Julie Davis, a 53-year-old mother from Solihull, West Midlands, is grappling with the anguish of not knowing the fate of her son, Levi Davis, a promising rugby union player and former contestant on The X Factor: Celebrity. Levi, aged 24, disappeared on October 29, 2022, while in Barcelona, Spain, leaving an unsettling uncertainty surrounding his whereabouts and well-being.

Levi was last seen on CCTV footage leaving The Old Irish Pub on La Rambla around 10 pm on the night he vanished. According to pub staff, he had consumed only a drink or two and had reached out to friends and family, including his mother, requesting £30 for a hotel stay as he had run out of money. The conversation that replayed in Julie’s mind was a distressing one, with her admonishing Levi for disregarding her advice about travelling without adequate financial planning. “He phoned and said, ‘Mum, can you send £30?’ But I said, ‘Look, Levi, you know I’ve been supporting you more than enough over the past number of months. You’ve got to learn to stand on your own two feet’,” Julie recounted. After that phone call, all contact with Levi ceased.

The aftermath found Julie in a state of painful limbo, akin to the 170,000 individuals who go missing in the UK each year, including 75,000 children. She articulated her struggles, stating, “It feels worse than a bereavement. When someone’s missing, you are constantly grieving. But I will never give up hope of finding Levi alive.”

In the early hours following his disappearance, cruise ship passengers reported spotting a figure in the water near Barcelona’s port, described as dark-skinned and roughly 30 years old, wearing a white T-shirt, which matched Levi’s attire. However, Spanish authorities halted the search for Levi when they determined that no one from the boat had been reported missing—concluding he had drowned. Julie, nevertheless, voiced her concerns about the investigation, asking, “What was he doing there at half past six in the morning?” The last record of his phone was in proximity to an underground station near the port, and his passport was later recovered in the cargo area of the port. His bank accounts have also remained untouched since his disappearance.

In her search for answers, Julie received a 250-page report from the Catalan Police, which was partially in Spanish and Catalan, necessitating translation. “They left so many questions unanswered,” she said, adding that the police now insist she must hire a lawyer to pursue any additional queries about the case. “We’re now crowdfunding to find a solicitor. The cheapest quote we’ve had is £5k, just for the initial work,” Julie mentioned, feeling forgotten by the authorities.

Adding a layer of complexity to Levi’s disappearance is the troubling history of trauma he endured before he went missing. Julie revealed that her son had been a victim of a “sextortion” scheme, which involved being drugged and raped. She expressed concern that this traumatic experience could be linked to his abrupt absence. “Levi had confided in Nathan that he had been drug raped and photographs had been taken and he was being blackmailed,” she said, recounting that threats about compromising materials were made against him and his family. “They told him, ‘We’ve got this on camera and we’re gonna do XYZ to your family if you don’t pay’.”

Despite his troubled past, Levi found moments of joy and success before his disappearance. After a significant knee injury curtailed his rugby career, he embarked on a journey across Europe to explore his passion for music. “Levi wanted to travel Europe because of his anterior cruciate ligament tear. He’d been in Ibiza for a couple of weeks to work on music,” Julie shared. In her memories, she recalled a time when a young Levi made the journey from Birmingham back to their home in Chelmsley Wood just to be with his family, demonstrating his enduring bonds with them despite the placement in foster care from the age of seven.

As the investigation remains inactive, West Midlands Police affirmed that their support continues for the Spanish authorities. Their statement emphasises their commitment to provide updates to Levi’s family as they come from Spain.

The ongoing efforts by Julie Davis to unravel the mystery surrounding her son’s disappearance highlight a poignant human struggle, marked by a desperate search for answers in the face of overwhelming uncertainty.

Source: Noah Wire Services