New Jay Slater 'clue' found by expert in search for missing teen on Tenerife

A specialist on the hunt for missing teenager Jay Slater has reportedly discovered a new "clue" and speculated on chilling reasons why search groups may have overlooked the young man. The family of 19-year-old Jay, relying largely on skilled volunteers' assistance, has been left in a state of helplessness after Spanish officials called off their search operation.

Despite a rigorous fortnight-long search in Parque Rural de Teno near the village of Masca in Tenerife, where he was last seen lodging at an Airbnb, the Civil Guard announced: "The search operation has now finished although the case remains open."

It's currently three weeks since Jay went missing, on the morning of June 17, with support being provided to his father Warren Slater, mother Debbie Duncan, and elder brother Zak by seasoned professionals residing in the area.

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Included among them is Christopher Pennington, a former serviceman in the British military who relocated to Tenerife in 2006, entranced by the enchanting allure of the Canary Island. Chris, currently engaged in the property development sector, expressed shock upon hearing about the official search being brought to a close.

He blasted the law enforcement officials for purely 'sticking to the paths', hypothesising that Jay followed the same route, claiming that the "area has not been searched properly," reports the Manchester Evening News.

While navigating the demanding terrain of Parque Rural de Teno, where continuous efforts have been focussed since the apprentice bricklayer went missing, Chris claims to have come across a fresh 'clue'.

Just days after the police ended their search, the British ex-reservist stumbled upon a pair of sunglasses with one lens missing, eerily similar to those the 19-year-old was last seen wearing at the NRG festival before his disappearance. The glasses were found near the area where the teen's phone signal had last been detected.

Chris promptly turned the sunglasses over to the authorities, and they are now retained as part of the police investigation. TV sleuth Mark Williams-Thomas is also involved in the search for Jay, revealing that he has spoken to Ayub Qassim, 31, also known as 'Jonny Vegas', who was one of the last people to see the teenager.

Qassim, who drove Jay to the remote holiday home, has reportedly shared details of their trip. The Mirror reports that, to better understand Jay's last known movements, Chris retraced the route from the popular coastal nightlife area to the Airbnb where the teen stayed, driving north from Papagayo nightclub to Casa Abuela Tina in Masca at 5.30am on Saturday.

He told Mail+ that he kept his speed below 15km per hour due to the treacherous hairpin bends. Describing the conditions, he said: "It's dark, it's extremely dangerous. Let me be frank, it's scary up here on your own in the darkness."

Chris suspects that Jay, in a rush to leave the rental property, might have mistakenly headed down the ravine under the impression that the coast was nearer than it actually was.

Chris has pinpointed the 'most sensible' search areas, based on the last known geolocation of Jay's phone signal. He ventured into the dense undergrowth near where he discovered the sunglasses and described the challenge of moving through the thorny terrain with limited visibility.

With scratches marking his hands, Chris noted the difficulty of seeing more than two metres ahead in the thick brush. Sweating profusely in the sweltering heat, he speculated: "You can only imagine that he's looked down at the coastline in the distance and thinks it's a lot closer than it really is. And that heading straight through the bush is the quickest route to safety."

However, after making his way off-road into the surrounding thicket, Chris questioned why Jay wouldn't choose to return to the safer path. "If Jay came off the path and went through there, like I've just done, he wouldn't leave the path again. You'd have to be mad."

Juan Garcia, 53, along with his four year old sniffer dog Caperucita, has joined Warren and Zak in the search efforts. Facing the formidable landscape, he told the Mail about the challenges for aerial search teams to detect anything.

"It's a labyrinth of bushes and you can't see much from the air. We really are looking for a needle in a haystack," he admitted.

Before his disappearance, Jay called his friend Lucy Law, who he was staying with in the south of the island, to inform her that he was attempting to return to their hotel but his phone battery was running low. Lucy recalled him saying he felt "thirsty" and was lost.

She also mentioned that Jay had suffered an injury from a cactus. Additionally, another friend, Bradley Hargreaves, remembered hearing Jay fall during their phone conversation.

Appearing on This Morning, 19 year old Brad spoke emotionally about Jay's zest for life and recounted the last words he heard from him, which were a promise to call back after hanging up because "someone else ringing him".

Brad explained that initially, Jay wasn't too worried about finding his way back when he first became separated from his friends in Tenerife. On the programme, Brad said: "He was on the phone and he goes: 'I've got to walk and go all down that road'".

Brad also expressed his belief that Jay would have opted for a safer route than the one he discussed during the call. He then described how he realised Jay had deviated from the path, noting the sound of Jay's feet sliding on gravel, which indicated he had "went off the road.. That's how I knew he went off the road because, you know when you walk on gravel, or whatever it is, you can... you know what I mean, stones.

"I said: 'put your location on. He said: '15 minute drive, fourteen-hour walk.' I don't know if it's accurate or not so I said to him: 'it's only a 15-min drive, get a taxi."