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Jay Slater’s best friend Lucy Law posts emotional message to ‘the happiest and most smiley person’ after body found near where teenager’s last phone pinged

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Jay Slater’s best friend Lucy Law posts emotional message to ‘the happiest and most smiley person’ after body found near where teenager’s last phone pinged

Jay Slater’s best friend has posted an emotional message to the ‘happiest and most smiley person’ after a body was found near where his phone last pinged. 

The 19-year-old apprentice bricklayer from Lancashire went missing on June 17, and yesterday Spanish police announced the discovery of a body with Jay’s ‘possessions and clothes’ nearby. 

The teenager had jetted off to Tenerife for an eight-day holiday with his best mates Lucy Law and Brad Hargreaves before he vanished. 

In a heart-wrenching Instagram post published last night Lucy wrote: ‘Honestly lost for words. Always the happiest and most smiley person in the room, you was one of a kind Jay and you’ll be missed more than you know. 

‘I’m sure you’ll ‘have your dancing shoes polished and ready’ waiting for us all. We all love you buddy. Fly high.’

It comes as:

Jay Slater’s best friend Lucy Law (right) posted an emotional message to the ‘happiest and most smiley person’ after a body was found near where his phone last pinged

Jay had jetted off to Tenerife for a holiday with best mates Lucy Law (right) and Brad Hargreaves before he vanished

Jay had jetted off to Tenerife for a holiday with best mates Lucy Law (right) and Brad Hargreaves before he vanished

Jay was on his first-ever friends holiday with Lucy Law (pictured) and Brad Hargreaves when he went missing in Tenerife

Jay was on his first-ever friends holiday with Lucy Law (pictured) and Brad Hargreaves when he went missing in Tenerife

In a heart-wrenching Instagram post published last night Lucy wrote: 'Honestly lost for words. Always the happiest and most smiley person in the room, you was one of a kind Jay and you'll be missed more than you know'

In a heart-wrenching Instagram post published last night Lucy wrote: ‘Honestly lost for words. Always the happiest and most smiley person in the room, you was one of a kind Jay and you’ll be missed more than you know’

A screenshot of messages between Jay and Lucy, which she posted on her Instagram in tribute to the teenager

A screenshot of messages between Jay and Lucy, which she posted on her Instagram in tribute to the teenager

Lucy also posted a video tribute to Jay on her TikTok captioned: 'My thoughts are with your family Jay. We'll truly miss you.'

Lucy also posted a video tribute to Jay on her TikTok captioned: ‘My thoughts are with your family Jay. We’ll truly miss you.’

Jay's family endured conspiracy theories and 'awful comments' being posted online during the search for the apprentice bricklayer, including hoax hostage videos. Pictured: Jay and Lucy

Jay’s family endured conspiracy theories and ‘awful comments’ being posted online during the search for the apprentice bricklayer, including hoax hostage videos. Pictured: Jay and Lucy

The teenager had attended the NRG music festival with two friends before his disappearance, and his last known location was the Rural de Teno Park in the north of the Canary Island

The teenager had attended the NRG music festival with two friends before his disappearance, and his last known location was the Rural de Teno Park in the north of the Canary Island

Alongside the message she published a collection of pictures and videos of the pair hanging out over the years.  

Formal identification has not yet taken place, but officers say that ‘everything is pointing to it being’ the missing teen. 

His grief-stricken mother Debbie Duncan, 55, has ‘lots of questions which she hopes will be answered in the coming days,’ a source close to the family said.

‘Debbie is completely devastated,’ the insider told The Sun, adding that the ‘hardest’ part for Duncan is that the remains were ‘found so close to the original search site’.

Brad Hargreaves, who had been helping with the search before flying back to Britain last week, also paid tribute to Jay yesterday. 

He posted two snaps of him and his friend alongside a heartfelt message: ‘Nothing be the same without you. Rest easy brother. Love you always.’

Authorities have not yet released the exact location in which they found the body, but it is understood that the remains were discovered in an ‘inaccessible’ and very remote area near the village of Masca.

The Mirror reported that police found Jay’s body a ’20-minute walk’ from where the teenager’s phone last pinged.

