Jay Slater’s family hold crunch meeting with Spanish cops over future of investigation as teen still missing in Tenerife
THE heartbroken parents of Jay Slater have held talks with Spanish cops to demand answers over the probe into their son’s disappearance.
Jay’s mum and dad, Warren and Debbie, were left devastated after the search for the teen was abruptly called off on Sunday.
The couple have now spoken with senior officers based in Playa de las Americas demanding to know the next steps in trying to find the 19-year-old.
A source close to the family said: “The family want to be sure the police aren’t giving up on Jay.
“They are in constant contact with them about the case.”
While TV investigator Mark Williams-Thomas, who is helping the family in the hunt, said: “They have been talking to the police most days and are speaking to them again today.”
This comes as Spanish police revealed there is “no current evidence of criminality” in the case – dispelling dozens of conspiracy theories circulating online.
Many believed Jay could have been kidnapped or murdered by a criminal gang in the mountains.
But investigating judge Maria Goya, who is being kept informed of developments by police, has been told the Civil Guard sees nothing that points to Jay being the victim of a crime.
A judicial source, speaking on condition of anonymity, said: “There is no evidence of criminality at this stage in this case.
“That’s not to say things won’t change because the case remains open and investigations are ongoing. But right now that’s the situation.”
Another said: “This missing persons’ case has been judicialised as is normal in Spain.
“The Civil Guard don’t have to tell the judge about everything officers are doing but will be keeping her updated.”
On Sunday police called off the two-week mountain search for Jay, from Oswaldtwistle, Lancs, in a devastating blow for his parents.
Jay went missing near the village of Masca after partying with pals at the NRG music festival.
He was last seen just after 8am walking up the mountain after leaving a rented Airbnb where he had stayed with two men he had met at the festival.
Yesterday (Mon) it emerged he was reported missing to the Civil Guard “between 6pm and 8pm” on June 17.
The police suspension of the mountain search has been widely interpreted as a sign officers do not think he is in the area in and around the Masca Gorge which they searched with sniffer dogs, mountain rescue experts, drones and a helicopter.
Jay’s family have vowed to carry on the search for the teenager themselves.
It comes as dozens of wannabe detectives have started taking it upon themselves to investigate Jay’s disappearance.
Crowds of pretend sleuths have flooded the desolate Rural de Teno National Park after authorities axed the search on Sunday.
Shameless British visitors are also treating the area Jay vanished from as a warped tourist attraction as they swarm the Casa Abuela Tina Airbnb the teen went to.
A photo shows several hire cars parked up outside.
Former cop Charlie Hedges told The Sun about the risks of online sleuths and amateur detectives trying to crack the case.
He urged the public not to take it upon themselves to help the search as he noted despite their best intentions they may end up causing more trouble.
Armchair sleuths sat behind their computers some 2,000 miles away in the UK have also been pathetically trying to crack the case.
It comes as…
- Jay’s family consider asking Brit police for help again
- Family receive vile fake ransom demands
- Jay’s family ‘left in dark’ after search ends
- Jay might not be ‘missing’, says Brit ex-cop
- Teen’s family slam trolls for ‘getting in way’ of hunt
- Jay’s family vow to keep going as cops halt search
- New childhood pics of Jay emerge
- Cops question new witnesses after fresh twist
- Jay ‘could have fallen into steep gorge’
Many are using Google maps to scour the desolate Rural de Teno park to hunt for clues before plastering their wild thoughts over social media.
Thousands of keyboard bashers have also joined pathetic Facebook groups, including one called Jay Slater Discussions and Theories.
Within the publicly visible groups are dozens of cruel, senseless posts spewing completely unfounded claims and vile comments.
Most are posted anonymously or by trolls using spurious names.
Warped memes about Jay’s disappearance have also been shared within the groups.
Far-fetched theories suggest Jay could have been kidnapped after crossing “Moroccan drugs gangs” or that the mafia is behind his disappearance.
Jay’s family yesterday blasted mindless conspiracy theorists and said they felt the “trolls have won” after the search was ditched.
Attempts to find Jay have repeatedly been overshadowed by vile internet trolls and insensitive conspiracy theorists.
A family source from the UK told The Sun: “Jay’s family can’t help thinking the trolls have won and that they have got the way.
“So many people have been putting horrible messages out there which has only added to the family’s torment.”
It comes as Jay’s family consider again pleading with British cops for help.
The teen’s loved ones were left “blindsided” when detectives on the island halt the hunt less than two weeks after Jay vanished.
Jay made a final frantic phone call to pal Lucy Law to tell her he was stranded in the “middle of nowhere” at about 8.50am on June 17.
Panicked Jay, facing an 11-hour walk back to their hotel, told her he needed water and only had one per cent of battery left on his phone.
While the on the ground search was stopped on Sunday, police on the island have insisted the case is still very much open.
Detectives have promised to continue investigating and will probe any new tip-offs or information that come in.
But the decision to dramatically cut off the search is the “nightmare scenario” Jay’s family were “dreading”, a source close to them revealed.
His parents Debbie Duncan and Warren Slater and brother Zak feared this weekend would be make or break in the hunt for the apprentice bricklayer.
Some 30 cops, firefighters and rescuers all took to the mountains in Masca – along with a handful of volunteers – on Saturday for a “final push”.
But the hunt, which centred around Jay’s last known location, failed to find any trace of the teen.