Yolanda never replied back — and he says he hasn’t heard from the family since.
We’re told Joe understands Ashlee’s loved ones are grieving and may not be ready to accept what authorities currently believe happened — that Ashlee died by suicide.
Joe chose not to follow up again because he wanted to respect the family’s silence and give them space to grieve … though he absolutely would’ve responded had Yolanda texted him again.
We’re also told the family has always had Joe’s contact info and could’ve reached out whenever they wanted … but never did.
As we previously reported, Joe was questioned by local investigators following Ashlee’s death and even had his passport seized during the investigation — though he has not been arrested or charged in connection with her death.
Still, Ashlee’s family has since decided to prohibit Joe from attending her funeral. Regarding communications with Joe, they claim Joe reached out once to tell them Ashlee was okay after being taken to a hospital. They allege he never contacted them again.
We’ve reached out to Ashlee’s parents — Harry and Yolanda — so far, no word back.
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