Found Deceased UK - Leah Croucher, 19, Emerson Valley, Milton Keynes, 14 Feb 2019 #4

[Stewlb]

I believe the first mention of the taxi rides came from Leah's mom:

DAILY MIRROR 30 October 2019: Leah's mum Claire has now broken her silence to talk about the relationship with the man - who cannot be named for legal reasons - who was either engaged or married.

"She was talking about this man all the time. It was X this and X that... it was obvious she had a soft spot for him. She'd go and see him in the evenings, paying £13 each way for a taxi. It just wasn't like Leah to do things like that - she'd always been such a home-loving person and didn't like going out much."

Question is where would £13 have taken Leah from her home back in 2018/19? The Premier Inn at Furzton maybe?

At todays prices it's only £4.70 each way so at £13 pounds each way she was obviously travelling further away.
It looks like it was 10 miles or just over at that price.

 

[WiseOwl]

At todays prices it's only £4.70 each way so at £13 pounds each way she was obviously travelling further away.

That's interesting. So where would Leah be going to meet X then - do we know whereabouts he lives in MK?

 

[Stewlb]

I believe the first mention of the taxi rides came from Leah's mom:

DAILY MIRROR 30 October 2019: Leah's mum Claire has now broken her silence to talk about the relationship with the man - who cannot be named for legal reasons - who was either engaged or married.

"She was talking about this man all the time. It was X this and X that... it was obvious she had a soft spot for him. She'd go and see him in the evenings, paying £13 each way for a taxi. It just wasn't like Leah to do things like that - she'd always been such a home-loving person and didn't like going out much."

Question is where would £13 have taken Leah from her home back in 2018/19? The Premier Inn at Furzton maybe?

At todays prices it's only £4.70 each way so at £13 pounds each way she was obviously travelling further away.
It looks like it was 10 miles (just over) going by a local taxis company's prices.

 

[Stewlb]

That's interesting. So where would Leah be going to meet X then - do we know whereabouts he lives in MK?

Not for definite where X lived but do remember something about from Newport Pagnell.

 

[HongKongPhooey]

I believe the area of Bradville was searched early in the investigation, according to news reports at the time.

 

[Stewlb]

I believe the area of Bradville was searched early in the investigation, according to news reports at the time.

I'm assuming not to do with X, as was it not stated that his home was never searched?
so wonder what the connection with Bradville is?

I did think it strange that on a previous post they had put Haydon and another family members homes were searched but did not state who the other family member was... Will try to find the post.

 

[WiseOwl]

Not for definite where X lived but do remember something about from Newport Pagnell.

I have just checked on rome2rio.com - it's 5 miles from Quantock Crescent to Newport Pagnell & 7 minutes in a taxi cost £13 - £17. So you could be right about Newport Pagnell.

It's 5.4 miles from Quantock Crescent to Bradville, 8 minutes in a taxi cost £14 - £17. Could Bradville have been where Leah was getting her taxi's to? Maybe this is why the police checked that area, they found out where Leah had been going to on her taxi journeys?

 

[Stewlb]

I dont think she was worried about a tracker but she turned off all her tracked activities such as Google Facebook Snapchat ect and it appears she turned off the emergency service tracker so you phone can signal the emergency services when you call on a bad line get disconnected ect, I think she didn't want anyone to know her movements for that night atleast which makes me think she was preparing to leave the following day as she didn't turn them back on when I was saying about other family problems hayden had battled with his mental health for many years and in 2014 was prescribed a antipsychotic which his Dr said he didn't always take and in October before his death he said he felt unsupported by his family with his mental health and grief with his missing sister he seemed to pick up come the beginning of November for his dr to decide after all those years he was in a better place to come off the medication as he wasn't expressing psychosis sadly a few weeks later hayden ended his life, the parents house was searched 5 times there work places wore searched there cars wore searched and there interenet history searched haydens house and car wore also searched as was another family members this was what leahs father said in a interview
It was never confirmed who leah met in the hotel the family assumed Mr x, when the bank statement came through and they realised she had stayed at a different hotel they asked the friends she was supposed to have stayed there with her who claimed they wore not with her that night when they went to check the cctv at the hotel it had been deleted it auto deletes after a number of days, so again no ones knows who she met there the family assumed Mr x but I think the police would have asked him about that night and his where abouts

 

[HongKongPhooey]

I'm assuming not to do with X, as was it not stated that his home was never searched?
so wonder what the connection with Bradville is?

