Jay Slater’s mother has been told her son most likely died instantly when he fell into a ravine in Tenerife, answering one of the questions that had haunted her since the teenager’s death.
The 19-year-old disappeared in June 2024 after leaving an Airbnb in the village of Masca following a night out connected with the NRG music festival.
His body was found 29 days later in the rugged Rural de Teno area of northern Tenerife.
His mother Debbie Duncan has now returned to the island for a Channel 5 documentary examining Jay’s final movements and the medical evidence surrounding his death.
‘Did He Suffer?’
Debbie said one question had remained with her above all others: whether her son had suffered before he died.
She had feared Jay may have been badly injured on the mountainside and remained alive for some time before his death.
Pathologist Dr Richard Shepherd, who conducted the Home Office post-mortem and reviewed the findings with Debbie, said the evidence did not support that scenario.
He said Jay suffered an extremely severe head injury in the fall.
“The head injury was so severe that it probably would have killed him immediately,” he said.
“It was the end — there was no pain and suffering.”
Dr Shepherd said Jay was not lying injured on the hillside slowly dying.
Mother Accidentally Shown Images Of Jay’s Body
Debbie also revealed that Spanish authorities accidentally showed her photographs of her son’s body when she returned to Tenerife to collect paperwork and his phone.
She said she had previously considered whether she would be able to view his body but decided she could not.
She described the accidental sight of the images as devastating.
“I thought my heart was going to stop beating,” she said.
“Whenever people say, ‘How did you know it was Jay?’ Well, it was Jay. My beautiful boy.”
Spanish Police Investigated Strangulation Possibility
The Spanish post-mortem report also revealed that investigators initially considered whether Jay might have been strangled.
His voice box was sent for further examination as part of that investigation.
Further post-mortem testing, however, found no evidence of injuries caused by strangulation or any other deliberate harm.
Dr Shepherd said neither examination produced evidence suggesting Jay had been attacked.
He said the medical findings were consistent with a healthy young man becoming confused and disorientated before suffering a fatal fall.
Online Conspiracy Theories Added To Family’s Distress
Jay’s disappearance generated enormous attention online, particularly on TikTok and other social media platforms.
Numerous unsupported theories circulated while the search was ongoing and after his body was found.
Some users claimed Jay had been murdered, while manipulated material and purported videos also circulated online.
Debbie said the volume of speculation made it increasingly difficult to separate genuine information from fabricated claims.
Dr Shepherd said giving her a clear explanation of the medical evidence was particularly important because of the amount of misinformation surrounding the case.
Drugs And Alcohol Found But Alcohol Level Was Not High
Dr Shepherd said Jay had consumed alcohol and taken drugs before his disappearance.
However, he said his alcohol level was not particularly high.
He said the combination of dehydration, rising temperatures, unfamiliar terrain and possible disorientation could help explain how Jay became lost.
As the sun rose over Tenerife, temperatures would have increased quickly.
Debbie had long questioned how frightened or confused her son may have been during those final hours.
Jay’s Final Calls To Friends
Jay left the Casa Abuela Tina Airbnb in Masca at around 8am.
At 8.32am, he spoke to his friend Lucy Law and told her he was thirsty and frightened.
His final known call came at around 8.50am.
During that conversation, he said he was in the “middle of nowhere” and that all he could see were mountains.
His phone battery died shortly afterwards, at around 8.52am.
Jay had previously shared his location with friends through WhatsApp, which later helped investigators establish his approximate movements.
Mother Retraces His Final Route
Debbie returned to Masca with Jay’s uncle Glen Duncan and Dr Shepherd as part of the documentary.
She wanted to understand why her son had apparently been unable to return to the road after becoming lost.
Seeing the terrain herself helped her understand the scale of the problem he faced.
The area is steep, rocky and remote, with deep valleys and difficult ground.
Debbie said that once she saw the landscape, she could better understand why Jay may have felt there was no obvious route back.
‘He Must Have Been So Scared’
Debbie said the family had previously struggled to understand how Jay reached a point where all he could see around him were mountains.
After retracing the route, she said it became clearer.
“He must have been so scared, thinking, I can’t turn back,” she said.
She said Jay appeared to have seen the ocean and attempted to move downhill through the landscape before suffering the fatal fall.
Mother Says Visit Brought Some Closure
Debbie said returning to Tenerife and seeing Jay’s route had given her a greater understanding of his final hours.
She said knowing where he had started, the direction he travelled and where he ultimately died had helped provide some closure.
The Spanish post-mortem concluded that Jay died as a result of injuries sustained in the fall into an approximately 82ft-deep ravine.
Dr Shepherd said the medical evidence found no indication of strangulation or deliberate violence.
