Jay Slater latest updates: Post-mortem examination confirms body found in remote part of Tenerife is missing British teenager

A body was found in the search for missing teenager Jay Slater yesterday, almost one month after the teenager vanished on the Spanish island of Tenerife.

The 19-year-old apprentice bricklayer, from Oswaldtwistle in Lancashire, was last seen on the morning of June 17. 

Although Spanish police are awaiting full identification, they say that ‘everything is pointing to it being’ Jay, who they said could have ‘suffered an accident or fall in the inaccessible area where he was found’. 

Follow live updates below as post-mortem results confirm body found is the missing teenager, Jay Slater, as tributes from his friends and family pour in. 

Documentation found on body belonged to Jay Slater, officials have said

In a devastating admission, authorities also revealed documentation the dead man was carrying was the teenager’s, and everything is suggesting an ‘accidental fall.’

Full identification is likely now not to be until next week, because the body was so ‘deteriorated’

Officials representing the female investigating judge said: ‘In reference to the British citizen Jay Slater, the autopsy with the full identification of the body and the causes of death will take time, because the body was very deteriorated.’

Area where body was found is being searched again

The area where the body was found in the hunt for Jay Slater is reportedly being searched again.

Rescue teams are today scouring the remote valley in Tenerife, near the village of Masca, where the human remains that are believed to be that of the teenager were discovered.

The search is understood to be being carried out to make sure nothing is missed in the thick undergrowth.

A local resident told Sky News it is ‘exceptionally difficult’ to safely walk down the valley.

Another resident added: ‘It is sad – the spot where they found him shows he had gone a long way into the ravine. It is hard to understand how he got there.’

READ: Body found near spot where Jay Slater went missing was ‘very deteriorated’ but carrying missing teenager’s documentation – as Spanish cops say ‘everything is pointing’ to tragic accident

TIMELINE: From Jay Slater’s last sighting to now

Full identification may not take place until ‘next week’ and body found was ‘very deteriorated’

Officials in Tenerife have revealed that full identification of the ‘very deteriorated’ body discovered near the area where Jay Slater went missing is unlikely to happen until ‘next week’.

They added that documentation the dead body was carrying belonged to the teenager.

A court in the town of Icod de los Vinos which covers the area of Masca where the body was found is in charge of the ongoing investigation.

The female investigating judge said: ‘In reference to the British citizen Jay Slater, the autopsy with full identification of the body and the causes of death will take time, because the body was very deteriorated.

“But there is very little doubt about both the identity and the etiology. The documentation he was carrying corresponds to that of Jay Slater and everything is pointing to an accidental fall, although that is unofficial pending the final reports.”

Although the current information ‘is pointing to an accidental fall’ officials added that it would not be confirmed until the final reports are completed.

They added: ‘The court is saying the official identification will not be known until next week.’

The comment comes after the 29-day search for apprentice bricklayer Jay came to an end yesterday around 10am.

A helicopter was called in to recover his body.

The large-scale police search in the mountains near Masca had been suspended around two weeks after he disappeared on June 17, but mountain rescue police specialists had continued with a smaller search on a daily basis.

Everything we know so far

  • A body was discvered today in ‘inaccessible area’ close to where his mobile phone last pinged 29 days ago
  • The body was recovered using a helicopter due to the difficult terrain
  • Formal identification has not yet taken place but officers say that ‘everything is pointing to it being’ Jay after his clothes were found next to the body
  • Police said in a statement that he may have died after ‘suffering an accident or fall’ but a post-mortem should reveal more details
  • Tributes have started flooding in on social media including a heartfelt post by Jay’s friend Brad Hargreaves who was on holiday with the 19-year-old

Remote £40-a-night Airbnb where Jay Slater spent his final hours is already booked up until the end of summer

The Airbnb where Jay Slater stayed before vanishing has been relisted for tourists to rent – and has already been booked up.

The £40-a-night two-bedroom cottage is in the village of Masca around 19 miles from Playa de las Americas, Tenerife.

The property was initially taken off holiday listing websites, but has now reappeared.

However the cottage does not have any availability for the busy summer season, with one online firm saying it is unavailable until at least August 31.

Attempts by MailOnline to reserve it beyond this date were also rejected.

