Found Deceased UK - Leah Croucher, 19, Emerson Valley, Milton Keynes, 14 Feb 2019 #5

[Cherwell]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but there has never been any direct evidence that the police were searching the Eaton Bray property in connection with Leah Croucher. Has there?
"People were told" is not direct evidence. I suspect the police were investigating something else, and it suited them to let people think it was connected with the Leah case.

 

[SaintGertrude]

Interesting that this other case I just mentioned led to a murder enquiry because police had no proof the person was still alive. I wonder what evidence they have with Leah as not to turn her disappearance into a homicide investigation. Leah went missing out of character as an adult not a vulnerable teenager which I get it is a big difference but just saying.
BBC NEWS | UK | England | Northamptonshire | Three arrested over missing girl

 

[JuicyLucy]

Also, I'm confused about where the idea of a confession originated. I just googled quickly and can find no MSM coverage of either a confession of people trafficking or any criminal proceedings against her, which suggests that if such a confession ever took place the police didn't take it seriously.

All that leaves is the possibility that she announced it on social media, but since she was appalled (according to the local newspaper) at being called a 'murderer' [of the dogs] online, it's hard to fathom why she might have thought confessing to being a people trafficker would help reputationally.

I feel there are assumptions being made by those who are in the fb group about what people here already know and it's making for a totally confusing conversation tbh, so if anyone from there would like to join the dots a little more explicitly (while remaining on the right side of the TOS) that would be much appreciated.

If there are genuine links between this person (or anyone else for that matter) and the circles Leah moved in, I think we would all like to understand and hear more about them.

JMO

 

[Tiff23fr]

Mod Note:
Several posts have been removed from thread for discussing information from social media. Do not bring over social media speculation, and do not passive aggressively bash other posters on WS. Future violations will result in time outs.

 

[SaintGertrude]

I have done a short timeline to include events around the same time of Leah's vanishing just in case there is something needs to be looked into further.

Newsworthy events timeline:-

25th January 2021 - A body is found near Canal tow path, Old Wolverton Road, Milton Keynes. Death is unexplained.
Body found near Milton Keynes canal

1st February 2021 : Days before Leah's disappearance another missing persons case is solved. A human head is found in a disused tunnel. Bletchley, Milton Keynes. Cause of death is unexplained.
Milton Keynes man who was missing for four years will finally be laid to rest
Body found in Milton Keynes identified as missing man Stephen Keogh

10th February 2019: A teenager is stabbed in local car park
Teenager stabbed in car park assault in Milton Keynes

11th February 2019: Police appeal to find wanted man in connection with shop lifting and actual bodily harm
Have you seen wanted Nicholas Dobson in Milton Keynes

12th February: Lone woman is jogging in Milton Keynes and slapped hard on the bottom by a mystery man.
Woman jogger 'slapped hard' during sexual assault in Milton Keynes

14th February: Slothy Vogs Valentines fun fair at The Bowl Milton Keynes until 24th February 2019

15th February: Violent rapist let out of prison by accident. Family connections in nearby Aylesbury.
Joseph McCann guilty of horrific rapes after being freed by mistake

February 15 2019. Emerson Valley. Milton Keynes 19-year-old vanishes while walking to work the morning after Valentine's Day.

16th February: Massive model railway exhibition for two days running which was probably visited by people further afield from Milton Keynes.
All aboard for massive model railway exhibition in Milton Keynes this weekend

18th February 2019: Reports start to come in about Leah's disappearance on 15th February.
Have you seen missing teenager from Milton Keynes?

22nd February 2019: Leah's family make a press conference further to lake searches being made in the area.
Divers search lakes in hunt for teenager who vanished on her way to work

23rd February 2019 - Police appeal to football fans in search of Leah. Her photo is shown on big screen ahead of MK Dons match against Newport County

February 2019: Abandoned farmhouse in Eaton Bray - owner leaves suddenly claiming in fear of her life and dogs starve to death. Shocking discovery in abandoned farmhouse causes outrage among dog lovers

2nd March 2019 police launch a new appeal about Linda Millard, 48 who went missing from Portishead, Bristol 23 years previously. https://www.essexnewsandinvestigati...-case-of-woman-who-vanished-after-reporting-p

 

[Poopsnack]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but there has never been any direct evidence that the police were searching the Eaton Bray property in connection with Leah Croucher. Has there?
"People were told" is not direct evidence. I suspect the police were investigating something else, and it suited them to let people think it was connected with the Leah case.

Again: "However, The MK Citizen can now reveal that the same house and grounds were searched by police almost two years ago as part of the Leah investigation."

EXCLUSIVE: Sharp-eyed member of the public unearths what could prove to be vital lead in case of missing Leah Croucher from Milton Keynes

 

[Cherwell]

Again: "However, The MK Citizen can now reveal that the same house and grounds were searched by police almost two years ago as part of the Leah investigation."

