MYSTERY GOES ON
Four riddles still plaguing Jay Slater case from body being found near where phone pinged to cops not revealing location
Watch Sun reporter Katie Davis with the latest on the missing Brit teen
A FORMER cop has revealed the four riddles still plaguing the Jay Slater case after a body was found in the hunt for the missing Brit.
Detective Peter Bleksley still has questions on why cops didn't reveal the body's location and a "discrepancy" between where the body was found and where Jay's phone last pinged.
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After four weeks of gruelling search across the Spanish paradise of Tenerife, cops fear Jay may have accidentally fallen to his death while walking in a remote area.
The 19-year-old vanished on the morning of June 17 after going to a rave the night before with friends - sparking a huge effort to find the Lancashire teen.
Spanish cops axed the official search less than two weeks in - but a body believed to be Jay's was found yesterday in the village of Masca - the area he was last known to be.
It is understood the body was found close to where his mobile phone last pinged - with Jay's belongings and clothes.
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But detective Bleksley, who worked in Scotland Yard in high-profile investigations, still has four questions which remain unanswered to him.
BODY LOCATION VS PHONE PING
Questions were raised about the police's search rationale, as they scoured an enormously vast area to then find the body just yards away from where Jay's phone last pinged.
Following the find in an "inaccessible area" of the ravine, Jay’s heartbroken mum Debbie has demanded answers over how police search teams missed the body.
Bleksley pointed out that initial reports indicated the teen was in rugged, unfamiliar terrain with only one per cent battery left on his phone and no water, suggesting he was already in distress when he went missing.
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The ex-cop told The Sun: "He had 1% battery power left on his mobile phone, and he had no water or other drink.
"It was also suggested that he cut himself on a cactus, and all those facts would indicate that this, perhaps, was a man in rugged, unfamiliar terrain, who was clearly going to be getting into difficulties in a short space of time."
But amateur sleuths chose to ignore the facts and go off into wild conspiracy theories on his disappearance, the detective argued.
When questioned if there was any chance of getting all these answers sooner, Bleksley said: "If they [police] had been able to mobilize a battalion of a thousand soldiers, for example, then I suspect the answers could have been discovered much earlier.
"But given the resources that they had, and doubtless other priorities that the Guardia Civil have on Tenerife, like keeping the peace and detecting crime, I think they probably deployed all the resources that they reasonably felt they could do at that time.
"Of course they could always have done more had they had the resources. That's inevitable that people are going to say that.
"But given what they had available, what they knew at the time, and what they decided was a working theory or a working hypothesis, they were certainly on the right track."
Moment Jay Slater cops scour ‘inaccessible’ mountain for clues as body found near where teen ‘fell to his death’
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COPS NOT REVEALING LOCATION
The police's reticence to disclose the exact location of the discovery is another riddle plaguing the Slater case, the detective said.
It is understood the body was found close to where his mobile phone last pinged - with Jay's belongings and clothes.
But Spanish cops have refused to reveal the exact location where the body was discovered.
Bleksley understood the sensitive nature of the information but also highlighted the community's desire for transparency.
He also critiqued the handling of information by the authorities, suggesting improvements in communication with the media and, crucially, with the families of missing people.
BODY FOUND IN INACCESSIBLE AREA
Detective Bleksley then speculated on how Jay Slater could have ended up in such an inaccessible area, emphasising the challenges posed by the rugged terrain.
He commended the efforts of the Guardia Civil and acknowledged the vastness of the area and the difficulty in covering every inch.
The ex-Scotland Yard cop said: "Ravines, crevices, caves, very tall drop-offs into areas almost untouchable, cannot be reached by people searching on foot presents a vast challenge, and to scour every square inch of every square metre is quite frankly impossible."
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Statement from charity LBT Global
British overseas missing persons charity LBT Global said: "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."
CAUSE OF DEATH
Bleksley also discussed the cause of death, which was initially undetermined due to the condition of the remains.
He noted that establishing this would take time, considering the remote location and how long forensic analysis could take.
He concluded: "This case might just make people of all ages a little bit more careful when they venture out to these places to enjoy their holidays.
"And I sincerely hope it will make some people think twice before taking drugs in an area that they're unfamiliar with, surrounded by people that might not have the best of intentions for them."
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JAY'S DISAPPEARANCE
Jay headed to the harsh mountain range with two men in the early hours of June 17 after a night of partying in Tenerife.
He then left in the morning, but after realising he had missed the bus, he began attempting to make the 11-hour journey back to his own accommodation.
One of the men, convicted drug dealer Ayub Qassim, said Jay left the house alive.
The teen made a final frantic call to pal Lucy Law, telling her that he was disoriented, had only one percent of his phone battery, and needed water.
In a previous call to friend Brad, his feet could be heard slipping on the rocks.
Lucy reported Jay missing to Spanish cops a few hours after their final phone call - sparking a huge search across the island that would last for almost two weeks.
Jay's devastated mum Debbie Duncan quickly flew over to the Spanish island to help cops with their investigation.
She was later followed by Jay's older brother Zak, 24, and his dad Warren Slater, 58, along with many volunteers.
The case quickly gained global attention as the family called for help to scour the mountains where Jay's phone last pinged on June 17.
Jay's final location showed he was near Rural de Teno Park - a massive barren landscape filled with bushes and rocks.
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Dozens of rescue workers and the Spanish Guardia Civil all took to the mountain range using sniffer dogs, drones, a helicopter and volunteers.
A GoFundMe page was set up to raise money for missing Jay Slater's family by Lucy which hit over £50,000 in a month.
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