Jay Slater’s family share pic of mystery figure that could be teen as mum pleads ‘I don’t want him home in a body bag’
JAY Slater’s worried family believe the teen may have been caught on CCTV ten hours after he was last heard from in Tenerife.
It comes as his distraught mum Debbie Duncan slammed conspiracy theorists and pleaded: “I really hope I am not taking my son home in a body bag.”
Jay made a final desperate call to his friend Lucy Law last Monday to tell her he was lost in the middle of nowhere, his phone was about to die and he needed water.
He had been to a rave the night before with pals Lucy and Brad, but left the club with two men he had met that night.
The Lancashire teen went back to their Airbnb in an unforgiving mountainous area near village of Masca.
After leaving their accommodation, Jay missed the bus home on Monday morning and was faced with a 10-hour walk.
He has not been seen or heard from since – and rescue crews have so far drawn blanks as the search enters its eighth day.
But Jay’s family believe there may have been a sighting of him in the village of Santiago del Teide hours – nearby to the desolate Rural de Teno park where Jay’s phone last pinged.
Grainy footage shows a figure walking past a church around 7km from the Masca village Jay vanished from one week ago.
His loved ones have shared a grainy CCTV shot of a mystery figure from around 6pm on Monday evening that they say has a likeness to Jay.
They have been sharing it – though police are yet to confirm it as a potential sighting.
Warren Slater, Jay’s dad, said “I just want my boy back” as he overlooked the search area with his other son Zak.
He said his son’s disappearance “doesn’t make sense” as he put up missing posters in the village of Santiago del Teide and shared the CCTV image.
A tearful Warren told MEN: “It started out as it being a lad who had gone walking and got lost, or that he may have fallen.
“But it doesn’t make sense. Nobody would walk off that road. Why would he have gone uphill?
“It’s dangerous; it’s a massive mountain. It’s not just a hill. It was only when I went up there myself [that I noticed]. People that go out to a party don’t come up here.”
Jay’s mum Debbie, meanwhile, has hit back at cruel trolls spreading conspiracy theories about her son.
A GoFundMe page set up by Lucy surpassed its £30,000 goal within days- but some have questioned what the money will be used for.
Debbie said: “I am really am saddened by all your comments. You seem to be so bothered about this GoFundMe page.
“I really hope I am not taking my son home in a body bag.
It comes as…
- Footage obtained by The Sun shows Jay appearing to stagger back to his feet at a club
- Jay’s mum gave a tearful plea and said “I just want my baby back”
- Owner of Airbnb where Jay stayed saw him “walking fast” up a dangerous ravine
- Brit cops offered to fly out and help but Spanish officials said no
- Jay’s mum slammed the Tenerife police investigation
- A possible new sighting of Jay placed him 3.5 miles away from where he vanished with two men
- The missing teen’s dad and brother visited the search site
- Cops turn their search to several brick outbuildings near Jay’s last known location
It comes as drones, sniffer dogs and helicopters comb three key areas as they hunt for Jay.”
Frantic search crews have scoured the area apprentice bricklayer Jay was last known to be but have yet to find any trace of him.
They have been using specialist equipment to thorough check three main areas – the Masca Gorge, La Vica, and Las Portelas.
Cops on the island refocussed their efforts around a 2,000ft ravine on Friday – an area known by locals as “the badlands”.
Locals and experts warned of the perilous conditions in the area – where the air is “thin”, temperatures change rapidly and the mountains drop sharply to the water below.
Over the weekend, crews were seen scouring small buildings in the desolate Rural de Teno park near where Jay’s phone last pinged.
Lancashire Constabulary offered to help Spain’s Guardia Civil in their efforts to find the teenager.
But Tenerife police rejected the bid and insisted they have the “resources” required to find him.
Many of Jay’s family and friends have flown to Canary island to join the search – including his parents.
They have insisted they will not leave Tenerife until they get answers.
Family friend Rachel Hargreaves said: “We’ve got to live in hope, haven’t we? You can’t give up on anthing, can you really.
“We’re here and we’re staying until we’ve got an outcome.”
One firefighter familiar with the area has said it is “strange” that Jay hasn’t been found yet.
