Found Deceased UK - Leah Croucher - Emerson Valley - Milton Keynes - #6

[Angel_nix]

It's not unusual for a letting agency or realtor company to have a spare set or copy of the keys for the residence, especially as the family who owned the property did not live in the country. It is completely believable that the family would have hired a maintenance person to look after the property, and they would have instructed him to collect the keys from a letting agent in order to gain access.

I totally agree. It's also not difficult to get further keys cut. I've never been asked to prove that I own keys when I've popped to the local Timpsons to get more cut.

 

[Outside the box]

Of course, and that’s what the police will be doing now. But there’s coincidences and then there’s coincidences - there’s a reason they’ve named him.

So many coincidences in this case from the start, hopefully DNA will end the majority of speculation.

 

[bringmeacupoft]

I think NM was a pretty astute criminal moved around, multiple phones, multiple names, probably only paid in cash. I doubt he would need to be made to shut his mouth he’d just bugger off to one of his other locations

 

[Coldheat]

This case, although entirely different in MO, reminded me of Shari Smith, who was abducted from her driveway leading up to her home while she was collecting mail from her mailbox in 1985. The prime suspect charged in this case was Larry Gene Bell, who was house sitting for a local family. LE later found incriminating and DNA evidence supporting that Smith had been present in the home he was looking after... If anybody is interested, the book, When a Killer Calls, by John Douglas, gives an in depth analysis into this case.

 

[Angel_nix]

I agree. I don’t think it’s a conspiracy. It’s a well known fact that a lot of sex offenders start off as stalkers/flashers and then might attack/molest and then gets worse. Thinking of Libby Squires in Hull around the same time - her murderer started as stalker and moved on and on to graver offences. And I think this has happened here - and he’s been so horrified or haunted by it, he killed himself. Also, the police had ruled out Mr x, but the family were possibly convinced he was involved. I would think the police looked at all possibilities of abduction by sec offender. And yes I would think he’s been watching her and stalking her.
Can anyone remind me about the last footage of her - wasn’t there some guy walking along behind her - I cant find any clips of it anymore. Might totally be unrelated person also on way to work, or as they’ve all disappeared off internet I wonder if it’s now part of police evidence qgainst Nm

There was a CCTV clip that circulated with a man walking behind, but I believe he was identified and eliminated.

 

[miss-scarlett23]

A

Agree on the coincidence, it could be that he was working there for a while and was in a position to see her frequently enough to recognise and become comfortable with. Then one morning he asks for help with something, would seem totally innocent.


BBM - I worry that her martial arts/self defence training could have caused him an issue. Maybe it would have been a sexual assault as per his apparent MO, but she was more able to defend herself than he expected and it went south. JMO.

I absolutely agree this may have been an intended sexual assault that went south. The sloppiness of the attempt to hide Leah and her belongings, coupled with his suicide shortly after, suggest her murder was not planned.
However, imo I also think that his ability at having evaded police capture for the previous sexual assault, may have bolstered his confidence in evading them for further assaults. Most people who are wanted by the police and have gone to great lengths to avoid capture, would not return to an area where the original arrest warrant was issued and commit a further crime.

 

[Observe_dont_Absorb]

I think NM was a pretty astute criminal moved around, multiple phones, multiple names, probably only paid in cash. I doubt he would need to be made to shut his mouth he’d just bugger off to one of his other locations

Maybe he's been set up? Do we know the details of his suicide. Usually blokes like him don't take their own life.

 

[SpursGyal]

Still doesn’t add up though that it is him

He didn’t look the type that Leah would go for so I doubt she went willingly so only way he could have snatched Leah is if he “leapt out of a bush” and surprised her but again in a busy residential area in the rush hour/school run how likely is that? doesn’t add up, he would have to drag her from the street up that drive that is surrounded by neighbours and am sure she would have screamed/used her martial arts skills

I don't think he would have particularly had to jump out of a bush?
Did she see him regularly on her route? Did he ask her to help him with something? Ask to use her phone? Did she fall and hurt herself with it being a frosty morning and she thought he was helping her? Not always is a victim dragged kicking and screaming from a roadside.

 

[gdzoul95]

I think those that are on this thread and live in Milton Keynes know how much pressure was on this case. Photos of Leah were all over the bridges, underpasses, shops, billboards, on peoples cars, you would hear people talking about her in shops.. he obviously killed himself knowing that he wasn’t going to get away with this for very long and wasn’t going to be able to outrun it. What I can’t understand is how he got her into the house without anybody seeing though.

