The body of a 48-year-old man who went missing at around the same time of Jay Slater has been found in an advanced state of decomposition, authorities have said
Human remains which are thought to belong to a man who disappeared in 2024 at around the same time of Jay Slater’s disappearance have been discovered on a nearby island to where the Brit went missing.
The 48-year-old’s body was discovered on 29 April on the Spanish island Gran Canaria, in the wasteland area of Jinámar. The body was found in an advanced state of decomposition, authorities have said.
Investigators believe the man was born in 1978 and is thought to have taken his own life in 2024, according to preliminary autopsy results.
Authorities have confirmed the man was not listed in Spain’s missing persons database. Investigators are trying to uncover how the body came to be buried in the area. However currently there is no evidence of third party involvement.
Spanish officers on the island’s National Police homicide unit are still waiting for DNA test results to be completed with the man’s suspected relatives before releasing the victim’s identity. The unidentified man is thought to have disappeared at around the same time as British teen Jay, who went missing on the Spanish island of Tenerife on June 17 in 2024.
An inquest in 2025 found the 19-year-old’s death was accidental – with no third party involvement or suspicious activities.
The decision was reached after two gruelling days, with reports sharing that the 19-year-old had taken several illegal substances before his death. Initially, the inquest started in May, but was adjourned on the first day due to the lack of witnesses coming forward. Jay’s mother, Debbie Duncan, sent out a desperate plea for her son’s friends to step forward at the time.
They did – but two key witnesses still refused to give evidence despite police tirelessly tracking them down and getting in contact. However, the accounts of the three friends did remain mostly the same, and recounted a tale of drug and alcohol-fuelled tragedy.
Jay, an apprentice bricklayer from Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, was found dead on July 15 2024 at the Juan Lopez Ravine in Tenerife. He had vanished on June 17, after leaving a party in Playa de las Americas and travelling north to a secluded Airbnb in Masca, before trying to return on foot.
Speaking to Preston Coroner’s Court, Dr James Adeley concluded Jay Slater’s death was accidental. He said: “Jay Dean Slater died on 17th June 2024 in the Juan Lopez ravine in a remote area of Tenerife. Whilst attempting to descend the ravine Jay fell in a difficult area. Jay Slater fell approximately 20 to 25 metres resulting in skull fracture and brain trauma from which he would have died instantly.
“There was no third party involved. Jay Dean Slater died an accidental death.”
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