A view of the Airbnb Casa Abuela Tina in Masca, Tenerife, where missing British teenager Jay Slater, 19, of Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, resided prior to his disappearance. Jay was last heard on Monday morning after attempting to walk back to his lodging after missing a bus while staying with folks he met at the NRG music festival in Tenerife, Spain's Canary Islands. Picture date: Friday June 21, 2024. PA Photo. See PA story POLICE Tenerife. Photo credit should read: James Manning/PA Wire
A view of the Airbnb Casa Abuela Tina in Masca, Tenerife, where missing British teenager Jay Slater, 19, of Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, resided prior to his disappearance. Jay was last heard on Monday morning after attempting to walk back to his lodging after missing a bus while staying with folks he met at the NRG music festival in Tenerife, Spain's Canary Islands. Picture date: Friday June 21, 2024. PA Photo. See PA story POLICE Tenerife. Photo credit should read: James Manning/PA Wire
Casa Abuela Tina en Masca, Buenavista del Norte, EspañaJay Slater

READ: Body is found as Spanish police say ‘young man’ is likely to have suffered ‘an accident or fall’

Jay’s best friend posts TikTok tribute video

In a video posted on TikTok, Lucy Law has published a montage of photos of her and Jay Slater.

jay slater best friend Lucy Maetaken without permisisonhttps://www.tiktok.com/@lucy.maenew/photo/7391902374467587361?_d=secCgYIASAHKAESPgo8rFSj91pry6N7dqJrIN09ubo2jaFEDHRdax1JOfLmKm2Bo%2BDujETuJ8yAO02oRECKH9gq2exFO%2Bhpm%2FVEGgA%3D&_r=1&checksum=c525c777e537ecb2c12589d7b243a2a63256db30c3d835947b97f40b355122a5&preview_pb=0&sec_user_id=MS4wLjABAAAAB4ShweN9NUnV6Z-XtjreAj_axeo63QVX9FD3axJaFnaKLlBOtzjGitVqPsiGChAU&share_app_id=1233&share_item_id=7391902374467587361&share_link_id=BC3E943B-D195-452B-8370-B79AE0ED11CD&sharer_language=en&social_share_type=14&source=h5_m&timestamp=1721113774&tt_from=copy&u_code=e2kbda261eka97&ug_btm=b2878%2Cb0&ug_photo_idx=0&user_id=7119874408559133701&utm_campaign=client_share&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=copy
jay slater best friend Lucy Maetaken without permisisonhttps://www.tiktok.com/@lucy.maenew/photo/7391902374467587361?_d=secCgYIASAHKAESPgo8rFSj91pry6N7dqJrIN09ubo2jaFEDHRdax1JOfLmKm2Bo%2BDujETuJ8yAO02oRECKH9gq2exFO%2Bhpm%2FVEGgA%3D&_r=1&checksum=c525c777e537ecb2c12589d7b243a2a63256db30c3d835947b97f40b355122a5&preview_pb=0&sec_user_id=MS4wLjABAAAAB4ShweN9NUnV6Z-XtjreAj_axeo63QVX9FD3axJaFnaKLlBOtzjGitVqPsiGChAU&share_app_id=1233&share_item_id=7391902374467587361&share_link_id=BC3E943B-D195-452B-8370-B79AE0ED11CD&sharer_language=en&social_share_type=14&source=h5_m&timestamp=1721113774&tt_from=copy&u_code=e2kbda261eka97&ug_btm=b2878%2Cb0&ug_photo_idx=0&user_id=7119874408559133701&utm_campaign=client_share&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=copy
jay slater best friend Lucy Maetaken without permisisonhttps://www.tiktok.com/@lucy.maenew/photo/7391902374467587361?_d=secCgYIASAHKAESPgo8rFSj91pry6N7dqJrIN09ubo2jaFEDHRdax1JOfLmKm2Bo%2BDujETuJ8yAO02oRECKH9gq2exFO%2Bhpm%2FVEGgA%3D&_r=1&checksum=c525c777e537ecb2c12589d7b243a2a63256db30c3d835947b97f40b355122a5&preview_pb=0&sec_user_id=MS4wLjABAAAAB4ShweN9NUnV6Z-XtjreAj_axeo63QVX9FD3axJaFnaKLlBOtzjGitVqPsiGChAU&share_app_id=1233&share_item_id=7391902374467587361&share_link_id=BC3E943B-D195-452B-8370-B79AE0ED11CD&sharer_language=en&social_share_type=14&source=h5_m&timestamp=1721113774&tt_from=copy&u_code=e2kbda261eka97&ug_btm=b2878%2Cb0&ug_photo_idx=0&user_id=7119874408559133701&utm_campaign=client_share&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=copy
jay slater best friend Lucy Maetaken without permisisonhttps://www.tiktok.com/@lucy.maenew/photo/7391902374467587361?_d=secCgYIASAHKAESPgo8rFSj91pry6N7dqJrIN09ubo2jaFEDHRdax1JOfLmKm2Bo%2BDujETuJ8yAO02oRECKH9gq2exFO%2Bhpm%2FVEGgA%3D&_r=1&checksum=c525c777e537ecb2c12589d7b243a2a63256db30c3d835947b97f40b355122a5&preview_pb=0&sec_user_id=MS4wLjABAAAAB4ShweN9NUnV6Z-XtjreAj_axeo63QVX9FD3axJaFnaKLlBOtzjGitVqPsiGChAU&share_app_id=1233&share_item_id=7391902374467587361&share_link_id=BC3E943B-D195-452B-8370-B79AE0ED11CD&sharer_language=en&social_share_type=14&source=h5_m&timestamp=1721113774&tt_from=copy&u_code=e2kbda261eka97&ug_btm=b2878%2Cb0&ug_photo_idx=0&user_id=7119874408559133701&utm_campaign=client_share&utm_medium=ios&utm_source=copy

