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Police have today named a suspect amid the murder investigation of teenager Leah Croucher after human remains were discovered.
Neil Maxwell, who was employed as a cleaner at the property in which remains were found, has been identified as the suspect. He died by suicide in April 2019, just two months after Leah was last seen.
It was also confirmed today that Leah’s remains were found in the loft of the property.
Thames Valley Police say they would have arrested Maxwell if he had still been alive. They have appealed for anyone with information about his whereabouts around the time of Leah’s disappearance to come forward.
Maxwell had previous convictions for sexual offences against females and was wanted in connection with a sexual assault in Newport Pagnell, Buckinghamshire, in November 2018. He knew he was wanted in connection with the sexual assault and attempted to evade arrest by using false names and changing his phone and vehicles.
During the time when Leah went missing, and whilst the owner of the property was not in the UK, Maxwell was the only person to have keys to the property on Loxbeare Drive. Maxwell had been employed by the home owner to carry out some property maintenance and had the keys from November 2018.
Leah’s family thanked the force for their efforts and said the force could “not have done anything differently”. They added that this was the “most difficult time of our lives”.
“We ask as a family that everyone respects our privacy and immediate family,” they said.
The owner of the property in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, who employed Neil Maxwell is now in contact with Thames Valley Police. The owner lives overseas and due to the coronavirus pandemic was “rarely in the UK”, reports Buckinghamshire Live.
A rucksack belonging to Leah was also found at a property in Milton Keynes this week.
Thames Valley Police officers were expected to remain at the scene for “several weeks”.
Leah’s parents, John and Claire Croucher, left flowers and a note for their daughter on Thursday. Formal identification is yet to take place, but Leah’s family wrote that their “darkest fears” had come true.
Leah was last seen on CCTV in the area just after 8.15am on February 15, 2019 walking in the direction of Loxbeare Drive and Chaffron Way.
Despite this location being less than half a mile away from the former house of a paedophile, officers only dropped leaflets through the door, and never went back for follow-up enquiries.
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