A video released on Monday showed police mountain rescue experts moving through difficult terrain on foot, scaling mountains and picking their way through thick undergrowth

A video released on Monday showed police mountain rescue experts moving through difficult terrain on foot, scaling mountains and picking their way through thick undergrowth

Video released by Spanish police shows how mountain rescue experts scoured through 'inaccessible' terrain, scaled rock faces and picked their way through scrub and thick undergrowth as they carried out the search

Video released by Spanish police shows how mountain rescue experts scoured through ‘inaccessible’ terrain, scaled rock faces and picked their way through scrub and thick undergrowth as they carried out the search

The terrain is described as ‘dense’ and is understood to be full of uneven ground and shrubland. There is also no sign of any emergency services in the nearby village.

The force released video footage of rescuers climbing rock faces and battling through scrub as they carried out the search.

Part of the clip shows two members of the search team being winched out of the area by helicopter after the body had been found and recovered.

While formal identification has not yet taken place, the remains were found with the 19-year-old’s clothes and possessions near his last known location, missing persons charity LBT Global said.

Tenerife's Guardia Civil said on Monday that officers are waiting for the results of a post-mortem examination to confirm the cause of death, which could take a number of days

Tenerife’s Guardia Civil said on Monday that officers are waiting for the results of a post-mortem examination to confirm the cause of death, which could take a number of days

Formal identification has not yet taken place, but officers say that 'everything is pointing to it being' the missing teen. Pictured: Lucy and Jay (right)

Formal identification has not yet taken place, but officers say that ‘everything is pointing to it being’ the missing teen. Pictured: Lucy and Jay (right)

Lucy posted a tribute to Jay last night, describing him as the 'happiest person in the room' after a body was found in an 'inaccessible' area near the village of Masca

Lucy posted a tribute to Jay last night, describing him as the ‘happiest person in the room’ after a body was found in an ‘inaccessible’ area near the village of Masca

Jay's friend Brad Hargreaves, who went on holiday with him and flew back last week, paid a poignant tribute on Instagram on Monday

Jay’s friend Brad Hargreaves, who went on holiday with him and flew back last week, paid a poignant tribute on Instagram on Monday

The post included a string of red broken hearts (seen above)

The post included a string of red broken hearts (seen above)

Brad Hargreaves (pictured) said he spoke to Jay on the phone before he went missing

Brad Hargreaves (pictured) said he spoke to Jay on the phone before he went missing

While the Civil Guard said it had called off the official search after just 13 days, yesterday it was revealed that officials had been carrying on with the search, unbeknownst to anyone in a bid to stop internet sleuths from searching themselves.

‘The discovery was possible thanks to the incessant and discreet search carried out by the Civil Guard during these 29 days, in which the natural space was preserved so that it would not be filled with onlookers,’ a statement read.

Tenerife’s Guardia Civil said on Monday that officers are waiting for the results of a post-mortem examination to confirm the cause of death, which could take a number of days.

Jay could have fallen in the steep and inaccessible area where he was discovered, the force said.

Jessica Rogers, the girlfriend of Jay Slater’s brother, took to social media yesterday to pay tribute to the teenager.

She posted a photograph of Jay with a blue love heart, accompanied by the words: ‘Will love you forever’.

Members of the local community in Lancashire have been tying blue ribbons to posts to symbolise their support during the search. 

A local man told the BBC that ‘everybody knows everybody around here’. ‘It’s a shame, everybody wants him home – everybody wants an answer.’

Another local said it has ‘hit the community hard’. He said: ‘He’s a local lad and he’s well known. I feel sorry for the family going through this. It’s hit hard.’

