Jay Slater investigator reveals first descriptions of two mystery men who partied with teen hours before disappearance
DESCRIPTIONS of the two mystery men who partied with Jay Slater the night before he vanished have been revealed.
Investigator Mark Williams-Thomas claimed the men are “key witnesses” after Jay, 19, is believed to have stayed with them at an Airbnb cottage in Tenerife.
The former detective – who worked on the Madeleine McCann case – spoke at a press conference earlier today claiming to have pieced together the case.
He said he has found out about the pair after speaking to the owner of the rental property.
Mark has also been in close contact with a number of witnesses including Jay’s family and friends.
Despite his new involvement in the case Mark is not part of the official police investigation.
He spoke at a press conference in Tenerife on Wednesday where he claimed both of the men are black and in their 30s or early 40s.
They are said to be from Luton, Bedfordshire, with one going by the nickname “Johnny Vegas“.
Neither of them are believed to have been to the NRG music festival where Jay spent the day partying before he vanished.
One of the men was described as around 6ft tall, quite stocky, with short dark hair.
He was seen wearing an orange wristband and drank Hennessy cognac on the night where he was with Jay.
Mark has said he will release an image of one of the men if they refuse to come forward and help in the investigation.
The men spoke with the Lancashire teen outside the Papagayo nightclub on the strip last Monday morning before driving him back to their accommodation, Mark claimed.
He added: “The family are desperate for these men to come forward as witnesses. They are not currently assisting.
“The group sat outside on the wall outside the club after the night ended. Witnesses say he seemed quite in control of himself.
“What we don’t know is why he went with them.”
The men were only in Tenerife for a couple of days before travelling back to Luton Airport this week.
Mark continued: “When Jay got back to their place he made a number of phone calls to friends and was jovial and upbeat.
“There is a drugs fraternity here [in Tenerife], I can’t say if it has an influence but it is obvious to see.”
Detectives have been working tirelessly for ten days to try and find Jay with the search sparking worldwide concern over his safety.
The former detective also spoke on the idiotic online trolls who are spreading around conspiracy theories and fake death posts about Jay.
He labelled the vicious keyboard warriors as “vile”.
“Jay has his past but the family need some sort of respect. To those on social media, think before you post,” Mark said.
“If you wouldn’t say it to your family don’t say it to Jay’s. These claims have been given to police.”
The men hosted Jay at their Airbnb before he disappeared and were only questioned briefly at the small cottage before travelling back to Luton Airport.
The Sun revealed on Tuesday that British cops were yet to quiz the two men despite investigators still searching for more leads.
A woman identified only as Araceli, who works in the cafe next to the rental property, told reporters this week: “They came in for cafe con leche a couple of times.
“One was aged about 40. The other one was slightly younger.”
The owner of the Airbnb where the men stayed said she has given all the information she had to the police.
Ofelia Hernandez, who owns the holiday let, revealed they were friendly, booked several days at the cottage, and spent a lot of time inside the property.
Cops in the UK revealed they also have no intention of speaking with the pair.
Lancashire Constabulary, whose offer of assistance was refused by local police, said it will not pursue the tourists.
Bedfordshire Police, which looks after Luton Airport, will also not seek to speak with the men.
It comes as…
- Tenerife cops draft in specialist sniffer dogs to find Jay
- Brit cops haven’t questioned two men Jay was last with
- Madeleine McCann cop jets to Tenerife to join search
- Mayor says locals think they’ve spotted Jay watching Euros
- Jay’s mum says she’s ‘barely slept’ as teen’s ex flies to Tenerife
- Brit hiker ‘rescued’ by Jay search teams says he didn’t need saving
- Jay’s machete attack victim backs search for teen
- Teen’s friend slam fake death posts on social media
Helicopters, drones and dogs have been combing the island, with search crews focusing their efforts on the 2,000ft Masca ravine in the north.
It is where his phone last pinged a nearby cell tower at 8.50am on June 17.
After going to a rave on the night of June 16, Jay headed to Masca, on with two British men he had met that evening.
Apprentice bricklayer Jay, from Lancashire, stayed at their rented Airbnb for a couple of hours before trying to make his way back to his holiday accommodation last Monday morning.
He made a final frantic call to friend Lucy Law, telling her he was lost in the “middle of nowhere” with no water and had just one per cent battery on his phone.
Cops on the island have drafted in reinforcements with specialist sniffer dog teams.
Search dog units trained specially to comb large areas have been flown in from Madrid some 1,300 miles away.
