Found Deceased UK - Leah Croucher - Emerson Valley - Milton Keynes - #7

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Will a full investigation be done to prove the suspect named is the murderer? Can charges still be filed against a dead person? Is there forensics tying the suspect or just the link between him and the house? I know where I live, houses that are empty for a period of time become a place for squatters, teens for drinking ect. How can it be ruled out that others had not entered the house? It’s pretty sus that the suspect killed himself, but he was being sought by police for another assault and he would know once caught he would be back in jail. That could be why he committed suicide. I guess I just want the proof it was him for the families sake. Moo
 
MissUnderstood said:
Will a full investigation be done to prove the suspect named is the murderer? Can charges still be filed against a dead person? Is there forensics tying the suspect or just the link between him and the house? I know where I live, houses that are empty for a period of time become a place for squatters, teens for drinking ect. How can it be ruled out that others had not entered the house? It’s pretty sus that the suspect killed himself, but he was being sought by police for another assault and he would know once caught he would be back in jail. That could be why he committed suicide. I guess I just want the proof it was him for the families sake. Moo
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They'll still carry out an investigation as the risk of their hypothesis not being right is that a murderer is still walking around. But you can't charge a dead person.
 
WiseOwl said:
www.miltonkeynes.co.uk

Milton Keynes officers did 'everything properly' in the Leah Croucher case, says police boss after 13-day investigation

He is satisfied police did all they could during the three years and eight months Leah was missing
www.miltonkeynes.co.uk www.miltonkeynes.co.uk
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Not that I want to slam someone who probably has good intentions, but his previous experience is as a Councillor at Town/District level. Not sure what expertise he has to be able to assess the competency of an investigation. And even if he did, it would reek of marking your own homework.
 
infinit said:
Not that I want to slam someone who probably has good intentions, but his previous experience is as a Councillor at Town/District level. Not sure what expertise he has to be able to assess the competency of an investigation. And even if he did, it would reek of marking your own homework.
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I think the main point is that virtually all these internal police investigations end up with the same old adage 'we did nothing wrong' at the conclusion of their investigation.

I don't think that the investigation should have been about criticizing the TVP, it was a difficult case as we all know. For me, he should have come out and said that this was an investigation that they could learn from, that perhaps in the future when someone goes missing in suspicious circumstances that they should be more pro-active in checking what sexual offenders are living in the area, and, in Leah's case, checking who lives at properties that are near to where the person has disappeared from.

They actually narrowed down the area where Leah disappeared from to one square mile, but despite the fact this narrowed down considerably the houses they needed to call at they still just pushed a leaflet through the door instead of effectively making enquiries to see who lived or owned the property.

IMO, these internal investigations should be about how they can improve on their procedures in the future, rather than defending themselves to the hilt.
 
I have sympathy for the Police in these kinds of situations.

Obviously they will have had a profile for this kind of offender, but did they have any reason to believe he had access to that house and thus was local? The link seems obvious now, but finding that link is difficult unless someone gives them a break in the case...
 
WiseOwl said:
They actually narrowed down the area where Leah disappeared from to one square mile, but despite the fact this narrowed down considerably the houses they needed to call at they still just pushed a leaflet through the door instead of effectively making enquiries to see who lived or owned the property.
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Because the purpose of the house-to-house calls was to find potential witnesses who might have seen Leah, or something that might have been relevant to her disappearance.

I would however like to hear from the detective who gave a lengthy interview opining that Leah's disappearance was voluntary and that there was no reason to think she had come to any harm. Which we all thought was a quite ludicrous position to take. I don't remember his name, but it would be interesting to hear what he has to say for himself now.
 
Cherwell said:
Because the purpose of the house-to-house calls was to find potential witnesses who might have seen Leah, or something that might have been relevant to her disappearance.

I would however like to hear from the detective who gave a lengthy interview opining that Leah's disappearance was voluntary and that there was no reason to think she had come to any harm. Which we all thought was a quite ludicrous position to take. I don't remember his name, but it would be interesting to hear what he has to say for himself now.
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You are referring to DCI Howard:

www.miltonkeynes.co.uk

Police reveal hope that Leah Croucher might still be alive on the second anniversary of her disappearance from Milton Keynes

The man in charge of the Leah Croucher investigation has spoken for the first time about his personal theory on what has happened to her.
www.miltonkeynes.co.uk www.miltonkeynes.co.uk
 
Cherwell said:
Because the purpose of the house-to-house calls was to find potential witnesses who might have seen Leah, or something that might have been relevant to her disappearance.