I did think it strange that on a previous post they had put Haydon and another family members homes were searched but did not state who the other family member was... Will try to find the post.

It may be that they searched the estate rather than a house. The way MK is designed, it has been landscaped everywhere so that even residential estates have a lot of shrubbery and trees.

 

[Kasmeer]

Northants Live 27 Feb 2021:

Remains of missing man found in Northampton woodland

The remains of a missing man have been found in Northampton woodland.

Earlier this month, Northants Live reported how a walker had found what they believed to be human bones in a woodland known as Cherry Orchard in Hardingstone.

Dozens of police and a forensics team cordoned off the area and set up two tents where work was carried out to ascertain what happened. The large crime scene was visible from the A45, with the area being set up alongside the Nene Valley Way. Now police have said that they believe the remains to be those of a missing man.

Detective Inspector Tim Craven, said: “Our investigations into this incident have concluded and I am now in a position to confirm that we are not treating the discovery of these bones as involving any suspicious circumstances. We believe them to belong to a man registered as a missing person some years ago and his family have been informed. We are now in the process of presenting a report to the coroner.”

Further details have not been released but are likely to emerge at an inquest into the man's death.

Not related to Leah then. Interesting that the man had been missing for a number of years and his remains have only recently been discovered.

Off-topic from Leah but some might like to know he's now been identified:

Inquest opens tomorrow into death of 92-year-old discovered near A45 in Northampton

An inquest will be opened and adjourned at Northamptonshire Coronor's Court tomorrow (Thursday) into the death of a 92-year-old man following a discovery beside the A45.

James Desmond Dolman was found on February 2 in a wooded area between Delapre and Hardingstone, close to the dual carriageway.

Certainly goes to show that sadly someone can remain undiscovered for a long time, even close to populated areas. Given the age I'd imagine natural causes is more likely than anything more sinister, but how horrible for his family to have to wait so long to find him. Thoughts and sympathy to them.

 

[Stewlb]

Off-topic from Leah but some might like to know he's now been identified:

Inquest opens tomorrow into death of 92-year-old discovered near A45 in Northampton



Certainly goes to show that sadly someone can remain undiscovered for a long time, even close to populated areas. Given the age I'd imagine natural causes is more likely than anything more sinister, but how horrible for his family to have to wait so long to find him. Thoughts and sympathy to them.

Very sad that he was undiscovered for so long

 

[Spiderplant]

MK taxi rates are fairly standard. A distance of furzton to CMK (central Mk shopping centre or station) is about £6- (increasing Passed midnight)
Newport pagnell is probably equal distance to cmk as furzton area would be. what I’m saying is from one side of Mk to the other is usually around £15.

I don’t think this will help narrow anything down sadly.

I think the link with newport pagnell was a taxi company- which I don’t think was linked to mr X but it may have been Eeze cabs who are a large company/ who may have been bought out/ or bought another company I can’t quite remember. I seem to recall this was on social media rather than MSM but I don’t have a link.

 

[Spiderplant]

@LINEOFDUTY

Can I ask some questions about the doorstep questions you were asked as local residents?

There have been appeals for local information in the form of sightings of Leah but were you asked any questions about the location and specific search area/ last seen area?

can you recall specific questions they asked?

 

[Spiderplant]

I’ve been looking at the TVP video from 2021.

cctv footage at Leigh hill 8:07 shows Leah walking fast possibly on her phone.

Leigh hill-according to google maps-walking from Leah’s home is 2minutes.

Leigh hill to buzzacot on foot according to google is 9 minutes which links the two cctv sightings/
so we can assume Leah’s average walking speed is average based on the walking by speed dictated by google.

leah is seen on cctv at 8:16 at buzzacott lane slowly walking hands in pockets.

google maps make the total journey from home to buzzacot 11 minutes.
however Leah’s mum states in the ITV interview it was 18 minutes, that she corroborated this and walked it and saw between 40-50 people.

