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4 months ago
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JAY Slater met two mystery Brit men days before he partied with the pair at their Airbnb and disappeared, his pal has claimed.
The two men were the last known people to speak to the missing 19-year-old – but police said they are “not relevant” to the investigation.
Jay’s pal Brad Hargreaves has claimed the two mystery men had become friends with Jay days before he went home with them and vanishedEroteme
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Ian WhittakerJay’s close friend Brad Hargreaves spoke with ITV‘s This Morning about the duo who have since disappeared from Tenerife and returned to the UK.
The pair are believed to have met Jay up to three days before June 17 when he went missing, Brad told reporter Isla Traquair out on the island.
Reports initially suggested Jay had only just met the men on the Sunday evening.
Isla made a follow up TikTok report on her findings where she spoke on the two mystery men, recalling what Brad had told her.
The TV crime reporter said: “The two men that he went to go and stay with, they had met them three days before. They hung out with them, they made friends on holiday.
“It wasn’t two random people he’d met that night. They’d established a friendship and Brad said they seemed like really cool guys.”
Brad was on holiday with Jay and their other friend Lucy Law for the three-day New Rave Generation music festival.
Lucy, who first reported the teen as missing, is yet to speak on the mystery duo.
After going to a rave on the Sunday night, apprentice bricklayer Jay headed to Masca with the two men.
He shared a final Snapchat from their Airbnb of a hand holding a cigarette at 7.30am.
He was holding on to a colourful blanket that Brad says was given to Jay by the men.
Jay then tried to make his way back to his holiday accommodation – an 11-hour walk away.
On the walk Jay made two phone calls known to police – one to Brad and one to Lucy.
Brad opened up their last conversation – saying Jay wasn’t initially concerned about walking back to their accommodation.
But, after a few minutes on the phone he told This Morning he could hear Jay’s feet slide on the rocks, signalling to him he’d gone off the road.
Brad said: “That’s how I knew he went off the road because, you know when you walk on gravel, or whatever it is, you can… you know what I mean, stones.”
It comes as…
- Cops investigate new lead after ‘theft of Rolex’ hours before teen vanished
- Two mystery Brits seen partying with Jay deemed ‘not relevant’ to the investigation
- Deluge of tip-offs flooding in for Jay appeal
- GoFundMe page for his family hits £40,000
- Crews fear he won’t be found alive if he vanished in mountains
- Tenerife worst place to go missing, expert warned before Jay went missing
- Jay was attacked by gang when he was just 12
- New pics of Jay emerge at a pool party two days before he vanished
- Cops quiz locals who ‘saw Jay watching Euros’
- Crews scour exact spot where mystery ‘grainy figure’ was seen
He admitted, however, he wasn’t worried at that point as Jay reassured him he was fine – but he did tell his friend to put his location on.
Brad added: “We were both, like, laughing about it. He said: ‘look where I am’.”
He said Jay then cut off as he had another call waiting – but promised to phone back.
Jay is then thought to have spoke with Lucy where his attitude to his situation is said to have worsened.
The teen complained about needing some water in the heat before his phone ran out of battery – leaving Lucy panicked.
It is still unclear why Jay didn’t wait at the Airbnb cottage to ask for help or supplies with his new friends.
Police update on disappearing duo
The latest twist comes just days after private investigator Mark Williams-Thomas called the men “key witnesses” in the case.
The men were only briefly asked to speak with cops before being allowed to fly home to the UK.
Neither men have been spoken to since, claims Mark.
This has resulted in questions over why the pair haven’t been asked to help out further in the investigations as time runs out.
Cipriano Martin, head of the Civil Guard’s Greim mountain rescue unit, was asked about the two mystery men who partied with the teen on the night he vanished.
Lucy Law was the last person to have spoken to Jay on the phone before it diedFacebook
Jay’s dad Warren and his older brother Zak at the search site this weekendDoug Seeburg
Investigator Mark Williams-Thomas claimed the men were ‘key witnesses’ in the investigation
Mr Martin claimed the pair have no relevance to Jay’s disappearance.
He said: “We’re mountain specialists and we’re in charge of searching here, and it’s the Civil Guard investigators who have been responsible for the investigation.
“Those men have been spoken to and they don’t have any relevance whatsoever for the case.”
But, former detective Mark – who worked on the Madeleine McCann case – claims to have pieced together the mystery and feels the duo could help out.
They are said to both be in their late 30s or early 40s and 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.
“The family are desperate for these men to come forward as witnesses. They are not currently assisting,” Mark added.
“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.”
‘Massive’ search underway
Tenerfife cops launched the beginning of a huge search operation on Saturday to find the Brit who has now been missing for two weeks.
The hunt for missing Jay has hit “make or break” point this weekend with cops requesting help from expert explorers and climbers as they scour the mountains Jay may have got lost in.
However, just six volunteers reportedly turned up, claimed Tiktoker Paul Arnott, 29, who flew in to help with the search.
Jay’s father Warren and older brother Zak were seen at the search site.
Warren spoke at the mountainside saying: “It’s a bit disappointing that there are no British apart from Paul but I suppose to them he’s just a British lad who’s come out here and got drunk.
“I’m grateful to those who have come out here because you can see just how dangerous it is and what gets me is the trollers who are having a go at us for not searching.
“It’s not the local park, these are big mountains, the terrain is dangerous, put yourself in our position would you go out in these conditions?
“It’s tough, it’s hard, we are leaving it to the professionals and I’m grateful for those who have turned out today and I want to thank them for what they are doing.”
Despite cops issuing a huge appeal for expert volunteers it’s not known why the call for help wasn’t answered by more people.
Spanish cops also turned down help from their British counterparts as they insisted they had all the resources required last week.
A source told The Sun: “There’s a feeling that this weekend is going to be absolutely key. A huge amount of resources and effort is being piled into the next 48 hours.
“It’s not all or nothing, but investigators dearly hope this weekend will provide the breakthrough they are hoping for.”
Cops also announced they were opening up questioning over the theft of a Rolex watch just hours before Jay disappeared.
Taxi drivers and bar staff who were working near the Papagayo Beach Club on June 17 are set to be questioned by investigators after a fight reportedly erupted on the Tenerife strip.
Jay was seen partying in the busy venue shortly before it closed.
It is unclear exactly how Jay’s disappearance might be linked to the incident – but officers are reportedly examining CCTV footage from the security cameras.
And now cops are hoping to speak to new witnesses who might have seen the fight unfold – and have information about Jay.
A source in Tenerife told The Sun: “Any lead right now which could throw up information as to where Jay is will be looked at.”
Jay’s final snapchat was taken from the Airbnb as he wore a blanket given to him by the men
Doug Seeburg
Doug Seeburg
Doug Seeburg
English (US)