The case of Jay Slater, the 19-year-old who disappeared in Tenerife over two weeks ago, has taken a new turn after the discovery of a pair of sunglasses very similar to those he was wearing when he was last seen. They were found by a British resident of the island whilst walking close to the search area around Masca.
Chris Pennington is a 43-year-old former British Army reservist living on the island, who told the Daily Mail that he saw them near the spot where Jay's last mobile signal was recorded.
“I parked at a viewing point near the place where the phone rang for the last time and found them on the ground, near some bushes in the area where they had been searching. They were about 50 metres from the road, near a tunnel,” he explained.
“I was part of the search for Jay on Sunday (June 30th). The terrain is impossible, unless you’ve experienced it you wouldn’t understand. There’s a very high probability that the glasses have nothing whatsoever to do with him, however, if you’re searching the area and find something how can you not report it?”
After finding them, he says he notified the Guardia Civil and followed their instructions: he wrapped them in paper before handing them over for analysis to avoid compromising any possible forensic evidence. When he handed them over to the agents, he says they took his DNA, fingerprints, and a statement.
The police search for Jay Slater was called off last Sunday, a decision that has come as a blow to his parents and brother, who have met with officials in Playa de las Américas to discuss the next steps.
Despite the lack of evidence of criminality, investigations are continuing. Investigating judge, María Goya, is being informed of the events and has been notified that the Guardia Civil sees no indications of a crime at this time. However, the judicial investigation remains open, leaving room for any possible new developments.
