Detective to give major Jay Slater update amid ongoing 'speculation' over case

Ex-Met police detective Mark Williams-Thomas, who joined Jay Slater's family early in the search, posted on X to say he will address speculation in the near future

By: irishmirror.ie

Jul 20 2024
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Detective to give major Jay Sl

An investigator who flew out to Tenerife to aid in the search for Jay Slater before his corpse was found says he will address speculation "in due course".

The 19-year-old bricklayer, from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, is suspected to have plunged to his death near the remote village of Masca in Tenerife. Human remains were discovered by Spanish police on Monday, around one month after he was first declared missing - which were later confirmed to be the teenager.

Now ex-Met police detective Mark Williams-Thomas, who joined Jay's family early in the search, posted on X to say he will address speculation in the near future, reports The Mirror.

He wrote: "Being asked to do a video to address some of the speculation that continues to circle around the very sad case of Jay Slater. I will do a video in due course when the time is right. At this stage we are just making sure all the actions of the investigation are fully completed as far as we can, before doing so."

Jay vanished after he partied at a three-day music festival on the island. He travelled back to an Airbnb to stay with two British men, who claimed that he had "nowhere to go" after his friends left him. The following day, on June 17, he alerted his close friend to tell her that he was going to make an 11-hour walk back to his accommodation and then vanished, sparking the huge search.

Ex British Detective Mark Williams-Thomas giving press release on behalf of Jay's family on the pavement in Adeje, Tenerife. ©Stan Kujawa (Image: Stan Kujawa)

During the call, he said his phone was on 1 per cent battery and he needed a drink. He was never seen alive again. Bouquets of blue and white flowers bore touching messages from the apprentice bricklayer's mum Debbie Duncan, dad Warren Slater and older brother Zak. They had been placed on the dirt track 22 miles from the town Jay had been trying to reach.

In a statement issued through charity LBT Global, Jay's mother said: "I just can't believe it we're here with the embassy staff waiting for an update and now it's come the worst news."

She added: "I just can't believe this could happen to my beautiful boy. Our hearts are broken."

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