When a young British man went missing while on holiday in the Spanish island of Tenerife in mid-June, a familiar routine took place: search and rescue teams scoured the area, family members made tearful statements, and unconfirmed reports kept coming that he had been spotted.
And soon, they added another increasingly common feature of missing persons cases: online detectives were convinced they could do what the police couldn’t and solve the case.
This weekend, Spanish authorities called off the search for Jay Slater, a 19-year-old apprentice bricklayer from Britain who was visiting Tenerife, a popular holiday destination. But even after the 14-day search officially ended, conspiracy theories and other speculation persisted. online transmission
“There is a small minority who believe and participate in these things,” said Aleksandra Cichocka, professor of political psychology at the University of Kent. “But they can be really disruptive to families and the whole investigative process.”
Mr. Slater attended a music festival on the island with a friend, according to a statement from his mother, Debbie Duncan, through the missing persons organization LBT Global. On the final night of the festival, Mr. Slater left with two people he had met at the event to go to their apartment in a more remote part of the island, according to Lucy Law, a friend who was with him and provided details in an online fundraising page for his family.
The next morning, June 17, Ms Law said Mr Slater told her on the phone that he was lost in the mountains, thirsty and his phone battery was dead. He called another friend, who told the British media that Mr. Slater had decided to go into a “little puddle” beside a road. That morning was the last anyone heard from him.
For nearly two weeks, Tenerife authorities have been scouring the area around Masca, a mountain village near a nature reserve, with the help of sniffer dogs. Temperatures on the island, off the northwest coast of Africa, have hovered around 27 degrees Celsius (81 degrees Fahrenheit).
Spanish civil police have confirmed some details of the case. Over the weekend, before calling off the search, they asked for volunteers with experience in rough terrain, British media reported.
The search has unfolded amid a frenzy of attention from British news outlets and impromptu conspiracy theorists. In Facebook groups, one of which has more than 600,000 members, followers have retraced Mr Slater’s last known steps and scoured Tenerife livestreams in the hope of finding any sign of him. Some — from climbing influencer ARRIVE criminal investigator — arrived on the island to assist in the search.
“We are aware of the conspiracy theories and speculation on social media and some websites, and this can only be described as despicable,” Ms Duncan said. “The negative comments have caused our family great distress.”
However, Ms. Duncan, who did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and several friends of the teenager have is reported to be welcoming some offers of help from TikTok seekers. But the attention has also included many unfounded theories and conspiracies, and Mr. Slater’s family has said British media that they were concerned that online speculation was hampering the investigation.
The administrators of a group that said they had been in contact with the family have criticized the spread of conspiracies on social media. platforms like TikTok.
Last week, Mr Slater’s company, PH Build Group, said on Facebook that it had received harassing emails: “Everyone can have their own theories and feelings but posting them publicly when you know you will hurt people is cruel.”
On Tuesday, the Tenerife government confirmed in an email that although the official search had ended, the investigation would continue until they determined what happened to Mr Slater.
“We just want to find him,” said Ms. Duncan.
Conspiracy theories can get a lot of attention and engagement on social media, Cichocka said. Sharing them can make people feel like they’re creating order in a chaotic situation, even if they’re not actually involved.
“It’s a coping mechanism that helps people deal with the uncontrollable reality,” says Cichocka.
In the grand scheme of things, the number of people creating and sharing these theories is often small. But because of the speed at which misinformation spreads, small groups can have enormous influence.
Other cases have also attracted intense online speculation. Nicola BulleyA 45-year-old woman from Lancashire, England, died in 2023 after falling into a river, be censured Theories have been rife on social media following her death, even after a police investigation found no third-party involvement. Ms Bulley’s family have asked the public to “look at the facts, the evidence” and ignore any amateur opinions, adding that people should “be mindful of the impact that words can have”.
Earlier this month, the Greek government The body of Dr. Michael Mosley was found.a British medical journalist and documentary filmmaker who authorities say likely died of natural causes. His disappearance has prompted an in-depth search on the Greek island of Symi.