I am Wondering if there was a conversation on the phone in the 7minute discrepancy (we have ideas she looks like she is texting) which caused Leah to speed up when passing Leigh hill just after leaving home, then the conversation took a turn which changed the demeanour from fast ‘can’t be late’ to ‘I am fed up I don’t know what to do’ types of expression though her walking posture.

Just my own thoughts. On the parts before the lake is mentioned. I’m wondering if something happens earlier on in the journey given that her two cctv clips show two very different speeds- assuming the clip hasn’t been sped up

I did notice the time stamp on the buzzacot lane clip looks to be 10:xx but on the TVP video it’s covered over with 8:16.
I imagine this is the correct time and the cctv timing was incorrect just raising Incase anyone has seen this too.

 

[HollyHunter9]

I’ve been looking at the TVP video from 2021.

cctv footage at Leigh hill 8:07 shows Leah walking fast possibly on her phone.

Leigh hill-according to google maps-walking from Leah’s home is 2minutes.

Leigh hill to buzzacot on foot according to google is 9 minutes which links the two cctv sightings/
so we can assume Leah’s average walking speed is average based on the walking by speed dictated by google.

leah is seen on cctv at 8:16 at buzzacott lane slowly walking hands in pockets.

google maps make the total journey from home to buzzacot 11 minutes.
however Leah’s mum states in the ITV interview it was 18 minutes, that she corroborated this and walked it and saw between 40-50 people.

I am Wondering if there was a conversation on the phone in the 7minute discrepancy (we have ideas she looks like she is texting) which caused Leah to speed up when passing Leigh hill just after leaving home, then the conversation took a turn which changed the demeanour from fast ‘can’t be late’ to ‘I am fed up I don’t know what to do’ types of expression though her walking posture.

Just my own thoughts. On the parts before the lake is mentioned. I’m wondering if something happens earlier on in the journey given that her two cctv clips show two very different speeds- assuming the clip hasn’t been sped up

I did notice the time stamp on the buzzacot lane clip looks to be 10:xx but on the TVP video it’s covered over with 8:16.
I imagine this is the correct time and the cctv timing was incorrect just raising Incase anyone has seen this too.

That's a really good observation SP. I did too think it was odd that the two separate CCTV clips show very different demeanors and paces of walking. Leigh hill looks like she's hurrying and txting with both hands, buzzacot lane looks more slowed down, walking slowly without urgency. I just can't tell if one is speeded up or one is slowed down. I also think in the CCTV of her arriving at work the day before she looks fed up; sad almost (IMO).

*edited for grammar

 

[HongKongPhooey]

That's a really good observation SP. I did too think it was odd that the two separate CCTV clips show very different demeanors and paces of walking. Leigh hill looks like she's hurrying and txting with both hands, buzzacot lane looks more slowed down, walking slowly without urgency. I just can't tell if one is speeded up or one is slowed down. I also think in the CCTV of her arriving at work the day before she looks fed up; sad almost (IMO).

*edited for grammar

I always found it odd that the work cctv still was released as an official photo in the search for Leah

 

[HollyHunter9]

I always found it odd that the work cctv still was released as an official photo in the search for Leah

Yes I do too. Although, Maybe it was to show what she looked like most recently if family photos were a bit older? I just always thought she looked stressed or upset in the photo.

 

[HongKongPhooey]

Yes I do too. Although, Maybe it was to show what she looked like most recently if family photos were a bit older? I just always thought she looked stressed or upset in the photo.

Me too, she looked v unhappy poor girl

 

[dotr]

Cannot recall if we know where/what Leah picked up for her dinner that last night because she did not like what the family was having?
Re post
Leah Croucher: Parents plea for missing Milton Keynes teen

image copyrightSouth Beds News Agency
image captionPolice released this CCTV image of Leah C

 

[EmMaBu]

I am late to this thread, so forgive me if I am missing something, but how can the identity of the other person(s) at the Travelodge be a mystery? The hotel will know who else was in the room and even if a false name was used to check in, there will be cctv footage of them. I think the police must know who it was or they would have appealed with the footage.

Earlier in the thread someone asked why the police might keep it secret if they had found a diary or blog. One answer is because they need information that only a perp would know in order to verify potential confessions later.