Jay Slater‘s mum Debbie Duncan is preparing to revisit the Tenerife mountains as she continues searching for answers about her son’s tragic final hours in Channel 5’s Cause of Death.
The 19-year-old apprentice bricklayer disappeared while on holiday with friends in Tenerife, sparking a huge search operation and intense speculation about what had happened to him.
Debbie and Jay’s family were left facing a barrage of theories, with claims ranging from kidnapping and drug gangs to suggestions that his disappearance had been staged.
Then, 29 days after Jay vanished, Debbie received the devastating news that his body had been found at the bottom of a ravine.
Now, more than a year after his death, she is revisiting the evidence with a team of experts, including renowned forensic pathologist Dr Richard Shepherd.
Jay Slater case to feature in Cause of Death
The fourth series of Cause of Death begins with a closer look at the circumstances surrounding Jay’s death.
The Channel 5 crime series brings together pathologists and other experts to examine deaths that are unexpected, unexplained or raise difficult questions.
Jay, who was from Blackburn, disappeared on June 17, 2024, after a night out clubbing.
During the early hours, he travelled to an apartment in the mountains with two men he had met earlier that week.
The property was around a 40 minute drive away. Jay’s friends, Brad and Lucy, returned to their accommodation without him.
Jay left the apartment at 4am and discovered that the first bus would not leave for another two hours. He then decided to make the journey on foot.
Later that morning, Lucy reported him missing.
Jay was eventually found 29 days later. He had fallen between 20 and 25 metres, suffering severe skull fractures and brain trauma.
His death was concluded to have been a tragic accident at his inquest. However, Debbie still wants to understand exactly what happened during those final moments.
She returns to Tenerife alongside Dr Shepherd, who conducted Jay’s post mortem.
He says: “The conclusion at Jay’s inquest was a tragic accident.
“We know he had a fall from height but there are still questions I want answering. So we’re going to go back and look again.”
Jay Slater’s mum Debbie to retrace teenager’s last steps
As part of the investigation, Debbie will sit down with Dr Shepherd to examine scans taken after Jay’s death.
He chooses not to show her photographs of Jay’s body, explaining that they would be “too distressing”.
She will also work with digital forensic scientist Dr Angus Marshall to examine Jay’s phone.
The device was found close to Jay’s body and contains a record of his final communications, including his texts and calls.
It also shows how the battery level fell before the phone eventually died. Crucially, the device recorded Jay’s last known location.
Debbie will then return to Tenerife with Dr Shepherd and her brother Glen Duncan, Jay’s uncle.
Glen and local walking guides will follow the route Jay most likely took as he tried to make his way back to his accommodation.
During the emotional documentary, Debbie is seen breaking down as she asks: “What were you thinking, Jay? Why did you not just turn back?”
Dr Shepherd explains: “She doesn’t know why he fell to his death. I want to help this family find the answers to the questions they still have about Jay’s untimely death.”
When does Cause of Death featuring Jay Slater’s case start?
Cause of Death returns to Channel 5 next week, with Jay’s case forming the focus of the opening episode.
The first episode will air at 9pm on Wednesday September 30, 2026.
It will run for one hour, finishing at 10pm.
For Debbie and her family, the documentary offers another chance to examine the evidence surrounding Jay’s final hours.
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