As I write this article on the evening of 29 June, Jay Slater is still missing in Tenerife.
it is impossible for us to understand just what his family and friends are going through and we all hope he is found soon.
The details of the case are known to us all and I think this story has captured the public interest more than any since the disappearance of Nicola Bulley. I think with similar issues to the Nicola Bulley investigation, it has shown again how certain groups are always going to be a part of major investigations going forward.
Let me cover the main four groups here as I see it.
1, Speculation from public
I rarely cover missing people on my podcast because almost by default you need to speculate about what happened and this isn’t something I feel comfortable doing. Like you, I have my own private thoughts on what might have happened to Jay, but I certainly have no intention of sharing them in public as they are, quite frankly, irrelevant.
We have read about the hurt some of these theories have caused Jay’s family. I think we do need to be very careful with what we say in public forums. But on the other hand, it is hard to stop people speculating so long as they are not libelling/threatening anyone. In this world of widespread social media I don’t think it can be stopped – the genie is out of the bottle.
2, Ex Law-Enforcement Professionals
Of course, media outlets always want more content on any case like the disappearance of Jay and unfortunately in my view, there are always ex-law enforcement officers willing to criticise any given investigation and pass on their views of how things should be done. Often these people have a media profile and cynics would say they are ultimately just in it for the money.
I should add that there are some incredibly talented ex-law enforcement people out there quietly using their skills to do some quite work. They don’t make a fuss, don’t comment publicly and do what they can to help desperate families, often with considerable success.
3, Influencers/TikTokkers
It is just real life that some of these will turn up at any major investigation. It just is. We remember the problems some caused around the Nicola Bulley investigation.
Some report on events, stay out of the way of the professionals, and do a decent job keeping their followers updated and getting more likes in the process. Everyone wins. One in the Jay Slater investigation seems to be very helpful using his skills in the search.
These people aren’t going anywhere and just need to be managed effectively at any investigation by those in charge. Easier said than done and maybe law enforcement professionals need to be better at using these people to their advantage?
4, Internet Sleuths
Of all the groups, this one is the most interesting to me.
I think there are very talented, diligent internet sleuths who can genuinely help – not just this investigation, but other cold cases too.
This is where current and ex-law enforcement professionals turn up their noses and say I haven’t got a clue what I am saying. Maybe, but I don’t think so.
But there are plenty of examples of amateur detectives armed with the internet who have made the breakthrough in a case. One strong example is the case of Florida man Abraham Shakespeare who was murdered after a $17 lottery win. The online community at websleuths cracked this case.
Those at home have a number of major advantages to the pro detectives running a case:
- They have no deadlines;
- They don’t have as many cases to juggle;
- They have time to really focus on maps/documents or other items that can be viewed online;
- They don’t have to consider families, staff, bosses, egos, career issues, media and other political issues that can make the job of the detective harder that it sometimes should be.
Of course, there is a danger these people slip into ill-founded speculation, but with law enforcement globally facing staff shortages, surely there is a real opportunity to utilise this motivated resource.
The internet has changed everything and these four groups will all be around for every major investigation going forwards. The challenge for law enforcement is how they keep people onside to help the investigation, rather than prove a hindrance.
Will they be able to do so? I am not so sure, are you?