EXCLUSIVE: Sharp-eyed member of the public unearths what could prove to be vital lead in case of missing Leah Croucher from Milton Keynes

You have omitted the following paragraphs which reveal that their source is a member of the public. "People were told" is hearsay, and it has never been directly confirmed by the police as far as I know.

'One Eaton Bray resident said: "The house was empty and on the market at the time. We saw police digging up the grounds and people were told it was part of the search for Leah Croucher. The property was even taken off the market for a while until the police had finished." '

But this has all been covered here before, so no need for the eye-rolling.

 

[JuicyLucy]

Worse, it's hearsay about gossip: what the MK Citizen says someone says they heard someone else was told by the police.

@Poopsnack, do you have any more direct source for the hypothesis that these two stories are connected? I don't rate the MK Citizen that highly as news journalism, but they will be operating within a code of conduct, so if there's a link to a story where they say that they themsleves were told by police the search was part of Operation Dawlish, that would say much more than this story, which, as you anticipated, we have all seen before.

Better still would be a confirmation (or denial) from TVP that the searching/digging done in EB was as part of Leah's enquiry, and now that EB has become part of the public narrative (because of the Google Streetview images of the 'face' in the barn), I would not be surprised if they would oblige. If they confirm it was linked, that would be a gamechanger imo, both in terms of the case and of what we can discuss legitimately.

JMO

 

[SaintGertrude]

I am wondering if Leah Croucher was perhaps stalked by someone who attended the therapy clinic her brother attended and whoever it was then formed an obsession with her.
The Daily Mail mentions about the therapist visiting the family home so not sure if there could be a connection with a drop in centre outside of the home surroundings. I think if there is an actual centre in town he visited then this is something which should certainly be into.
Leah Croucher's brother, 24, killed himself after saying he would hang himself if he could | Daily Mail Online

 

[tedtink]

I am wondering if Leah Croucher was perhaps stalked by someone who attended the therapy clinic her brother attended and whoever it was then formed an obsession with her.
The Daily Mail mentions about the therapist visiting the family home so not sure if there could be a connection with a drop in centre outside of the home surroundings. I think if there is an actual centre in town he visited then this is something which should certainly be into.
Leah Croucher's brother, 24, killed himself after saying he would hang himself if he could | Daily Mail Online

HC's mental health seems to have severely deteriorated after the disappearance of LC. That's what that article refers to.

There's nothing to suggest he'd been to 'drop in centres' previous to LC's disappearance.

Even if he had, people who attend these group therapy sessions are not usually stalkers looking to get help.

Stalkers are usually the last to know they are ill, so wouldn't be seeking voluntary help IMO.

 

[WiseOwl]

Leah Croucher investigation to receive 'people power' boost from community in Milton Keynes

A community group of web sleuths dedicated to finding Leah Croucher is set to launch a new and major appeal for clues.

The Facebook group called 'Leah Croucher Disappearance - Community Investigation' has already proved successful in encouraging people to come forward with new potential evidence.

Now members, with the blessing of Leah's family, have vowed to print and laminate hundreds or even thousands of posters and distribute them all over Milton Keynes and beyond.

Well done to this FB group, they seem determined to help all they can in finding out what happened to Leah.

 

[WiseOwl]

An interesting development (excuse the pun) and something I had not read about before (from todays MK Citizen):

Members of the public believe a 'professional-looking' photographer was seen taking photos at the lake at around 10.50am.

If so, it is possible that his shots, if he were to zoom in, might show Leah or some other vital evidence in the background.

The man, who may have been taking photos of wildlife, had a big camera with a long lens and was possibly wearing a black coat. He was seen at 10.51am near the StarHead sculpture.

Question is, who was it who saw this man? And why has it taken so long for this information to be made public?

 

[Woodburnbay]

An interesting development (excuse the pun) and something I had not read about before (from todays MK Citizen):

Members of the public believe a 'professional-looking' photographer was seen taking photos at the lake at around 10.50am.

If so, it is possible that his shots, if he were to zoom in, might show Leah or some other vital evidence in the background.

The man, who may have been taking photos of wildlife, had a big camera with a long lens and was possibly wearing a black coat. He was seen at 10.51am near the StarHead sculpture.

Question is, who was it who saw this man? And why has it taken so long for this information to be made public?

Perhaps someone who has only recently been alerted to the disappearance.

The photographer may have already been aware, examined all shots and had nothing to report.

Could be one of the Mr X tribe spending red herrings similar to the Red image in the barn or the car at the junction with feet on dashboard-Neither of these sightings credible IMO.

 

[SaintGertrude]

Perhaps someone who has only recently been alerted to the disappearance.

