Jay Slater’s family may face YEAR-long wait for answers even after his body returns as case remains shrouded in mystery
JAY Slater’s devastated family may have to wait a whole year to get answers on exactly what happened to the teenager out in Tenerife.
The 19-year-old disappeared for over four weeks before his body was found in a treacherous ravine with a number of mysteries still surrounding the case.
The Slater family are due to bring back Jay’s body to his home town of Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, in the coming days but Tenerife cops are yet to complete their investigations into his death.
This means the UK authorities could be forced to hold off on their official inquest for months until Spanish officials complete their findings.
An inquest in the UK may then take even longer to conclude based on the nature of Jay’s case and the complexities around it.
Most coroners aim to finalise their results within nine months of the initial inquest getting underway, say The Coroner’s Courts Support Service.
Cops said Jay’s body became “very deteriorated” after it had spent weeks in the Masca ravine where he was eventually discovered on July 15.
Initial evidence seems to point to the Brit accidentally falling to his death after a preliminary autopsy by Tenerife authorities revealed the teen was found with broken bones.
Mum Debbie Duncan and the rest of Jay’s family are said to have found a sense of comfort after hearing he likely died instantly from the fall rather than suffered for days.
Investigations are yet to be finalised on Jay’s tragic death – meaning an inquest in the UK could still take place if they think it is necessary.
The family’s wishes will also be considered when deciding on if an inquest in the UK is needed.
Deaths which are ruled unknown, unnatural or violent can undergo a formal inquest where a coroner looks at the case and gives a final verdict on the cause of death along with other key details.
This is needed in order for a final death certificate to be produced.
Several questions are yet to be answered in the case including why Jay walked across the clearly dangerous terrain alone and why he spent the night at a secluded Airbnb away from his pals.
If a coroner in the UK decides to hold an inquest it may mean more details emerge publicly to resolve some of the mysteries.
The pre-inquest review, which could happen as soon as the Tenerife investigation is concluded, would see British authorities probe the case in depth.
Witnesses, such as the two men who were with Jay the morning he vanished, might also be called to give evidence and answer questions at the hearing.
One of the men, Ayub Qassim, has already spoke with investigators about the hours leading up to Jay’s disappearance but the second man is reportedly yet to comment.
It comes as…
- Jay Slater was confirmed dead last Tuesday as his body was found after a gruelling search a day earlier
- Jay’s mum said ‘our hearts are broken‘ after ‘beautiful’ son’s body is found
- Jay Slater cops revealed teen suffered ‘broken bones’ from ‘horror fall’
- The body was discovered just yards away from where Jay’s phone last pinged
- Jay’s best pal Lucy Mae Law paid tribute to the ‘happiest person in the room’
- Donations on Jay Slater GoFundMe hit a huge benchmark of £70k
- Jay’s mum Debbie asked people to continue donating so she can give her son “the send-off he deserves”
- Twisted sleuths interfere with Jay’s autopsy result and slow down investigators
- Debbie Duncan given a harrowing warning about her son as family are due to fly back home
The people potentially asked to speak at the hearing are not obliged to respond.
Jay’s family have been looking for answers ever since they flew out to Tenerife to help look for the Brit back in June.
An inquest would help them find closure as they would also be able to ask any questions they may still have.
Parents Debbie and Warren Slater will be given the chance to read out a statement and pay their respects to their son through a loving pen portrait.
It comes as twisted Jay sleuths are said to be trying to gain access to the teenager’s autopsy results, reports the BBC.
Online trolls have been slammed for interfering with the family bringing Jay back to Lancashire for a final send off.
Attempts by mindless sleuths to get the information comes after reports of the 19-year-old being seen at Sainsbury’s, watching a Euros game and on the Eurostar.
Vile trolls even dared to send hoax ransom demands to the teen’s devastated family claiming to be holding Jay hostage at the start of the hunt.
Debbie, Warren and brother Zak are now preparing to make the final tragic journey home to the UK with Jay’s body.
The cost of bringing him back is due to be covered by the GoFundMe set up by pal Lucy Mae Law in the days after Jay first vanished.
The fundraiser has skyrocketed past £70,000 with more than 5,600 donations.
It reached £60,000 in an outpouring of support in the days after Jay’s body was found and has continued to rise ever since.
Debbie announced in a heartfelt statement via the fundraiser: “We want to give our boy the send-off he deserves.”
Web bullies have criticised Debbie and other members of the family for encouraging people to donate to the page even after Jay was found.
In a statement released on Thursday on the ‘Get Jay Slater Home’ GoFundMe page, Debbie said: “Hello everyone, thank you for all of your kindness, support and condolences in light of the tragic news that Jay’s body has been found.
“We are overwhelmed with grief and are so grateful for your support.”
Jay’s body was tragically discovered on Monday July 15 at the bottom of a treacherous ravine in Masca.
The teen had been missing for four weeks after disappearing while on holiday with his pals for the NRG music festival.
Timeline of Jay Slater disappearance
THE grim discovery of a body came after weeks of agony for Jay's friends and family. Here is how events unfolded:
June 16: Jay and his friends party on the last day of the NRG music festival at Papagayo nightclub in Playa de la Americas, Tenerife.
June 17th:
- 3-6am: Jay leaves with Ayub Qassim and another man for a £40-a-night Airbnb 23 miles away in the village of Masca.
- 7.30am: Jay shares a photo on Snapchat standing at the doorway of the Airbnb.
- 8.50am: He calls pal Lucy Mae Law and says he is “lost in the middle of nowhere” with no water, a cut to his leg and one per cent on his phone.
June 18: Pals search the area but no sign of Jay. Local cops and mountain rescue teams start the official search. Jay’s mother Debbie Duncan flies to Tenerife.
June 19 – 20: Spanish police deploy drones, dogs and a helicopter, but find no trace. Search moves to Los Cristianos amid possible sighting, but it is ruled out and they return to Rural de Teno, near Masca.
June 21: Lancashire Police offer support but it is declined.
June 22: Mum Debbie issues an appeal to Jay saying: “We just need you home.”
June 24: Claims of Jay sighting in Santiago del Teide — near where he disappeared — and family believe a grainy CCTV image could be of him.
June 25: Debbie issues a plea for Jay to come home as more friends fly out and TV investigator Mark Williams-Thomas joins the search.
June 29: Cops rule Mr Qassim, and another man at Airbnb, out of investigation.
June 30: Spanish cops officially suspend hunt but say probe “remains open”. His family continue to search.
July 15: A body is found by a helicopter search team close to where his phone last pinged. His possessions are discovered next to human remains. Spanish cops say it points to an “accidental fall”.
July 17: Tenerife authorities confirm the body found in the mountainous area of the island is Jay’s.