Jay Slater's family have been informed that human remains have been found in the mountainous area of the Spanish island after a body was found (pictured: Jay Slater with his mother Debbie Duncan)

Jay Slater’s family have been informed that human remains have been found in the mountainous area of the Spanish island after a body was found (pictured: Jay Slater with his mother Debbie Duncan)

Part of the clip shows two members of the search team being winched out of the area by helicopter after the body had been found and recovered

Part of the clip shows two members of the search team being winched out of the area by helicopter after the body had been found and recovered

A 13-day search by police using drones, dogs and a helicopter failed to find any trace of Jay

A 13-day search by police using drones, dogs and a helicopter failed to find any trace of Jay

The £40-a-night remote Airbnb in the remote village of Masca where Jay spent his final hours before going missing

The £40-a-night remote Airbnb in the remote village of Masca where Jay spent his final hours before going missing  

Jay Slater's final Snapchat at 7.30am on Monday June 17, taken at remote Airbnb before he went missing

Jay Slater’s final Snapchat at 7.30am on Monday June 17, taken at remote Airbnb before he went missing

Jay's mother Debbie Duncan and father Warren Slater leaving the Guardia Civil in Playa de las Americas on July 2

Jay’s mother Debbie Duncan and father Warren Slater leaving the Guardia Civil in Playa de las Americas on July 2

Jessica Rogers shared this image on social media of Jay with the caption: 'Will love you forever'

Jessica Rogers shared this image on social media of Jay with the caption: ‘Will love you forever’

Volunteers searching for Jay in Masca after the teenager went missing

Volunteers searching for Jay in Masca after the teenager went missing

Former British army reservist Chris Pennington walks the Masca mountains with the Daily Mail's Fred Kelly in search of the teenager after he went missing

Former British army reservist Chris Pennington walks the Masca mountains with the Daily Mail’s Fred Kelly in search of the teenager after he went missing

Questions have been raised about what will happen to the money given by generous strangers after a body was found following a month of searching

Questions have been raised about what will happen to the money given by generous strangers after a body was found following a month of searching

The search in the village of Masca, near Mr Slater’s last-known location, took place in a steep rocky area, including ravines, trails and paths.

Jay Slater timeline

Sunday June 16: Jay and his friends, including Lucy Mae Law, party at the final day of the NRG music festival at Papagayo night club in the resort of Playa de las Americas, Tenerife.

Monday June 17: Between 3am and 6am BST, Jay goes back to an Airbnb with two men after they leave Playa de las Americas in a car.

7.30am: Jay shares a photo on his Snapchat account, which shows him standing at the doorway of a house with the location Parque Rural de Teno.

Between 8.30am and 9am: Jay calls Lucy and says he is ‘lost in the mountains with one per cent battery and no water’ and has missed a bus back south and was attempting to walk. It would take 11 hours.

The call cuts out and the phone’s last location is a path in the rugged Rural de Teno national park, which is popular with hikers.

Grainy CCTV, released on June 24, shows a possible sighting of Jay at Santiago at around 6pm – nearly ten hours after his mobile phone last pinged in the Rural de Teno Park at around 8.50am.

The CCTV is taken close to a church, San Fernando Rey, where Jay’s mother told MailOnline a man has come forward to say he saw someone matching her son’s description sitting on a bench with two men.

Tuesday June 18: Friends search the area but there is no sign of Jay and he does not return to his accommodation.

Local police and mountain rescue teams start hunting for Jay – and his mother Debbie flies to Tenerife.

Wednesday June 19 – Spanish police use drones, dogs and a helicopter but Jay is not found. They change their search to Los Cristianos because of a possible sighting, but it is ruled out and they return to Rural de Teno.

Thursday June 20: Guardia Civil, mountain rescue, firefighters and volunteers continue to search the national park.

Friday June 21: Lancashire Police offer support but it is declined by the Spanish police.

Saturday June 22: Search teams continue scouring the national park and Debbie says: ‘We just need you home.’

Sunday June 23: Police examine outbuildings at the bottom of a ravine where his phone last pinged.

Monday June 24: MailOnline learns Spanish police are investigating whether Jay’s past is relevant. Jay’s family focus on the area of Santiago de Teide – where the grainy CCTV they think is Jay was taken.

Tuesday June 25: Jay’s mother issues a heartbreaking plea for her son to come home as more friends fly out to Tenerife. TV investigator Mark Williams-Thomas is seen outside Airbnb Jay went to.

Wednesday June 26: Mr Williams-Thomas tells the two men that Jay went back with to ‘come forward with crucial information’

Thursday June 27: Jay’s mother says she is in talks to withdraw some of £36,000 from GoFundMe to help with rescue efforts and living expenses.

