To crack the case of missing Jay Slater, an ex-British police officer is suggesting that Tenerife detectives need to take a dual approach. The missing persons expert, Charlie Hedges, has told Spanish authorities that there are two crucial next steps to take in their investigation, 15 days after Jay vanished on holiday.
Confirmation came on Sunday from the Civil Guard that they’d concluded the search for Jay after almost a fortnight scouring the rugged terrain in Tenerife near to where Jay went missing. The 19-year-old from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, disappeared without leaving a trace on Monday, June 17.
The apprentice bricklayer had travelled to a Masca village Airbnb, roughly a 40-minute drive away from his tourist residence, alongside two British acquaintances who he connected with during his holiday. At approximately 8am on the missing Monday, Jay reached out to his pal Lucy Law, mentioning efforts to return by foot, an 11-hour walk, reports the Mirror.
READ MORE: Jay Slater’s mum makes desperate plea to police after search called off
Subsequent to their phone chat, Jay’s mobile connection was lost and no one has seen or heard from him ever since. An extensive search campaign marshalled units including dog squads specialised in scent detection and aerial assistance scouring the remote terrains near his phone’s last signal location.
Despite two weeks of relentless searching yielding no results, and with the official search wound up, there are lingering questions about what steps should come next. A spokeswoman from the Civil Guard stated: “The search operation has now finished although the case remains open.”
Charlie Hedges MBE has offered advice to Spanish police on the next steps in their investigation. Charlie, who has penned a book about his experiences with Thames Valley Police and the National Crime Agency, emphasised the importance of preventing Jay’s disappearance from becoming a cold case, suggesting two crucial points.
1. Investigate all possibilities
Charlie advised Spanish detectives to consider every possible reason for Jay’s disappearance, including potential foul play. “They should be keeping their minds open and examining all lines of inquiries,” he told The Sun.
The Civil Guard has previously stated that they are considering all possibilities regarding Jay’s disappearance, including questioning the two men he was last seen with. Cipriano Martin, who led the mountain search, confirmed last week that detectives had spoken to, and ruled out, these two individuals.
British detective Mark Williams-Thomas, who travelled to Tenerife to assist the family, suggested last week that Jay may have suffered a “natural harm”, but did not dismiss the possibility of third-party involvement. The TV investigator stated: “A strong working hypothesis remains that Jay has come to natural harm in the terrain as he took the rugged course back down the hill from the point of his location drop , where I am confident now that he was at 8.50am last Monday morning.”
During a press briefing last Wednesday, Mark outlined “two scenarios”, remarking: “He has either come to harm by his own accident, up in the hills somewhere, but not directly by the rental. Or, there is a third party involvement. I cannot rule that out at the moment.”
2. Go back and search other areas
The extensive two-week search for Jay involved mountain rescue teams and volunteers combing through ravines, caves, and vast stretches of scrub and rugged terrain. A source close to the Civil Guard later indicated that “nothing of relevance” had been uncovered.
Charlie acknowledged that while the police in Tenerife can’t continue the search indefinitely, it remains crucial to keep the area under surveillance to prevent the case from going cold. “I had been wondering for a few days whether we were approaching [the search being called off],” he admitted.
“There is only so much you can search.”
However, he suggested that “But it may be appropriate to go back and search some areas based on the information they’re seeking at the moment.”
Brad Hargreaves, Jay’s best friend, previously stated he believed he heard Jay “slip on rocks” during their last phone conversation, and Lucy Law, another friend, mentioned that Jay had informed her he’d cut his leg on a cactus. These accounts imply he was navigating off-trail when the incident occurred.
The Civil Guard has committed to continuing the investigation as new information or tips emerge.
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