Events leading to the discovery of a body

WATCH: Jay Slater’s heartbroken dad: ‘I’m supposed to do something for him’

PICTURED: The terrain around Masca where the body was found

Statement issued by charity supporting the Slater family

‘LBT Global is saddened to announce that a body found in Tenerife does look to be that of Jay Slater.

‘It is understood the body was found close to the site of his mobile phone’s last location.

‘Although formal identification is yet to be carried out, the body was found with Mr Slater’s possessions and clothes. A post mortem and forensic enquiries will follow.

‘LBT Global are supporting the family at this distressing time and ask for everyone to afford them space and privacy to come to terms with the news.’

GoFundMe reveals what will happen to £54,000 Jay Slater fundraiser

Questions have been raised about what will happen to the money given by generous strangers after a body was found following a month of searching.

There has been a flurry of new donations since the tragic news was announced, taking the total now to £56,550.

A GoFundMe spokesperson told The Sun it is in ‘regular contact’ with Jay’s family to work out the next steps for dealing with the money over the next few weeks.

The Telegraph reported that the money will be used towards the funeral and repatriation costs.

The family began to withdraw money two weeks ago to help with the search.

The teenagers grief-stricken mother ‘demands answers’

His grief-stricken mother Debbie Duncan, 55, has ‘lots of questions which she hopes will be answered in the coming days,’ a source close to the family said.

‘Debbie is completely devastated,’ the insider told The Sun, adding that the ‘hardest’ part for Duncan is that the remains were ‘found so close to the original search site’.

‘It hasn’t completely sunk in yet. The hardest thing for her is to hear he was found so close to the original search site. It’s hard to take. It means it’s entirely possible they have walked past his body whilst searching for him.’

Missing teenager Jay Slater, 19 mum speaks to mailonline appealing for any information to get her son back.

WATCH: Jay’s best friend reveals details from final phone conversation

Exclusive:Jay Slater’s family believe teenager ‘was killed instantly after falling from a height’

A family spokesman told MailOnline today: ‘The whole family is absolutely broken. They are devastated. It’s not the outcome they were hoping for. Initially they thought how could he be so close and yet be missed but now having seen the location they appreciate the remoteness of it and there is no criticism of the search.

‘It looks as if he fell from a height so he would most likely have been killed instantly and he wasn’t there for a long time. There will be a PM [post-mortem] in Tenerife and probably one in the UK and repatriation should be within a week or so it’s all time dependent.’

Jay’s family trolled with ‘sick’ hostage video

The family’s detective has revealed that Ms Duncan and the teen’s father Warren Slater were targeted by trolls in a sick hostage video that saw them falsely claim ‘We have your son’, The Mirror reported.

Mark Williams-Thomas, a former Scotland Yard cop who has been working with Jay’s family over the last few weeks, suspects the fraudsters were trying to extort the teen’s loved ones for a ‘significant sum of money’.

He claimed the family received ‘two videos posted of separate people, meant to be Jay, having been beaten up’.

One clip allegedly featured the ‘We have your son’, with the detective saying it was ‘created for publication by someone wanting to give the impression they had Jay held hostage’.

He explained that ‘within hours’ they had established that Jay was not the individual depicted in the videos.

Honestly lost for words  Always the happiest and most smiley person in the room, you was one of a kind Jay and you'll be missed more than you know. I'm sure you'll "have your dancing shoes polished and ready" waiting for us all. We all love you buddy  Fly high ¿https://www.instagram.com/p/C9db0iqtXaN/?img_index=1Lucy tributes post to Jay Slater

WATCH: Ex-army officer shows off tough Tenerife terrain

Girlfriend of Jay Slater’s brother posts emotional message

Jessica Rogers, the girlfriend of Jay Slater’s brother, took to social media today to pay tribute to the teenager.