Friday June 28: Police in Tenerife call for an army of volunteers to help them scour the rugged terrain.

Saturday June 29: Only six volunteers show up to help with the search. Investigators also say the two men Jay went back with have ‘no relevance’ to the case.

Sunday June 30: Spanish police officially end the search for Jay Slater. They say the investigation ‘remains open’, however. 

Monday July 15: A body is found in the hunt for Jay Slater. His possessions and clothing are discovered next to human remains. Spanish cops say it points to an ‘accidental fall’ 

The teenager had attended the NRG music festival with two friends before his disappearance, and his last known location was the Rural de Teno Park in the north of the Canary Island, which was about an 11-hour walk from his accommodation.

He had travelled to a£40-a-night Airbnb in the remote village with the two men, one of whom MailOnline revealed is a convicted drug dealer and the other whose identity is still not yet known, but the two men said to have rented the property were later ruled ‘not relevant’ to the case.

Masca is an hour’s drive from the Papagayo nightclub in the party resort of Playa de las Americas.

LBT Global, which supports the families of British people missing overseas, said: ‘LBT Global is saddened to announce that a body found in Tenerife does look to be that of Jay Slater.

‘It is understood the body was found close to the site of his mobile phone’s last location.

‘Although formal identification is yet to be carried out, the body was found with Mr Slater’s possessions and clothes.

‘A post-mortem examination and forensic enquiries will follow.

‘LBT Global are supporting the family at this distressing time and ask for everyone to afford them space and privacy to come to terms with the news.’

Supporters raised more than £54,000 to help fund the hunt for the teenager.

Questions have been raised about what will happen to the money given by generous strangers after a body was found following a month of searching.

There has been a flurry of new donations today, with over £1,000 raised in the seven hours since the tragic news was announced.

This brings the total to over £54,500 of the £30,000 target – which was reached within three weeks of the teenager disappearing.

A GoFundMe spokesperson told The Sun it is in ‘regular contact’ with Jay’s family to work out the next steps for dealing with the money over the next few weeks.

The Telegraph reported that the money will be used towards the funeral and repatriation costs.

The family began to withdraw money two weeks ago to help with the search.

Jay’s mother Debbie previously said the money was also being used to support mountain rescue teams, her own accommodation and food costs.

The cash was used to fly in a team of specialist rescue volunteers yesterday as five people and four dogs were deployed, with a sixth person joining today.

The group were sent by the non-profit organisation Signi Zoekhonden, based in the Netherlands, who have about 20 years experience in searching for missing people.

Signi Zoekhonden contacted Mr Slater’s family after reading about the case and promised to deploy drones as part of their search, subject to flight permission being granted by local authorities.

Jay’s family endured conspiracy theories and ‘awful comments’ being posted online during the search for the apprentice bricklayer, including hoax hostage videos. 

On Sunday, Ms Duncan said she was aware of the ‘vile’ conspiracy theories about her son and claimed they were ‘hindering’ rescue efforts to find him.

In a statement released through British overseas missing persons charity LBT Global, Ms Duncan said the family was ‘desperate to find our beautiful boy’.

She said: ‘As we approach four weeks of our beautiful Jay’s disappearance, we cannot put into words the heartache we are suffering as a family.

‘Jay is a typical young man who loves life, with a bright future ahead of him. This month will mark the end of his three-year apprenticeship with the world at his feet.

‘He is loved by everyone and has a close bond with his family and many, many friends.’

Ms Duncan criticised the ‘awful comments and conspiracy theories’ posted on social media, which she branded ‘vile’ and said were ‘hindering’ people trying to help locate the teenager.

LBT Global chief executive Matt Searle said ‘horrific things are being posted online, and even sent directly to family and friends’ as he called for an end to ‘the constant barrage of conspiracy theories and wild speculation’.

TV detective Mark Williams-Thomas told The Mirror the family received ‘two videos posted of separate people, meant to be Jay, having been beaten up’.

One clip allegedly featured the ‘We have your son’, with the detective saying it was ‘created for publication by someone wanting to give the impression they had Jay held hostage’.

He explained that ‘within hours’ they had established that Jay was not the individual depicted in the videos.

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