Leah Croucher murder investigation: How prime suspect evaded police despite 18 attempts to arrest him
Leah Croucher’s parents have spent an agonising three years and eight months waiting for answers after their daughter disappeared on 15 February 2019.
Leah, 19, vanished as she walked to work at a finance company and was last seen on CCTV just after 8.15am in Buzzacott Lane, a two-minute drive away from a house in Furzton, Milton Keynes.
But it was only four days ago on Monday, 10 October, when Thames Valley Police (TVP) received a tip-off from a member of the public, that they started searching the property in Loxbeare Drive.
Officers are guarding the property in the Furzton area of Milton Keynes
Officers discovered items including a rucksack and personal possessions belonging to Leah.
Human remains were found in the loft.
Officers had visited the house on at least two earlier occasions during the investigation but there was no response.
They dropped a leaflet through the letterbox asking for the occupant to call if they had information.
The force has since changed its investigation from a missing person’s probe to a murder enquiry – as Leah’s parents revealed how their “darkest fears had come true”.
Detectives insisted it is the first time Leah’s disappearance was linked to the address, despite a huge search involving 4,000 house-to-house calls.
Following the latest developments, police have named the prime suspect as convicted sex offender Neil Maxwell, whose body was found on 20 April 2019 after he killed himself.
TVP said on Friday that during the entire investigation to find the teenager, “there has been no direct link between Maxwell and Leah until Monday”.
A billboard appealing for information at Westfield shopping centre in west London
What have the police done to find Leah since she disappeared?
TVP said on Friday that from the “very outset” of its investigation, the “most experienced and capable detectives, led by a senior investigating officer” were assigned to the case to demonstrate the force’s “determination” to find the 19-year-old.
In a statement released on Friday, Detective Chief Superintendent Ian Hunter insisted “every reasonable line of enquiry” had been pursued “immediately and thoroughly”.
Efforts to locate Leah included:
• Deploying hundreds of officers and staff to search for the teenager
• Reviewing 1,200 hours of CCTV
• Conducting more than 4,000 house-to-house enquiries
• Searching lakes, open land and woodland
• Media appeals and offering rewards for help
Leah’s parents said they believe police could not have done anything differently and thanked them for their efforts.
They have described their ordeal as “one of the most difficult times of our lives”.
Neil Maxwell
Missed opportunities to arrest prime suspect Neil Maxwell
Handyman Maxwell was hired in 2018 to complete some maintenance at the property in Loxbeare Drive, whose owner lives overseas.
Maxwell was the only person with keys to the house, which was unoccupied when police visited to conduct their enquiries into Leah’s disappearance.
Maxwell was previously convicted for sexual offences against women and was wanted in connection with a sexual assault in Newport Pagnell, on the outskirts of Milton Keynes, in November 2018.
The attack was initially reported to Bedfordshire Police on 29 November 2018 before the case was transferred to TVP the following day.
The force made a total of 18 failed attempts to arrest Maxwell – initially at an address in Milton Keynes on 30 November, when he was not present.
A nationwide chase ensued with police trailing the suspect around the country.
Maxwell used false names and changed mobile phone and vehicles
Mr Hunter said in a statement: “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 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.”
TVP also shared Maxwell’s name with other forces in December 2018 and launched a public appeal on 4 April 2019 – just over a fortnight before he was found dead.
Leah Croucher went missing on 15 February 2019. Pic: Thames Valley Police
Mr Hunter added: “In April 2019, when we published our wanted appeal regarding Maxwell in connection with the sexual assault in Newport Pagnell, and during our entire investigation to find Leah, there has been no direct link between Maxwell and Leah until Monday this week when we were called about the property in Loxbeare Drive.
“If Maxwell were alive today, we would be seeking his arrest in connection with this investigation, so he could be interviewed under caution to provide his account.”
“Whilst Maxwell has been nominated as a suspect, this does not mean he is guilty of any offence,” Mr Hunter added.
He vowed the force would keep an “open mind” as the investigation continues in the hope of “establishing the truth”.
Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 quoting Op Innsbruck or contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555111.
The UK will “set out a path” to lift defence spending to 2.5% of national income in the spring, the prime minister has said, finally offering a timeframe for an announcement on the long-awaited hike after mounting criticism.
Sir Keir Starmer gave the date during a phone call with Mark Rutte, the secretary general of NATO, in the wake of threats by Moscow to target UK and US military facilities following a decision by London and Washington to let Ukraine fire their missiles inside Russia.
There was no clarity though on when the 2.5% level will be achieved. The UK says it currently spends around 2.3% of GDP on defence.
Ukraine leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Sir Keir Starmer and NATO boss Mark Rutte in October. Pic: PA
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A spokeswoman for Downing Street said that the two men “began by discussing the situation in Ukraine and reiterated the importance of putting the country in the strongest possible position going into the winter”.
They also talked about the deployment of thousands of North Korean soldiers to fight alongside Russia.
“The prime minister underscored the need for all NATO countries to step up in support of our collective defence and updated on the government’s progress on the strategic defence review,” the spokeswoman said.
“His government would set out the path to 2.5% in the spring.”
The defence review will also be published in the spring.
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While a date for an announcement on 2.5% will be welcomed by the Ministry of Defence, analysts have long warned that such an increase is still well below the amount that is needed to rebuild the armed forces after decades of decline to meet growing global threats from Russia, an increasingly assertive China, North Korea and Iran.
They say the UK needs to be aiming to hit at least 3% – probably higher.
With Donald Trump returning to the White House, there will be significantly more pressure on the UK and other European NATO allies to accelerate increases in defence spending.
A man has been arrested on suspicion of murder after one man died and another was critically injured in a shooting in Birmingham.
Police were called to Rotton Park Road in Edgbaston, just before 11pm on Friday, to reports that two people had been shot.
One man, in his 20s, was found in a car but was pronounced dead at the scene.
Another man, in his 30s, was found injured at a bus stop, and was taken to hospital where he remains in a critical condition, West Midlands Police added.
Firearms officers arrested a man in his 30s on suspicion of murder just before 12.30am. He remains in custody.
Officers remain on the scene, with road closures in place. The force said reassurance patrols will also be taking place.
Detective Inspector Nick Barnes said: “This is a tragic incident, and we have worked through the night to understand exactly what happened.
“We’ve already made good progress and arrested a suspect, but I still need to hear from anyone who was in the area that we’ve not already spoken to.
“This happened near the busy junction with City Road and it may be that you’ve got dashcam footage or mobile phone footage from the area just before 11pm.
“We really need to hear from you so that we can build as clear a picture as possible of what happened.”
Officers are urging anyone with information to get in contact, with anonymous tips also taken via Crimestoppers.
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