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

[Steleheart]

Police 'working tirelessly' as search for missing Leah Croucher is stepped up

"Leah was last seen by family on Quantock Crescent, Emerson Valley, in Milton Keynes at around 10pm on Thursday (14/2) and was reported missing the next day.

Since the investigation began, a confirmed sighting of Leah was reported on Buzzacott Lane in Furzton, just after 8.15am on Friday (15/2), walking in the direction of Loxbeare Drive and Chaffron Way.

We would urge anyone who was in that area at the same time and may have seen her to get in touch.

Leah is white, of a slim build with below shoulder length brown hair and sometimes wears glasses.

She was last seen dressed in a black coat, skinny black jeans and black Converse high top shoes and was carrying a small black rucksack.

Leah is known to travel on foot through the Furzton area and into Knowlhill."

Thread #1
Thread #2
Thread #3
Thread #4
Thread #5
Thread #6

 

[Sillybilly]

ADMIN NOTE:

Folks, please read Websleuths rules. Members can not, not, not post the names of non POIs/Suspects and sleuth out their background and post about it in this public discussion. If you want to search a property record, that is fine to link to a public document that shows those findings, but do not sleuth and bring the names of previous owners or other 'innocents' to the board just because they show up on a public document. Initials may be used but sleuthing out other information on them and posting it and/or making accusations against them is not allowed.

None of us would like it if we had previously owned a property and all of a sudden our names and lives and personal information were being discussed in relation to a crime. Just because some information is available in public records does not mean it is up for public discussion at Websleuths. If members wish to discuss in private conversation, that is fine, but it is irresponsible to splash the names of possibly/probably innocent people throughout a public crime discussion.

Also, just because LE says they won't comment does not mean Websleuthers can not discuss the case or what is in MSM. Sub judice is a judicial principle that applies when an alleged perp is arrested and to maintain the presumption of innocence throughout the judicial process.

On another note, we don't tell other members their opinions are ridiculous, just as they won't tell you the same. That's just bad manners. If you don't agree with an opinion, state your disagreement respectfully or scroll and roll.

If you can't post responsibly and respectfully toward all other members, please don't post.

 

[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.

 

[CocoChanel]

PLEASE CONTINUE In this NEW THREAD right here where you are currently reading

 

[Angel_nix]

As promised, I took a little walk today to lay some flowers on our behalf, following LineOfDuty doing similar yesterday. There was a calmness around, and my daughter and I took a little time to remove some of the fallen leaves from the tributes that were obscuring them.

 

[WhoIsThatGuy]

<modsnip: rumor/no source link>

LC being seen upset/crying morning of disappearance could be due to finding out NM was a sex offender.

Prior to potentially discovering that, maybe NM trusted and confided in LC that he was on the run, especially if they were involved intimately.

Perhaps LC enters the house of her own free will and from that point:

1. An argument breaks out where NM fears LC is going to call police and as he is on the run, panics and kills her.

2. NM kills her deliberately for some other reason.

3. NM keeps LC hostage for undisclosed amount of time.

 

[Miss_French]

'I can't go back to prison': Leah Croucher's murder suspect made a desperate phone call to a friend while on the run from police over sex attack:

'I can't go back to prison': Leah Croucher suspect's desperate call

Neil Maxwell, who had a string of past convictions for sexual offences including rape, was wanted by police when Leah went missing in connection with a sex attack.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[Jenesaisquoi]

Would the police have forensic evidence that NM had been in the house before naming him as a suspect?

I just wonder why it didn’t appear to have cropped up after he died from suicide? I thought suicides were investigated by LE?

 

[Miss_French]

Would the police have forensic evidence that NM had been in the house before naming him as a suspect?

I just wonder why it didn’t appear to have cropped up after he died from suicide? I thought suicides were investigated by LE?

Presence in a house doesn't really mean anything unless they can tie him directly to Leah.

What is the 'it' that didn't appear? If NM was using assumed names, how would they find where he was working? Police investigate all sudden deaths.

 

[VicBlazey]

Would the police have forensic evidence that NM had been in the house before naming him as a suspect?

I just wonder why it didn’t appear to have cropped up after he died from suicide? I thought suicides were investigated by LE?

I wonder if, when they went into the house, it was as simple as there being items of post with his name on (if there was a fine letter there may have been others) and the police ran a name check and boom… there it is??

 

[pedronz06]

Adapted and reposted.

The fairs could be the common denominator.