Jay’s devastated mum Debbie Duncan, who flew out on Tuesday, sobbed as she begged for help to find her missing son.
She told ITN in an emotional interview on Wednesday: “It’s just an absolute living nightmare. It’s like a dream – it’s like it’s not happening.”
Debbie also slammed the investigation into her son’s disappearance for not allowing British cops to contribute.
Meanwhile, the firm where Jay works as an apprentice bricklayer has defended him and said the “picture being painted of him is just not true”.
A post by Oswaldtwistle-based PH Build reads: “Our Jay is still missing!
“We have decided to remove our last post due to all the negative comments and conspiracy theories.
It’s just an absolute living nightmare. It’s like a dream – it’s like it’s not happening.
Debbie Duncan
“Jay has been with us since he left school and is liked by all. He’s a valued member of our team and we stand by him.
“The picture being painted of him is just not true.
“The fact is he’s a 19 year old lad missing in a foreign country. He needs to be back home where he belongs. Come on Jay we are all praying for you.”
It comes as former detective Mark Williams-Thomas – who worked on the Maddie McCann case – offered to help the search effort.
Investigative journalist Mark said he believes he would be able to work out quickly whether there was “third party involvement” in Jay’s disappearance.
Jay’s mum has shared concerns that something “untoward” may have happened to her son as the search goes into its eighth day.
Mark posted on X: “I have this morning reached out to missing Jay Slater’s mum offering the help of my team to get her answers as to what has happened to Jay.
“Lots of speculation about what could have happened and if they give me total access and with feet on the ground I will very quickly be able to say if his disappearance is him alone or if it has third party involvement.”
Mark produced and featured in Madeleine McCann: The Case Against Christian B, a documentary about the toddler’s disappearance in 2003.
He worked as a police officer with the Met for around 10 years and then became a private detective.
Timeline of Jay Slater’s disappearance
By Ellie Doughty, Foreign News Reporter
SUNDAY JUNE 16 – MONDAY 17
Jay goes to a rave at the 2024 NRG music festival in Tenerife, around Arona on the south of the island
8.35pm – Jay posts a smiling Snapchat video of him laughing with friends
He leaves the rave with two men he met that day and is driven back to their accommodation across the island
MONDAY 17
7.30am – Jay posts a Snapchat of a hand holding a cigarette in the area where the accommodation was – near the rural de Teno Park on the north of the island
8.30am – Jay calls his friend Lucy Law and tells her he missed a bus, had one per cent of battery left on his phone and was stuck in the “middle of nowhere”
9am – A missing persons report is filed and the search for Jay begins
TUESDAY 18
2am – Police knock on the door of Jay’s mum Debbie Duncan’s home and tell her to catch the first flight out to Tenerife
7am – She flies out from Manchester Airport alongside her son Zak to help with the search
Debbie is sent a Snapchat message saying “Kiss goodbye to your boy, you’re never going to see him again, he owes me a lot of money.”
WEDNESDAY 19
12.30pm – Police move the search to the south of the island briefly after a false sighting
Cops search his hotel room for clues as his mum says there was “nothing untoward there”
Debbie gives a heart-wrenching interview where she shares fears he has been “taken” and says “I just want my baby back”
THURSDAY 20
Cops begin day four of the massive search for Jay
FRIDAY 21
Lancashire cops offer to help with the search but Tenerife authorities say they are “satisfied that they have the resources they need”
Search turns to 22,000ft ravine in Masca – part of an area dubbed “the badlands” by locals
SATURDAY 22
The sixth day of the search begins with sniffer dogs, cops, mountain rescue and firefighters again taking to the hills in northern Tenerife
Possible new sighting of Jay places him near a church with two men at 6pm on Monday – although unconfirmed by police
Jay’s dad Warren and brother Zak visit the search site in Tenerife
SUNDAY 23
Cops focus their search around small outbuildings in de Teno park near where Jay’s phone last pinged
Jay’s mum Debbie says trolls are comparing her to Karen Matthews
The GoFundMe set up by Jay’s friend Lucy surpasses £30,000 after just three days
Exclusive Sun footage shows Jay appearing to fall and stumble back up at a rave before he vanished
MONDAY 24
Search for Jay enters eighth day