The prime suspect within the Leah Croucher homicide investigation has been named as convicted intercourse offender Neil Maxwell.
Maxwell was discovered lifeless on 20 April 2019 having taken his personal life.
Police trying to find the lacking teenager stated on Wednesday that they had discovered human stays within the loft of a home lower than half a mile from the place she was final seen on 15 February 2019.
Following a tip-off from a member of the general public on Monday, forensics specialists have been scouring the home in Loxbeare Drive within the Furzton space of Milton Keynes, the place Ms Croucher’s rucksack and different private possessions had been additionally recovered.
During the time when 19-year-old Ms Croucher went lacking, and while the proprietor of the property, who lives abroad, was not within the UK, Maxwell was the one particular person to have keys to the home. He had them from November 2018.
Maxwell had been employed by the house proprietor to hold out some upkeep there.
Hundreds of officers have looked for Ms Croucher over the previous three and a half years. They have trawled 1,200 hours of CCTV footage and carried out 4,000 house-to-house inquiries.
During the years-long investigation, police visited the Loxbeare Drive property on a minimum of two events.
However, there was no response on the home, Thames Valley Police stated.
“Therefore, we dropped a leaflet through the letterbox, requesting a call back if the occupants of the property had any information.” Officers additionally visited the property to scope what CCTV was out there within the space.
“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.”
Her dad and mom have visited the scene and left flowers together with a handwritten word saying “our darkest fears have come true”.
Ms Croucher went lacking as she walked to work at a finance firm.
She was final seen on CCTV simply after 8.15am only a brief distance from the home, now the main focus of a homicide inquiry.
Thames Valley Police stated: “Whilst Maxwell has been nominated as a suspect, this does not mean he is guilty of any offence. We will keep an open mind, and our detailed investigation will seek to gather sufficient evidence to establish the truth.
“This could or could not implicate or exonerate Maxwell or another individuals from the investigation.”
Ms Croucher’s household was struck by additional tragedy when her brother, Haydon, died age 24 in November 2019, 9 months after she went lacking.
Thames Valley Police stated they’re interesting to anybody who had contact with Maxwell between November 2018 and his demise in April 2019 or anybody who has data that may assist our inquiry to contact them.
Anyone with data ought to contact them by visiting the power’s web site or calling 101, quoting Op Innsbruck.
Alternatively they’ll name the impartial charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
Source: information.sky.com”