The developments came as a local mayor said there had been a number of reports from people saying they thought they had seen Jay watching Euro 24 football games on the island.
Emilio Jose Navarro said a number of locals told cops that Jay was enjoying watching the football tournament.
Meanwhile, Jay’s friends have blasted warped conspiracy theorists and idiotic TikTok sleuths who have jetted to Tenerife in a twisted bid to join the hunt.
Jay’s distraught loved ones spent the last day grappling with fake death posts being shared on social media.
They have also had to endure an onslaught of vile messages and bogus theories from trolls online after the teen disappeared.
Many of his pals have even been forced to respond to “horrible lies” being spread online as the mystery deepens around the missing teenager.
On Tuesday morning, a family friend of Jay took to social media after a video surfaced of her “partying on a boat”.
She was left hurt and disgusted after people hounded her for “partying” instead of looking for Jay despite the clip being taken months ago.
The pal hit back at the fake rumours calling them a complete lie as she wrote on social media: “This is another horrible lie about myself firstly this isn’t me.
“I am here looking for my sons best friend not partying if anyone did see this. Absolutely heartbroken. It was a previous holiday.”
The friend was also at the centre of the fake death posts circulating on Monday with her profile being used in the hoax screenshots.
A spineless troll pretending to be her posted: “Jay’s body has been found. Our hearts are with his family in these evil times, we’ve heard from locals that it was the job of Morrocans(sic).”
Jay’s heartbroken mum Debbie has also said she felt “very let down” after sleuths started questioning what more than £30,000 raised on a GoFundMe page would be used for.
Debbie said: “I am really am saddened by all your comments. You seem to be so bothered about this GoFundMe page.
“I really hope I am not taking my son home in a body bag.”
Timeline of Jay Slater’s disappearance
BY Ellie Doughty, Foreign News Reporter
SUNDAY JUNE 16 – MONDAY 17
Jay goes to a rave at the 2024 NRG music festival in Tenerife, around Arona on the south of the island
8.35pm – Jay posts a smiling Snapchat video of him laughing with friends
He leaves the rave with two men he met that day and is driven back to their accommodation across the island
MONDAY 17
7.30am – Jay posts a Snapchat of a hand holding a cigarette in the area where the accommodation was – near the rural de Teno Park on the north of the island
8.30am – Jay calls his friend Lucy Law and tells her he missed a bus, had one per cent of battery left on his phone and was stuck in the “middle of nowhere”
9am – A missing persons report is filed and the search for Jay begins
TUESDAY 18
2am – Police knock on the door of Jay’s mum Debbie Duncan’s home and tell her to catch the first flight out to Tenerife
7am – She flies out from Manchester Airport alongside her son Zak to help with the search
Debbie is sent a Snapchat message saying “Kiss goodbye to your boy, you’re never going to see him again, he owes me a lot of money.”
WEDNESDAY 19
12.30pm – Police move the search to the south of the island briefly after a false sighting
Cops search his hotel room for clues as his mum says there was “nothing untoward there”
Debbie gives a heart-wrenching interview where she shares fears he has been “taken” and says “I just want my baby back”
THURSDAY 20
Cops begin day four of the massive search for Jay
FRIDAY 21
Lancashire cops offer to help with the search but Tenerife authorities say they are “satisfied that they have the resources they need”
Search turns to 22,000ft ravine in Masca – part of an area dubbed “the badlands” by locals
SATURDAY 22
The sixth day of the search begins with sniffer dogs, cops, mountain rescue and firefighters again taking to the hills in northern Tenerife
Possible new sighting of Jay places him near a church with two men at 6pm on Monday – although unconfirmed by police
Jay’s dad Warren and brother Zak visit the search site in Tenerife
SUNDAY 23
Cops focus their search around small outbuildings in de Teno park near where Jay’s phone last pinged
Jay’s mum Debbie says trolls are comparing her to Karen Matthews
The GoFundMe set up by Jay’s friend Lucy surpasses £30,000 after just three days
Exclusive Sun footage shows Jay appearing to fall and stumble back up at a rave before he vanished
MONDAY 24
Search for Jay enters eighth day
Police expand search area north to parts of Buenavista del Norte
Jay’s dad says his family are in ‘a living hell’
TUESDAY 25
Brit hiker found by Jay search teams says he ‘didn’t need to be saved’
Madeleine McCann cop lands in Tenerife to join search
Tenerife cops call in reinforcements from Madrid – including specialist sniffer dogs