She posted a photograph of Jay with a blue love heart, accompanied by the words: ‘Will love you forever’.

'Will love you forever': Girlfriend of Jay Slater's brother posts emotional message after body found next to missing teenager's clothing in Tenerife - as family await post-mortem resultshttps://www.facebook.com/jessica.rogersnew

Autopsy likely to take place this morning

An autopsy of the body discovered yesterday is expected to happen this morning.

The Civil Guard has been reporting to a court in the town of Icod de los Vinos, which will receive the results.

A spokesman for the Civil Guard said that the ‘lifeless body of a young man in the Masca area after 29 days of constant search’.

They added: ‘Given the complexity of the case, the discovery has been possible thanks to the incessant and discreet search carried out by the Civil Guard during these 29 days.’

Undated family handout photo issued by LBT Global, of Jay Slater. Human remains have been found by Spanish police searching for Jay Slater, 19, from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, who went missing in Tenerife last month, according to reports. Issue date: Monday July 15, 2024. PA Photo. See PA story POLICE Tenerife . Photo credit should read: Family Handout/LBT Global/PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.

‘Rest easy brother’: Jay’s best friend pays tribute

Brad Hargreaves, who was on holiday with the 19-year-old apprentice bricklayer in Tenerife before his disappearance, took to social media to post a tribute.

Mr Hargreaves, who had been helping with the search before flying back to Britain last week, posted two snaps of him and his friend alongside a heartfelt message.

‘Nothing be the same without you. Rest easy brother. Love you always,’ he penned with a flurry of broken hearts and a crying emoji.

READ: The unanswered questions still surrounding disappearance of Jay Slater

Search for Jay continued under ‘secrecy order’

Spanish police called off the search after 13 days as helicopters, drones and search dogs were deployed to find him.

But in its statement on Monday, the force said teams had not stopped searching for Slater every day.

The search for Slater had been carried out ‘under a secrecy order from the court in charge of the investigation’, LBC reported.

Officials had been ‘carrying on with the search, unbeknownst to anyone’ in a bid to stop internet sleuths from searching themselves.

‘The discovery was possible thanks to the incessant and discreet search carried out by the Civil Guard during these 29 days, in which the natural space was preserved so that it would not be filled with onlookers,’ its statement read.

Jay Slater Tribute

Body found in search yesterday

A body has been found in the hunt for missing British teenager Jay Slater, who vanished on the Spanish island of Tenerife almost a month ago.

Authorities have not yet released the exact location in which they found the body, but it is understood that the remains were discovered in an ‘inaccessible’ and very remote area near the village of Masca.

The Mirror reported that police found Jay’s body a ’20-minute walk’ from where the teenager’s phone last pinged.

The terrain is described as ‘dense’ and is understood to be full of uneven ground and shrubland. There is also no sign of any emergency services in the nearby village.

The force released video footage of rescuers climbing rock faces and battling through scrub as they carried out the search.

Police today released footage showing the final moments of the agonising 29-day search for the missing Brit in mountains near the Tenerife village of Masca. The video showed police mountain rescue experts moving through difficult terrain on foot, scaling mountains and picking their way through thick undergrowth. In a subsequent sequence a chopper was filmed in the air a few feet from the ground.  Jay Slater search video showing inaccessibility
Police today released footage showing the final moments of the agonising 29-day search for the missing Brit in mountains near the Tenerife village of Masca. The video showed police mountain rescue experts moving through difficult terrain on foot, scaling mountains and picking their way through thick undergrowth. In a subsequent sequence a chopper was filmed in the air a few feet from the ground.  Jay Slater search video showing inaccessibility

Timeline: Jay Slater’s movements up until the discovery of a body yesterday

Jay Slater’s best friend pays tribute to ‘the happiest and most smiley person’

Jay Slater’s best friend has posted an emotional message to the ‘happiest and most smiley person’ after a body was found near where his phone last pinged.

The teenager had jetted off to Tenerife for an eight-day holiday with his best mates Lucy Law and Brad Hargreaves before he vanished.

In a heart-wrenching Instagram post published last night Lucy wrote: ‘Honestly lost for words. Always the happiest and most smiley person in the room, you was one of a kind Jay and you’ll be missed more than you know.

‘I’m sure you’ll ‘have your dancing shoes polished and ready’ waiting for us all. We all love you buddy. Fly high.’

Jay Slater Tribute
Jay Slater Tribute



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