The photographer may have already been aware, examined all shots and had nothing to report.

Could be one of the Mr X tribe spending red herrings similar to the Red image in the barn or the car at the junction with feet on dashboard-Neither of these sightings credible IMO.

Alternative theory is that Leah could have been abducted by serial offender Joseph Mccann who has been mentioned previously and was released on the day Leah went missing. His Modus operandi was to kidnap during broad daylight and hold captive so an empty building would have been fit for his purposes IMOO.

 

[Woodburnbay]

Alternative theory is that Leah could have been abducted by serial offender Joseph Mccann who has been mentioned previously and was released on the day Leah went missing. His Modus operandi was to kidnap during broad daylight and hold captive so an empty building would have been fit for his purposes IMOO.

But that does not explain her unusual behaviour leading up to her disappearance and in most abductions / disappearances / murders, if you look back over a persons changed behaviours preceding the missing, something is unusual and in Leah's case there is unusual behaviour.This is more likely to be a clue than a released prisoner on the day or an empty building.

 

[Scorpiette]

But that does not explain her unusual behaviour leading up to her disappearance and in most abductions / disappearances / murders, if you look back over a persons changed behaviours preceding the missing, something is unusual and in Leah's case there is unusual behaviour.This is more likely to be a clue than a released prisoner on the day or an empty building.

I think both you and StGertrude make valid points.
It does seem like a remarkable coincidence that JM was released that same day as LC went 'missing' (given his MO) however. (If only we could find out which prison he was released from).
IF LE have their suspicions or have an 'inkling' JM may be involved, would they try and keep it quiet? Does this explain their 'theory' that Leah has gone of her own accord? A higher authority has told LE to 'be quiet'?
Given the subsequent imprisoning of Wayne Couzens, and the other police chap David Carrick who has just been charged with multiple rapes etc , it makes one wonder how many more/other cases/crimes may have been brushed under the carpet. IMO.
Alternatively, it does seem Leah had a lot on her mind, which has to be taken into account, but one doesn't negate the other possibility? MOO

For reference:
Met officer charged with 13 further offences including three rapes

 

[SaintGertrude]

I think both you and StGertrude make valid points.
It does seem like a remarkable coincidence that JM was released that same day as LC went 'missing' (given his MO) however. (If only we could find out which prison he was released from).
IF LE have their suspicions or have an 'inkling' JM may be involved, would they try and keep it quiet? Does this explain their 'theory' that Leah has gone of her own accord? A higher authority has told LE to 'be quiet'?
Given the subsequent imprisoning of Wayne Couzens, and the other police chap David Carrick who has just been charged with multiple rapes etc , it makes one wonder how many more/other cases/crimes may have been brushed under the carpet. IMO.
Alternatively, it does seem Leah had a lot on her mind, which has to be taken into account, but one doesn't negate the other possibility? MOO

For reference:
Met officer charged with 13 further offences including three rapes

Woodburn Bay does have a valid point as prior to her disappearance Leah was lying to her family about who she was with when she went to a hotel for a night away.
It was said by her parents in a newspaper article that she was quiet and generally a homebody. She would avoid nights out to the pub and preferred reading or watching DVDs in her room. After her disappearance Leah's parents said that in retrospect, they felt Leah's behaviour had changed. Leah had become "a bit more moody" and "a little bit snappy" in the five months leading up to her disappearance.
Her parents also suspected she had had a romance with a co-worker, who was engaged which is mentioned here. 'We think police got it wrong' say parents of missing Milton Keynes woman Leah Croucher

Back to the JM theory, he was capable of injecting someone with drugs during one of his sprees which could have led to an overdose but on no occasions has he ever killed anyone.
His statement to the police suggests that he started his first lot of offenses in the Spring of 2019 with the first two women he assaulted. I remain open minded about any involvement with missing Leah Croucher.
Joseph McCann made mum 'listen to screams' of children 'as he raped them both'
Quote: After being arrested McCann allegedly told a police officer: "If you had caught me for the first two, the rest of this wouldn't have happened."
Scorpiette there is nothing to suggest a police officer was involved with Leah's disappearance but I do get what you are saying about Wayne Couzens and David Carrick.

 

[Cherwell]

I am sure that the release date of Joseph McCann hasn't escaped the attention of the police. They will know where he was in custody, and if it were feasible that he could have been anywhere near Leah it will have been investigated.

 

[Skigh]

I am sure that the release date of Joseph McCann hasn't escaped the attention of the police. They will know where he was in custody, and if it were feasible that he could have been anywhere near Leah it will have been investigated.

Totally agree. Added to that I think he would have been collected from prison rather than driven himself .

 

[SaintGertrude]

The family remain open minded about what has happened to Leah.
Leah Croucher's heartbroken mum pens letter to missing daughter on her 21st