Jay Slater's mum broke down in tears as she returned to the area where her son died two years ago. On Wednesday night (September 30), the latest episode of Channel 5's Cause of Death saw Dr Shepherd return to the case of Jay Slater, whose post mortem he performed. The 19-year-old from Lancashire went missing in June 2024 while on holiday in Tenerife.
Tragically, Jay was found dead in a remote area near the village of Masca almost a month later, on July 15. His disappearance prompted a huge manhunt on the island that gained mass media attention.
Despite a coroner's inquest ruling the teenager died by accident after falling down a ravine, Jay's mum Debbie Duncan still has unanswered questions two years on from her son's passing.
Return to Tenerife
Appearing on Cause of Death, Debbie returns to Tenerife with Dr Shepherd and her brother Glen to recreate Jay's last walk. She stated in the episode: "The conclusion at Jay's inquest was a tragic accident. We know that he's had a fall from height, but I still have questions that I want answered, so I'm going to go back and look again."
Dr Shepherd said of Jay's death: "The reality can be very hard, the degree of fracture is so severe there's no doubt he would have been instantly unconscious and I think it's quite likely that he was instantly dead too."
After having Jay's fatal injuries explained, Debbie noted: "After speaking to Dr Shepherd I'm clear on how Jay actually died. I think now the next thing is why."
Explaining why she had to go back to Tenerife, Debbie said: "I think I'll always be drawn to Tenerife now. Like a magnet you want to come back because you know it was the last place he was having fun."
Retracing final steps
According to Jay's uncle Glen, he wanted to go to Tenerife to get a 'better understanding' by retracing Jay's final steps in Masca, where Jay was last seen alive. Recreating the walk, he noted that his nephew was 'completely unprepared for the walk'.
While taking the trail, Glen got to the path's dead end and missed a connected turn for hiking path 'without ever realising it'. He noted: "As best as you can, you want to put yourself in the position of Jay.
"If you're heading for the coast, to make a decision to turn around and go back up is a huge decision. I think that's possibly one of the reasons he went on the path he did."
Debbie, who was with Dr Shepherd waiting for Glen to come back, candidly said: "He's making bad decisions, but he didn't realise they were bad decisions at the time'. The invincibility of a 19-year-old."
Point of no return
Glen noted that retracing Jay's steps was hard as it was too hot and the terrain was 'bad'. Coming just 430m away from where Jay's body was found, Glen decided it was 'the point of no return' and that he wouldn't be 'going any further of this'.
Returning to Debbie, he told his sister: "We didn't get near to where he was found, but we got as far as we could without putting ourselves in danger. I just think that's a bit of closure for me. I don't think there's any way of knowing which direction he went."
Debbie replied as she began to tear up: "It was just the possibility and trying to do it within that timeline because we thought how is it possible for him to get to a place where he said to Lucy [his friend, who he spoke to before his phone died] 'I can't see anything, I'm lost, I can just see mountains'...
"You just never think in a million years that you come away on holiday, have the best time and then just… such a tragedy."
The documentary concluded with Debbie and Glen going to where Jay would have ended up had he made his presumed destination. She said through tears: "He didn't know he was heading for this, he didn't know what he had in front of him. It just makes me sad."
Reflecting on the trip, Debbie said just before the credits began to roll: "He must have been so scared thinking 'what have I done, I can't turn back'. When you look at it, he doesn't know why. I think the closure I got is the walk.
"Knowing where he's set off from, that he's seen the ocean, gone down, where he got to when his phone died. That was important to me. Seeing all that now, I understand it better.
"That's what closure it's given me. I know that he'd be so sorry for the mistakes he made. He'd be saying 'I'm so sorry mum'."