 

[Rusty Braincells]

Like I said before, if she'd seen him multiple times at the property he would seem like just a guy. If he asked for help with something, then she may have obliged, bringing her closer to the house.

Yes. This was famously how Ted Bundy lured a number of his victims (pretending to be injured and needing help moving something).

I can’t get on board with it “not adding up” that it’s NM. It really does add up. The question is whether there are any loose ends that should be investigated all the same.

 

[Outside the box]

Still doesn’t add up though that it is him

He didn’t look the type that Leah would go for so I doubt she went willingly so only way he could have snatched Leah is if he “leapt out of a bush” and surprised her but again in a busy residential area in the rush hour/school run how likely is that? doesn’t add up, he would have to drag her from the street up that drive that is surrounded by neighbours and am sure she would have screamed/used her martial arts skills

She was 5ft 2" and if surprised would be quite easily overpowered but maybe she was aware of him, he may have smiled, waved previously, made her feel comfortable maybe even had a conversation, then lured her in maybe asking for help..

 

[lore1]

Maybe he's been set up? Do we know the details of his suicide. Usually blokes like him don't take their own life.

that would need a copy of the death cert

 

[debzz1234]

This case is just getting stranger and stranger. I guess the lack of information makes it difficult to understand

Ive looked on google images and in sept 2018 there was definitely someone living in the house 2 loxbeare drive cleaning products in the window and hanging baskets hanging outside on either side of the door. But the pedophile was locked up in 2017 ???? Please see pics strange

 

[tedtink]

Still need some solid DNA evidence which would be likely do you think? if not then what a perfect story?

In all likelihood in my opinion it is him but take nothing for granted until all doubt is taken away..

Thankfully they'll be DNA swabs and prints from his previous arrests and crimes on the database.

 

[Rusty Braincells]

She was 5ft 2" and if surprised would be quite easily overpowered but maybe she was aware of him, he may have smiled, waved previously, made her feel comfortable maybe even had a conversation, then lured her in maybe asking for help..

It’s sadly quite easy for a fit man NM’s age to overpower most women, even those with martial arts skills, if they really want to. I’m a woman and nearly 5ft 6, I consider myself quite streetwise and I’m regularly in the gym but most able-bodied men not drawing their pension could overpower me if they really wanted to, and I am always mindful of this.

On top of that, that’s right that Leah could have known him by sight, petted his dog if he had one or whatever in the past, and let her guard down.

 

[Plod]

Yes. This was famously how Ted Bundy lured a number of his victims (pretending to be injured and needing help moving something).

I can’t get on board with it “not adding up” that it’s NM. It really does add up. The question is whether there are any loose ends that should be investigated all the same.

I agree - I don’t see any reason why it’s not him. And I don’t think he’d have had help, unless it’s with hiding her. I wonder who the tip off was. I also think he maybe spoke to her previously and then, yes, asked for her help. It was interesting the forensics tent was front garden near the garage, possibly that’s where he grabbed her, or they’d stood etc. maybe they were looking for something dropped from her or hair traces etc .

 

[pedronz06]

I don’t know, something doesn’t feel totally right about this. Are we assuming now that if someone is a sex offender they are also a murderer? Equally as evil crimes, but it is a different crime and I feel like this whole case felt personal, not a random attack. ALSO doesn’t sit right with me that the property owners hired a convicted sex offender to conduct maintenance on their house.

Not always but most likely in this case as she knew he lived/ worked there at the furzton address at the point of sexual assault so he has to murder her otherwise he's going back to jail.

 

[tedtink]

Maybe he's been set up? Do we know the details of his suicide. Usually blokes like him don't take their own life.

Fred West....... Epstein.....The list could go on and on.............

 

[Skigh]

Ive looked on google images and in sept 2018 there was definitely someone living in the house 2 loxbeare drive cleaning products in the window and hanging baskets hanging outside on either side of the door. But the pedophile was locked up in 2017 ???? Please see pics strange

Maybe the owners were back visiting their house in September 2018.

 

[LammyTheRobot]

If this was a snatch-and-grab attack, anyone familiar with MK will be familiar with the pedestrian underpasses everywhere. The is one about 50 metres from 2 Loxbeare Drive, as shown in this photo from Google Images...