Family Seeks Answers After Young Briton Found Dead in Turkish Hotel Lift Shaft
Antalya, Turkey – A British family is demanding a renewed investigation into the death of their 20-year-old grandson, Tyler Kerry, who was found dead at the bottom of a lift shaft at the Trendy Lara hotel near Antalya, Turkey, in November 2024. While Turkish authorities have ruled the death as a fall, the family believes evidence points to foul play and that the initial investigation was flawed.
Tyler, from Basildon, Essex, was on holiday with his grandparents, Ray and Collette Kerry, who raised him, and other family members when the tragedy occurred. According to his grandmother, Collette Kerry, Tyler had been out at a nightclub in the hotel lobby with his brother and cousin the night before he was discovered.
“It angers me knowing the Turkish authorities are getting away with murder,” Kerry told The Sun. “We’re not going to give up the fight. It’s all been left open, and we have so many questions unanswered.”
The family’s concerns center around several key pieces of evidence. CCTV footage reportedly shows Tyler entering the lift normally, but the lift stopped for eight minutes on the first floor. Tyler was later found in just his socks and boxers at the bottom of the shaft. Crucially, a bloodied vape and Tyler’s mobile phone were discovered on the first floor, a detail the family finds highly suspicious.
“The vape was covered in blood, which shows me foul play before my grandson was thrown – or whatever had happened with that lift shaft,” Collette Kerry stated. “If he has fallen, why would he not have his vape with him at the bottom of the lift shaft? Why would that vape have blood on it?”
Tyler’s brother, Mason Read, who discovered his brother’s body, is adamant that Tyler was murdered. “He was just going up to his room because he’d forgotten some of his things,” Read said. “Then suddenly he’s been killed, and his phone is smashed up on the first floor. I was with him all day, and his phone wasn’t smashed.”
An inquest in Chelmsford, UK, concluded that Tyler died from multiple injuries sustained in a fall from height, but the cause of the fall remains undetermined. Essex area coroner Michelle Brown noted that the scene appeared to have been quickly cleaned up, stating, “If it had happened [in the UK], it would have been sealed off. Once you’ve lost that [evidence], you’ve lost it.”
Turkish authorities maintain there was no evidence of third-party involvement and have dismissed calls for further prosecution. However, the family’s legal team is appealing the ruling, citing a flawed investigation.
The case has drawn the attention of James McMurdock, the MP for South Basildon and East Thurrock, who has pledged to support the family and advocate for better assistance for families facing tragedies abroad.
Trendy Lara hotel previously stated they provided support to the family and are unable to comment further due to the ongoing police investigation.
The family continues to seek answers and justice for Tyler, refusing to accept the current explanation for his death.
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