Jay Slater investigator posts major update on 'viral video' of missing teen in Tenerife

A leading British detective in Tenerife says a "distressing" video which viewers believe shows missing teenager Jay Slater is making the rounds online. Jay mysteriously vanished on June 17th after he checked out of an Airbnb property in rural Masca village on Tenerife, intending to head back to the buzzing resort town of Los Cristianos around 8:50 am but was never seen again.

Despite the two-week-long extensive search involving choppers, drones, and sniffer dogs over the steep mountains in Masca, Spanish rozzers drew up blanks and announced they'd be calling off the search on Sunday, June 30th.

Detective Mark Williams-Thomas, who jetted out to the Spanish island post haste when Jay's disappearance made the headlines, set the record straight regarding a potentially harrowing video circulating online, reports the Mirror.

He said: "Lots of people are contacting us about a distressing video that is circulating. The video was first posted on a social media site nine years ago and therefore cannot be Jay Slater."

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This development follows the ex-copper's focus on a reportedly 'pinched Rolex', as it came to light that Jay had been crowing about nicking a £12,000 Rolex on Snapchat, just hours before he disappeared. Mr Williams-Thomas offered his input: "On route, Jay posted a Snapchat saying that they had taken a £12,000 Rolex from a person. We have been unable to validate this in terms of a reported theft. However, friends of Jay he would not make this up and the watch was the subject of a later conversation between them."

Moreover, he suggested that Jay felt fear as he exited the holiday rental where he was last spotted, inferring that despite it being logical, the teenager didn't want to return to the property.

As the detective pointed out: "We have received information that would suggest Jay left the rental property feeling scared and that he would not return to the rental, even though that would have been the most sensible course of action, and also where he could have charged his phone and got water."

Refuting any kidnapping scenarios, Mr Williams-Thomas clarified that there wasn't current evidence signifying foul play by third parties in Jay's disappearance, a contrast to previous beliefs held by his mother Debbie. He added: "We have no evidence at this stage to say there was any third-party criminal involvement in Jay's disappearance."

"However, there are still a number of outstanding actions and therefore we still remain open minded to the possibility of this changing. The evidence strongly supports that Jay walked off and was walking for at least 30 minutes off the road on a track before he last had contact with friends, with a very accurate location pin drop at 8.50am."

"I would make an appeal for landowners in the area of Teno Rural Park to check any outbuildings and land that they have and hope that some further searches will continue by volunteers in the area not yet searched."