Jay Slater’s Body Returns to the UK as Mother Makes Heartfelt Request
Jay Slater’s mother has confirmed that her son’s body has returned to the UK, and plans for his funeral have been revealed. Jay had been attending a music festival in Tenerife with friends Lucy Law and Brad Hargreaves before he disappeared on Monday, June 17.
On the evening of June 16, Jay spent the night partying at the Papagayo nightclub in Playa de las Americas. He later traveled to the remote village of Masca to an apartment. After leaving the £40-a-night Airbnb, Jay disappeared, leading to a massive four-week search, according to The Mirror.
A body was found on July 15, later confirmed to be Jay. His body remained in Spain for a preliminary autopsy before being repatriated to the UK. Earlier this week, Jay’s mother, Debbie Duncan, made the heartbreaking journey home from Tenerife to Manchester Airport, accompanied by Jay’s father, Warren, 58, and brother Zak, 24, told RSVP Live.
Debbie is now planning the 19-year-old’s funeral, which will be held next Saturday at Accrington Cemetery Chapel. Mourners are asked to wear something blue in their memory. An obituary released on behalf of Jay’s family stated: “After Jay left Rhyddings High School, he went on to become an apprentice bricklayer with the PH Build group, a job he greatly enjoyed.”
“At the young age of 5, Jay started playing football for Huncoat United FC until the age of 17 and also did a few seasons with the Sunday team at St Joseph’s. He also loved spending time chilling out with his friends. Jay’s love of music and dance started at a very young age. He loved attending music festivals and events across the country and also loved to socialize and meet new people.”
The obituary continued, “A loving son of Debbie and Warren, a cherished brother of Zak and brother-in-law of Jessica, a treasured grandson of Dawn, June, and the late Dougie, a much-loved nephew of Glen and Katie, a dear cousin of Maddie and Tillie, and a loyal friend to many. Jay will be very sadly missed by all those who knew him.”
Debbie has pledged to give her son the send-off he deserves, using part of the £74,156 raised by well-wishers to pay for the ceremony. The remaining funds will cover the cost of his repatriation and expenses incurred by his family and friends who flew out to Tenerife to join the search.
Jay’s body was discovered in an inaccessible mountainous area in northwest Tenerife on July 15. After a 29-day search, his body was airlifted out by helicopter. Matt Searle of LBT Global, the missing persons charity that helped repatriate Jay’s body, stated, “A UK post-mortem was ordered by the coroner, and this concluded that Jay’s death was caused by traumatic head injuries, consistent with a fall from height. The report also highlighted that his death would have been instantaneous.”
The family has asked for family flowers only and welcomes anyone who would like to bring a single rose to place with Jay. Donations in lieu of flowers can be made to LBT Global via a specially built page.
Jay’s disappearance captivated Britain for nearly a month, sparking speculation and conspiracy theories on social media. Rumors included claims that Jay had stolen a £12,000 Rolex watch shortly before his disappearance and that he was scared as he left the rental apartment, which had been rented by convicted drug dealer Ayub Qassim and a pal known as “Rocky.” Police later ruled these individuals “irrelevant” to their investigation.
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