The parents of a 14-year-old boy who was discovered deceased last year expressed their plea for assistance before the tragic event, as revealed during an inquest. Logan Slater, 14, had gone missing for a period of two days in October the previous year before his remains were located at Beechwood Park in Brighouse, West Yorkshire. Christopher, Logan’s father, provided testimony at Bradford Coroner’s Court as the inquiry into the teenager’s passing resumed this week.
The court was informed that the Slater family had been receiving assistance from a one-on-one support worker and a family support worker in the year leading up to Logan’s demise due to concerning changes in his behavior. Mr. Slater shared, “There were challenges from alterations in behavior towards the end of primary school… It all began with his difficulty in managing his emotions and reacting to certain situations. If he witnessed a friend being mistreated by another individual, he would take it seriously and intervene, often escalating the situation needlessly.”
Assistant Coroner Charlotte Keighley highlighted that a school report indicated Logan’s “infatuation” with knives and referenced Andrew Tate. However, Logan’s father stated, “I was aware of him [Tate] and his influence at that time, and we had discussions, but I had no worries about him. There are many aspects in that report that I disagree with.”
The proceedings revealed that initially, Logan responded positively to the support provided, but his behavior deteriorated as the summer term came to a close and during the holidays. On one occasion, Mr. Slater found that Logan had used cannabis.
Upon returning to school in September, Logan’s behavior took a turn for the worse, according to Mr. Slater. He expressed, “The communication from the school, the resistance, and defiance, everything seemed to be escalating. The school was reaching out to me almost every other day, and he appeared relentless in challenging the boundaries.”
Logan’s father emphasized that their family was in dire need of support, leading to another support referral made in September. The last time Logan’s parents saw him was when he left for school around 7:55 am on Monday, October 21. Subsequently, the school notified them that he had not attended. Mr. Slater recounted, “At that moment, I was extremely concerned. They had called me three times the previous week, so I said, ‘Check again because you did this last week and he was there.’ They confirmed his absence, prompting us to search for him.”
Despite having no apprehensions about Logan harming himself, by that afternoon, they contacted the police. Mr. Slater mentioned, “I wasn’t particularly worried about anything. I just anticipated his return… We posted on Facebook to seek information if anyone had seen him.”
At 1 am on October 22, the police visited the Slaters’ residence to inquire if they believed Logan was in danger. Mr. Slater expressed his worry about the dark and cold conditions and the uncertainty about Logan’s whereabouts. Despite being informed that Logan was deemed low risk by a new police sergeant, Mr. Slater stressed the importance of Logan’s age as a factor to consider.
A neighbor alerted Logan’s father that his son had been captured on their CCTV footage walking in a specific direction. They revisited an area with wooden surroundings that they had previously searched, leading to the discovery of Logan’s body by his mother.
The ongoing inquest, anticipated to span three days, continues to unfold.
