TV detective drops new bombshell claim about Jay Slater - months after teen's tragic death

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By stefan armitage

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Months after the tragic death of teenager Jay Slater, the TV detective who flew out to Tenerife to assist with the search has shared another bombshell claim.

Back in June, 19-year-old Jay from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, in the UK vanished while on vacation with friends.

jayslater(1) (1).jpegJay Slater's disappearance sparked widespread concern over the summer. Credit: Instagram

They group had been visiting the Spanish island for a music festival, but on the evening of June 16, Jay stayed out to party at the Playa de las Américas resort with two men he had met a few days prior.

Later that evening, he got a taxi with the men back to their Airbnb, located 19 miles away from the beach club in the village of Masca.

Despite claims that the men offered to let Jay sleep at the Airbnb - even giving him blankets that were seen in the teen's final Snapchat post - Slater left the Airbnb at around 7:30AM on June 17.

After calling his two friends to let them know he was going to attempt to walk back to their shared vacation apartment - a walk that would have taken Jay more than 10 hours - the teenager disappeared.

GettyImages-2159789630.jpgRescue teams searching for Slater. Credit: Europa Press News / Getty

After weeks of an intense and grueling search mission, Slater's remains were discovered in a ravine on July 15 - almost a month after his disappearance - having fallen to his death.

"The result of the preliminary autopsy points to the cause of death being a fall or plunge from height due to the broken bones he suffered," a representative for the Spanish Civil Guard said, per Daily Mail.

An insider told the outlet that Slater's family has found some "very small comfort" from the likelihood that his death had been instantaneous. 

Following an emotional funeral in August, Jay's tragic story has once again made headlines as a result of former Madeline McCann investigator Mark Williams-Thomas - who has flown out to Tenerife to aid the search for Jay - making yet another claim.

Screenshot2024-06-22at09.49.57(2).jpegJay Slater's final Snapchat taken outside of the Airbnb. Credit: Snapchat

There are still several mysterious surrounding Jay's disappearance - with one of the most prevalent being why the teenager chose to leave the Airbnb and attempt the rugged walk back to his accommodation with such low phone battery.

According to the Daily Mail, Williams-Thomas now claims he knows why.

The ex officer alleged in a new video posted to X that there was a "huge amount of misinformation" surrounding the case, claiming that some of what he was told in the "early days" wasn't "accurate" nor "correct".

"There's a huge amount of misinformation. When I went out there, I took a lot of videos," he says in the video. "Some of the information which came to me in the early days wasn't accurate, wasn't correct and I needed to validate it."


After explaining that he has spoken to Jay's mother and that the teen's family are doing well in spite of the tragedy, Williams-Thomas that begins to speak about the question surrounding why the teen left the Airbnb that morning.

"I was very clear from day one this looked like a tragic accident," he said. "There were considerable issues - I haven't revealed the details of these issues - exactly why Jay left in the manner he did. Why didn't he return?"

Williams-Thomas then suggests that he known the reason why he left the Airbnb, saying: "These things I've kept to myself at this moment in time. Maybe, when the time is right, I will reveal those."

To add more intrigue over his comments, Williams-Thomas said: "I've got to be very careful.

"What I don't want to do is upset the family with any more trauma than they have already had and so it would be something I would work very closely with [Jay's mom] Debbie and the family on to reveal that information.

"Maybe the time will be right soon, but not right now.'

The former detective then double-down on these comments, saying in another video: "The evidence still strongly suggests that Jay left the Airbnb suddenly and walked for 30 minutes before wandering off road. At this stage, I cannot explain any further what we now know."

One of the men who were staying in the Airbnb - named Casa Abuela Tina - shared a brief statement amid the inquiry into Jay's disappearance.

Ayub Qassim, 31, previously spoke to MailOnline, saying: “He came to my Airbnb alive and he left my Airbnb alive.”

Screenshot2024-06-24at11.32.38(2).jpegDebbie Duncan with her son, Jay Slater, who sadly died in Tenerife. Credit: Facebook

Of course, Williams-Thomas shared many of his theories as the investigation into Jay's disappearance unfolded over the summer.

In one of the most headline-grabbing videos he shared, Williams-Thomas spoke about Jay allegedly "taking" a Rolex watch worth £12,000. The post was allegedly shared while Jay was in a car with the two men returning to their Airbnb.

"Friends of Jay said he would not make this up and the watch was subject of later conversation between the friends," Williams-Thomas said in a video update shared to X, per The Sun.

Featured image credit: Instagram