1 - November 2018, NM commits sexual offence in Newport Pagnell in or around time fair is on at Campbell Park, MK.
2 - LC goes missing near to Valentine's fair at National Bowl, MK when it is on February 2019.
3 - NM passes away in April 2019, even though he travels across the UK it is at the same location fair is held in November and a few miles from where LC is discovered. Not sure where the fairs are at this point in time, they're not in MK but could be nearby. Currently, it is not known by what means he used to commit suicide.
4 - Hayden passes away in November 2019, this is ruled a suicide and I believe it was by hanging. This occured around time fair was back on again in November, this was the same fair company as the previous November. I believe this occured in nearby Bletchley and he lived alone.

If NM is friendly with some people at the fair (other possible sexual offenders), I could quite imagine him boasting about how he has access to a 500k house and letting them them stay there while the fair is on, possibly even cutting/ giving them keys. We're not sure if NM knew what happened at the house, for all we know he could have discovered the body at a later date in April. As yet, no one has actually witnessed him having any contact with LC.

If they stitched him up i.e. whether they did it with or without him, they would have motive to harm him (he would also be fearing his arrest regardless). He is the only one connected to the house, and it may only be him that connects them to the house. They would also most likely know the owners are returning in a few months time too.

If or how the the brother is connected I don't know. Did he know NM? Did he know people at the fair? Even though it was a different fair to one in February (they may share workers), did he ask questions around the fair when it returned in November 2019, he was clearly affected by her disappearance and determined to locate her. Was any of this an influencing factor in his suicide in November??

It's also worth noting that we have three events, two suicides and a murder. These occured within eight months of eachother just four miles apart. The two suicides are by people who seemingly didn't know one another who are then connected three years later by another persons murder. All of these incidents are seemingly connected to two different fairs by locations or times.

 

[Miss_French]

I wonder if, when they went into the house, it was as simple as there being items of post with his name on (if there was a fine letter there may have been others) and the police ran a name check and boom… there it is??

Already discussed: the police said they spoke with the owners of the property and traced NM through him doing maintenance for them.

https://www.thamesvalley.police.uk/news/thames-valley/news/2022/october/10-10-2022/update-on-leah-croucher-investigation-from-dc-supt.-ian-hunter--milton-keynes/

 

[Lofo#*]

Hi, I'm new to this...
I have a few questions.
If nm was on the run from the police and he didn't want to go to prison again, why would he start employment the same month he sexyally assulyed someone?
Unless he needed somewhere to hide out for awhile.
Second question... in one of the news reports it states someone arrived at the address with a ladder! So how then did she get in the loft?

 

[bringmeacupoft]

Hi, I'm new to this...
I have a few questions.
If nm was on the run from the police and he didn't want to go to prison again, why would he start employment the same month he sexyally assulyed someone?
Unless he needed somewhere to hide out for awhile.
Second question... in one of the news reports it states someone arrived at the address with a ladder! So how then did she get in the loft?

He used different names, and possibly seemed worn for cash in hand, he’d probably do a lot to avoid a paper trail.

NM was a handyman, he probably had his own ladder

 

[WiseOwl]

'I can't go back to prison': Leah Croucher's murder suspect made a desperate phone call to a friend while on the run from police over sex attack:

'I can't go back to prison': Leah Croucher suspect's desperate call

Neil Maxwell, who had a string of past convictions for sexual offences including rape, was wanted by police when Leah went missing in connection with a sex attack.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Things are not adding up for me regarding the keys to the property at Loxbeare Drive.

This is from the MK Citizen (14 October 2022):

Maxwell had been employed by the home owner to carry out some property maintenance at the house. And police say Maxwell had keys to the property from November 2018.
Police have revealed, though, that Maxwell has previous convictions for sexual offences against females and was wanted in connection with a sexual assault in Newport Pagnell in November 2018.

The sexual assault was reported to Bedfordshire Police on 29 November 2018 and the case was transferred to Thames Valley Police the same day. We first attempted to arrest Maxwell in connection with the sexual assault the following day, 30 November 2018, at an address in central Milton Keynes, but Maxwell was not present.

During this time, we established that Maxwell was at an unknown location in Scotland at one stage, but further arrest attempts were continually made throughout the UK at various different addresses. Maxwell knew he was wanted in connection with the sexual assault and was travelling across the UK and making concerted efforts to evade arrest, including using false names and changing his mobile phone and vehicles. He is likely to have known that he would be returning to prison if he was arrested and convicted.