I would however like to hear from the detective who gave a lengthy interview opining that Leah's disappearance was voluntary and that there was no reason to think she had come to any harm. Which we all thought was a quite ludicrous position to take. I don't remember his name, but it would be interesting to hear what he has to say for himself now.
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I would agree that when Leah first disappeared the police had a difficult task when calling on something like 4,000 homes to ask for information.

However, 12 months later was this:

Police narrow down Leah Croucher's disappearance to a single square mile in Milton Keynes

From the above item (BBM):

The only certain fact is that something significant happened to Leah between 8.16am and 8.34am, somewhere along the mile-long stretch between point A, Buzzacott Lane, and Point B, Furzton Lake.

It did, at 2 Loxbeare Drive.

There are several different ways to get from A to B but it's still a ten or fifteen minute walk or a five minute drive. And each route passes houses and roads busy with school run and work traffic.

The route did pass 2 Loxbeare Drive.

The streets Leah might have walked within the crucial square mile include Loxbeare Drive, Shirwell Crescent, Dulverton Drive, Lynmouth Crescent, Porlock Lane, Morebath Grove, Bilbrook Lane, Radworthy, Bickleigh Crescent, Radworthy, Pinkworhty, Wistmans, Exebridge, Swimbridge Lane and Shallowford Grove. The area is bordered by two grid roads - Chaffron Way (H7) and Fulmer Street (V3).

First on the list - Loxbeare Drive.

He said there are two theories. The first is that Leah vanished voluntarily and has deliberately started a new life here or abroad, somehow avoiding being recognised. It could be that that a third party has been involved in Leah’s disappearance either directly or through their influence, perhaps with the help of another person, he says. The second theory is that Leah was abducted against her will and killed immediately or held hostage for 12 long months.

Correct with 2nd theory.

But he nevertheless "firmly believes" there is someone out there who has some information regarding Leah’s whereabouts and what happened to her.

There was - the owner of 2 Loxbeare Drive (indirectly of course).

So the police were more or less on the right lines with what they thought had happened to Leah, but they did not have enough information to join the dots at that stage - what a pity.
 
I don't know if anyone outside the look east area can watch, but BBC Look East covered the Croucher story this evening. Sounds like Maxwell had 7 previous sex offences dating from the late 1990s onwards (not including the N.Pagnell assault) and of those offences some were towards minors, but not all.

Looks like forensic work has finished at Loxbeare Drive as no cordons anymore. Did find it interesting how the reporter finished the piece that it was unclear if Maxwell had worked alone. Wonder if that ties to the inquest of his death being delayed? Or just a red herring.

Edit: Found the iPlayer link to the programme in question. Was during the earlier part of the news, but not sure the precise time.
www.bbc.co.uk

BBC One - Look East (West)

Regional news magazine
www.bbc.co.uk www.bbc.co.uk
 
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Jaesu said:
I don't know if anyone outside the look east area can watch, but BBC Look East covered the Croucher story this evening. Sounds like Maxwell had 7 previous sex offences dating from the late 1990s onwards (not including the N.Pagnell assault) and of those offences some were towards minors, but not all.

Looks like forensic work has finished at Loxbeare Drive as no cordons anymore. Did find it interesting how the reporter finished the piece that it was unclear if Maxwell had worked alone. Wonder if that ties to the inquest of his death being delayed? Or just a red herring.

Edit: Found the iPlayer link to the programme in question. Was during the earlier part of the news, but not sure the precise time.
www.bbc.co.uk

BBC One - Look East (West)

Regional news magazine
www.bbc.co.uk www.bbc.co.uk
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Very interesting commentary- particularly about the police requesting info about the owners and referencing maxwell working alone being unknown.
 
It would be interesting to know how many/ what % of the 4000 houses never received any answer?
Also were sniffer dogs used in the first few days or cadaver dogs in the first few weeks/ months near or past this address?
 
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I see Thames Valley Police today coming out yet again with their "we found no connection between Leah Croucher's disappearance and Neil Maxwell" nonsense. No - NO - you did not catch an exceptionally dangerous predator, that's on your watch. And that is the question that every investigation should be asking. Of course TVP didn't find a connection - there wasn't an obvious one - but that IS NOT THE POINT; if they'd done their job in finding NM more effectively, he wouldn't have been there to hurt LC.

I will be writing a similar letter to this to my MP, who is a Milton Keynes MP. Not that it'll make much difference.
 
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