Resort Guest Says Shouting Came From the Villa Where Ashlee Jenae Was Staying With Fiancé Joe McCann — But an Unidentified DNA Trace Near a Closet Door Is Now Drawing Investigators’ Attention

A guest staying at the same resort has come forward claiming they heard loud arguing coming from the private villa where Ashlee Jenae was staying with her fiancé Joe McCann on the night investigators say tensions between the couple escalated.

The witness told investigators that raised voices could be heard from inside the property late in the evening. According to the guest, the argument sounded intense enough to draw attention from nearby rooms, although it is not clear exactly how long the shouting continued.

Now detectives are examining whether that moment could help clarify what happened in the hours before Ashlee was later found inside the villa.

Authorities say witness accounts are an important part of reconstructing the timeline of the night. Investigators often rely on nearby guests, staff members, and security personnel to describe what they heard or saw before police were called.

In this case, the reported argument aligns with earlier information indicating that resort staff had already intervened after a heated dispute between Ashlee Jenae and Joe McCann. According to authorities, security personnel were called to the villa and ultimately escorted McCann away from the property in an effort to defuse the confrontation.

At the time, resort staff believed the situation had been brought under control.

However investigators are now attempting to determine whether the argument continued after that intervention or whether something else occurred inside the villa later that night.

The witness statement about shouting has become even more significant because of what forensic teams reportedly discovered during their examination of the room.

Sources familiar with the investigation say technicians processing the scene located a small trace of DNA near the closet door inside the villa. The biological material was reportedly collected and sent for laboratory analysis as part of the evidence gathered at the scene.

Authorities have not disclosed exactly what type of DNA sample was recovered, but such evidence can sometimes come from skin cells, hair, blood, or other biological traces left behind during physical contact.

Forensic specialists are now working to determine whose DNA it is.

If the sample belongs to someone who was already known to be inside the villa that night, investigators may be able to place them at a specific location within the room during a key moment in the timeline. If the DNA belongs to someone not previously identified, it could introduce a new question about who may have been present.

Detectives say the location of the sample near the closet door has drawn particular interest.

Closets and adjoining areas are often examined carefully during forensic investigations because they can sometimes indicate movement within a room or attempts to access storage spaces. Investigators may attempt to determine whether the closet had been opened, searched, or used in any way during the events that took place inside the villa.

Forensic teams typically collect even the smallest traces of biological evidence because modern DNA testing techniques can extract information from extremely small samples.

Once the DNA profile is developed in a laboratory, it may be compared against known samples from individuals connected to the investigation as well as national DNA databases used in criminal cases.

The process of analyzing and comparing DNA evidence can take time, especially when investigators are working to ensure the results are accurate.

Meanwhile detectives are continuing to piece together the sequence of events that unfolded at the resort that night.

The investigation has already focused on several key moments. Earlier in the evening, Ashlee had reportedly been speaking with friends and appeared excited about her engagement to Joe McCann. Later that night, the argument between the couple prompted resort staff to intervene.

Security personnel escorted McCann away from the villa after the confrontation escalated.

Investigators have since indicated that there may be a gap in the timeline following that moment. Authorities are working to determine exactly what happened inside the villa during the period after security removed him from the scene.

Detectives have been reviewing surveillance footage from around the resort property in an effort to identify anyone entering or leaving the area during that time. They are also examining phone records and digital communications connected to the individuals involved.

Witness statements like the one from the guest who reported hearing shouting can sometimes help investigators confirm or challenge the sequence of events suggested by other evidence.

If the argument continued after security escorted McCann away, detectives may attempt to determine whether he returned to the villa or whether someone else was present inside the property.

Authorities have not said whether the unidentified DNA trace has been matched to anyone so far.

For Ashlee’s family and friends, each new development in the investigation brings both hope for answers and renewed pain over the tragedy.

Those close to her have described her as someone who had been looking forward to the future, particularly after becoming engaged. Friends say she had spoken with excitement about the next chapter of her life just hours before the confrontation at the resort.

Now investigators believe the smallest detail inside the villa could hold crucial clues.

A witness says they heard shouting echo from the room that night.

And near the closet door, forensic teams found a trace of DNA they are still trying to identify.