Prime suspect in Leah Croucher murder named as sex offender who killed himself
14 October 2022, 14:29 | Updated: 14 October 2022, 15:43
Police have named a convicted sex offender, Neil Maxwell, as prime suspect for the murder of teenage Leah Croucher.
Thames Valley Police shared that Maxwell was found dead in April, after taking his own life, just two months after the 19-year-old was reported missing in February 2019.
Police searched a home on Loxbeare Drive in Furzton, Milton Keynes on Monday after receiving a tip-off from a member of the public.
They later confirmed finding human remains inside the property, as well as a backpack and personal possessions belonging to Croucher.
Officers have not yet confirmed if the remains belong to Croucher.
READ MORE: Family of Leah Croucher vow to 'never stop seeking answers'
Head of Crime, Detective Chief Superintendent Ian Hunter, said in a statement, "we committed hundreds of officers and staff to the search for Leah; reviewing 1,200 hours of CCTV, conducting more than 4,000 house-to-house inquiries".
DC Hunter revealed that the property on Loxbeare Drive was visited twice during the police inquiries but that there was "no response".
"It is now known that the owner was not in the UK at the time Leah was reported missing and the house was unoccupied when police attended on these enquiries", he added.
Whilst acknowledging it was 'unusual' to name a suspect, DC Hunter revealed Maxwell was the only person to have keys to the property whilst the owner was not in the UK.
Maxwell had been employed by the homeowner to carry out some property maintenance at the Loxbeare Drive house.
The suspect has previous convictions for sexual offences against females and was wanted in connection with a sexual assault in Newport in November 2018.
DC Hunter passed on a message from Croucher's family in which they thanked the Thames Valley Policy "for all their efforts over the past three years and eight months".
"As a family, we ask that everyone respects our privacy as well as our immediate family, at what is one of the most difficult times of our lives."
Police are appealing to anyone who had contact with Maxwell or anyone who might have information that could aid the Thames Valley Police's investigation.
READ MORE: Bishopsgate stabbing hero needed 52 stitches across his face, wife reveals
