Jay Slater’s Mother Says Retracing Tenerife Route Brought More Closure

Debbie Duncan, the mother of Jay Slater, said retracing her son’s movements in Tenerife was difficult but gave her “more closure” after his death. Slater, 19, from Oswaldtwistle in Lancashire, went missing on June 17, 2024, after attending a music festival in Playa de las Americas. His body was found after a 29-day search.

An inquest ruled that his death was a “tragic accident” and involved no third-party influence. It found that he had fallen in a particularly dangerous area and suffered skull fractures and brain trauma that killed him instantly. Duncan told BBC Radio Lancashire that revisiting the area was “very tough and emotional”.

She said it allowed the family to examine the terrain in more detail and understand the timeline from his location to his statement that he was lost. She was accompanied by forensic pathologist Richard Shepherd, who carried out Slater’s postmortem after his body was returned to the United Kingdom. Duncan said Shepherd explained the injuries in simpler terms and that his presence had been helpful.

A forthcoming Channel Five documentary, “Cause of Death”, will examine the search and the extensive social-media interest surrounding the case. Duncan said she hoped viewers might come to believe the facts after watching it. She also criticised online conspiracy theories and said the family had faced bullying.

Last year, she called for “Jay’s Law”, which she said should require technology companies to remove misinformation about grieving families. Duncan said relatives were coping in different ways and that she remained in contact with other bereaved families. Although she was keeping busy, she said living without her son had not become easier.