Private investigator Mark Williams-Thomas has given ‘significant new information’ to police investigating the mystery disappearance of raver Jay Slater in Tenerife.
Former Met Police officer Mr Williams-Thomas claimed he had passed the find on to British and Spanish police who have been left baffled by the apprentice bricklayer’s vanishing act.
Jay, 19, was last seen on June 17 after leaving a nightclub in Playa de las Americas in the company of two British men and driven to a remote AirBnB an hour away in the village of Masca.
A massive 13-day search involving dogs, drones and helicopters has failed to find any trace and speculation is growing that he may not even be in the remote Teno National Park fuelling more heartache for his family.
In an update on his X profile Mr Williams-Thomas said the new intelligence ‘strongly supports’ that Jay ‘is most likely to be in or around’ the mountainous area ‘some distance’ away from his last known location.
It is the latest development in the search for the missing teenager which come as:
Private investigator Mark Williams-Thomas has given ‘significant new information’ to police investigating the mystery disappearance of raver Jay Slater in Tenerife
Jay Slater, 19, is pictured with his mother Debbie Duncan, who flew out to Tenerife with other family members when he went missing
This graphic shows the last known movements of Jay Slater before he disappeared on June 17
Mr Williams-Thomas said: ‘On the morning of the 17 June on arrival back to the rental Jay spoke to a number of different people on his phone and they would describe him as very much awake and still buzzing.
‘As a result of information we have received we know now that Jay took certain actions whilst at the rental because he was clearly worried about his own safety and this was shortly before he decided to leave.
‘In the last few days, I have received a significant new piece of information which I have shared with to the British and Spanish police, this provides some clarity as to why he may have left in a hurry and didn’t want to return to the rental in a hurry even though his phone was about to go flat.
‘I know the internet is wash with theories, some are massively wild speculation, others have elements of the truth but overwhelmingly many are just made up.
‘We are uniquely placed having spoken to nearly all the key witnesses to cross check their accounts and evidence thus building the clearest picture.
‘We now know that Jay was on his phone and alone at 8:50am walking on a track just off the main road, about 30 minutes walk from the apartment, it was a cold damp morning, only 18C with a high that day only reaching 20C.
‘The evidence we have been able to collect including the significant new intelligence strongly supports that Jay is therefore most likely to be in or around the mountains, we suspect some distance from the last phone location drop.
Spanish police called off the hunt for the missing 19-year-old apprentice bricklayer 14 days after he went missing
An external view of the two-bedroom holiday cottage where Jay Slater stayed before he went missing
The property is listed as a ‘holiday home or chalet’ and offers free WiFi and a fully equipped kitchen
Jay Slater posted this Snapchat of himself standing on the steps of the Airbnb villa before he went missing
‘Even after extensive searching done by highly experienced personnel, the rugged and dangerous areas it’s just not possible to rule out that he isn’t still there.
‘We have still not found evidence of a third-party criminal involvement in Jay’s disappearance although we have opened up links with dangerous criminal underworld of drugs and associated crime.
‘We remain open minded with our investigation and would appeal like to for any parties involved in their own searches to share their data so we can compile an accurate map for those areas that still need searching.’
Mr Williams-Thomas, 54, who hit the big time after exposing TV paedophile Jimmy Savile, did not give any further information about what the new clue is and it is not known if he has shared it with Jay’s family.
Last week he claimed that during his car journey with the two men to the property, Jay posted a video on social media boasting about the theft of a £12,000 Rolex watch.
MailOnline was the first media outlet to identify the man who rented the AirBnB as convicted drug dealer Qassim Ayun, 31, who when approached said Jay had ‘arrived alive and left alive’ but he has since refused to make further comment.
Jay was last seen on June 17 by a local woman as he left the Casa Abuela Tina, £40 a night AirBnB heading the wrong way up the mountain instead of down towards Playa de las Americas an hour away by road.
Mr Williams-Thomas joined the hunt for Jay, from Oswaldtwistle, Lancs, after reaching out to Jay’s mum Debbie Duncan, 55, offering his help free-of-charge, which she accepted.
Mr Williams-Thomas, 54, did not give any further information about what the new clue is and it is not known if he has shared it with Jay’s family
Jay travelled to the Canary Islands for a musical festival with his friends
Jay’s friend Lucy Law shared this Instagram post of Jay and a crying face and heart emoji
And he travelled to the island on June 24, where he was seen carrying out inquiries at the holiday rental, as well as at Papagayo nightclub, where Jay had been seen shortly before he vanished.
The investigator has also been given access to Jay’s family and friends, including close pals Brad Hargreaves, 19, and Lucy Mae Law, 18, who were both with Jay on the holiday. Mr Williams-Thomas said his ‘thoughts remain with Jay’s family and friends’.
In his update he added that many had been in touch with tip offs they had read or seen on social media and Mr Williams-Thomas said these were being followed up and he had ‘received valuable information.’
He also asked again for people who had ‘been in touch with or spoken to Jay in the 48 hours before he vanished’ to get in touch and he also revealed how some of the accounts he believed were not credible.
Mr Williams-Thomas said: ‘We are aware that not everything they have told us will be the truth, there are a number of reasons for this including their own involvement in criminal activity.
‘However, it must also be said that some of Jay’s closest friends have fully engaged with us and discussed things that could cause them to be unfairly judged by the public.’