Why did Maxwell have the keys to the property as early as November? From his activities, it doesn't seem he would have had much time to do any work at all during November & December. As well as commiting a sexual assault in Newport Pagnell, he was in Scotland and other unknown places avoiding the Thames Valley Police at this time.

When did he actually start work at the property? Did the owner keep in touch with him to see how the work was progressing? Was he a lone worker, being paid cash-in-hand? If he was, how did the owner know who he was to employ him? Had he worked for him before? The fact that Maxwell was in possession of the keys for at least 3 months suggests a level of trust between them.

 

[Miss_French]

Hi, I'm new to this...
I have a few questions.
If nm was on the run from the police and he didn't want to go to prison again, why would he start employment the same month he sexyally assulyed someone?
Unless he needed somewhere to hide out for awhile.
Second question... in one of the news reports it states someone arrived at the address with a ladder! So how then did she get in the loft?

Maybe NM had to provide photo ID for employment, which was recognised by police, but was using fake documents with another name. If he's surviving solo he's got to earn, and probably cash in hand.

NM was employed as a maintenance man, so it would be reasonable to assume he'd use a ladder at the property.

 

[Officer Dibble]

Hi, I'm new to this...
I have a few questions.
If nm was on the run from the police and he didn't want to go to prison again, why would he start employment the same month he sexyally assulyed someone?
Unless he needed somewhere to hide out for awhile.
Second question... in one of the news reports it states someone arrived at the address with a ladder! So how then did she get in the loft?

Hello and welcome. Maybe the ladder was to climb up and look at a ceiling? Tap on a ceiling? In other words not for looking in the loft. Good question though!

 

[miss-scarlett23]

I wonder if, when they went into the house, it was as simple as there being items of post with his name on (if there was a fine letter there may have been others) and the police ran a name check and boom… there it is??

Empty property, no signs of break-in or forced entry. Owners are in another country and confirm that NM waa the only person with keys to the property at the time of Leah's disappearance.
I should imagine they have forensic evidence as well. He was a convicted criminal, so his DNA profile and fingerprints were already on file.

 

[Outside the box]

Things are not adding up for me regarding the keys to the property at Loxbeare Drive.

This is from the MK Citizen (14 October 2022):

Maxwell had been employed by the home owner to carry out some property maintenance at the house. And police say Maxwell had keys to the property from November 2018.
Police have revealed, though, that Maxwell has previous convictions for sexual offences against females and was wanted in connection with a sexual assault in Newport Pagnell in November 2018.

The sexual assault was reported to Bedfordshire Police on 29 November 2018 and the case was transferred to Thames Valley Police the same day. We first attempted to arrest Maxwell in connection with the sexual assault the following day, 30 November 2018, at an address in central Milton Keynes, but Maxwell was not present.

During this time, we established that Maxwell was at an unknown location in Scotland at one stage, but further arrest attempts were continually made throughout the UK at various different addresses. Maxwell knew he was wanted in connection with the sexual assault and was travelling across the UK and making concerted efforts to evade arrest, including using false names and changing his mobile phone and vehicles. He is likely to have known that he would be returning to prison if he was arrested and convicted.

Why did Maxwell have the keys to the property as early as November? From his activities, it doesn't seem he would have had much time to do any work at all during November & December. As well as commiting a sexual assault in Newport Pagnell, he was in Scotland and other unknown places avoiding the Thames Valley Police at this time.

When did he actually start work at the property? Did the owner keep in touch with him to see how the work was progressing? Was he a lone worker, being paid cash-in-hand? If he was, how did the owner know who he was to employ him? Had he worked for him before? The fact that Maxwell was in possession of the keys for at least 3 months suggests a level of trust between them.

I've covered this in previous post, I worked on numerous properties through online advertising where I never met in person the owner of the property, once a 3 month renovation of a flat, keys posted to me, invoices paid and keys posted back.. some people just take people at face or voice value and even online messages now without necessarily thinking of any possible problems.. if he had been in contact with the owner he would of known their plans and what he told them was probably just a bunch of lies...

 

[pedronz06]

Empty property, no signs of break-in or forced entry. Owners are in another country and confirm that NM waa the only person with keys to the property at the time of Leah's disappearance.
I should imagine they have forensic evidence as well. He was a convicted criminal, so his DNA profile and fingerprints were already on file.

There was maybe a broken window at some point, if so possibly for one of the following reasons:

1. Accident
2. Burglary
3. Altercation/ Anger.
4. Criminal Damage.
5. Perp who no longer had access returning to interfere with or inspect crime scene.
6. Someone who didn't have access or no longer had access to place body there.