Leah Croucher: The quiet teenager who vanished on her way to work

2 years ago 54

The household of teen Leah Croucher described her arsenic shy, witty and funny. On the nighttime of 14 February 2019 they saw her for the past clip astatine their household location successful Milton Keynes. CCTV footage from the pursuing greeting shows her walking to enactment successful Milton Keynes. She ne'er arrived.

As a result, officers are present treating the lawsuit arsenic a execution investigation.

The past known sighting

Image source, Thames Valley Police

Image caption,

Leah Croucher was past seen by her household the nighttime earlier she disappeared successful February 2019

Leah Croucher was 19 erstwhile she went missing successful February 2019.

It is thought the past representation of her was captured connected CCTV connected the greeting of 15 February, perchance connected her mode to enactment successful Milton Keynes but she has not been seen oregon heard from since.

Leah's parents said they past saw her astatine the household location successful Quantock Crescent astatine 22:00 GMT connected 14 February.

Media caption,

CCTV footage showed Leah Croucher walking to enactment connected the time she disappeared

Earlier that evening she told her parents she was going retired to conscionable a person but constabulary later established this was not the case.

It is inactive not known wherever Ms Croucher went oregon whether she met anyone that evening.

Ms Croucher was past seen wearing a achromatic coat, achromatic skinny jeans, achromatic Converse trainers and a grey hooded apical with the "Stewartby Taekwondo" logo on.

Her mobile telephone and slope relationship person not been utilized since she disappeared.

'It's soul-destroying'

Image source, ITV

Image caption,

Leah's parents John and Claire Croucher said they were "broken" by not knowing wherever their girl was

John and Claire Croucher described not knowing what has happened to their girl arsenic "soul destroying".

Their torment has been magnified by net trolls creating fake societal media accounts pretending to beryllium her.

Speaking earlier this twelvemonth on the 3rd day of her disappearance, Mrs Croucher said determination were present "even much unanswered questions arsenic we've had a batch longer to think... it's soul-destroying".

Mr Croucher said it has been hard dealing with the wide speculation connected societal media astir what happened to his daughter.

"Our girl has done thing to merit this and neither person her family, who are forced to tolerate this vile behaviour," helium said.

Image source, Thames Valley Police/PA Media

Image caption,

Jade Croucher (left) described her sister Leah (right) arsenic "a beauteous miss wrong and out"

Jade Croucher described her sister arsenic "a beauteous miss wrong and out" with a "personality which radical lukewarm to instantly".

Ms Croucher was described by loved ones arsenic "very quiet" and "not truly an outgoing benignant of person", preferring to work phantasy fabrication oregon ticker DVDs successful her country to nights retired astatine the pub.

She had competed internationally successful taekwondo but her begetter said she was "not a fighter".

Leah Croucher: A timeline

Image source, Thames Valley Police

Image caption,

CCTV images amusement Leah Croucher arriving for enactment the time earlier she went missing

14 February 2019: Leah Croucher is past seen by her parents astatine the household location successful Quantock Crescent, Milton Keynes astatine 22:00 GMT
15 February 2019: CCTV footage shows her walking down Buzzacott Lane successful Furzton astatine 08:16. She was thought to beryllium going to enactment but did not arrive
April 2019: Thames Valley Police said 3 radical had reported imaginable sightings of Leah adjacent Furzton Lake betwixt 09:30 and 11:15 connected the time she went missing. All 3 described her arsenic being connected her telephone and 2 said they saw a pistillate who was visibly angry, upset and crying
October 2019: A water and the surrounding country astatine the Blue Lagoon is searched but thing is found
August 2020: A £10,000 reward is offered for accusation successful the case
February 2021: On the 2nd day of her disappearance, constabulary said determination had been "no important lead" and the lawsuit was "bewildering and frustrating"
March 2021: The reward for accusation is doubled to £20,000
10 October 2022: Police person a telephone telephone alerting them to imaginable grounds astatine a location successful Loxbeare Drive, Milton Keynes
12 October 2022: Police unfastened a execution probe aft unidentified quality remains and a rucksack and idiosyncratic possessions belonging to Leah are found

What bash the constabulary say?

Image source, South Beds News Agency

Image caption,

Hundreds of officers and unit person worked connected the hunt for Ms Croucher during the past 3 and a fractional years

Hundreds of officers and unit person worked connected the hunt for Ms Croucher during the past 3 and a fractional years.

The probe has progressive house-to-house visits to much than 4,000 homes and officers poring implicit 1,200 hours of CCTV footage.

Specialist hunt teams, the mounted section, constabulary dogs, the marine portion and the National Police Air Service person each been called successful to assistance find Ms Croucher.

In February connected the 3rd day of her decease Thames Valley Police said they stay "bewildered".

A fig of radical had reported perchance seeing her "apparently upset" by Furzton Lake betwixt 09:30 and 11:15 connected the time she disappeared.

However extended searches of the water recovered nary hint of her.

On 10 October, Thames Valley Police received accusation astir a location successful Loxbeare Drive.

During their hunt astatine the spot human remains were recovered arsenic good arsenic a rucksack and different "personal possessions" belonging to Ms Croucher.

In a statement, Thames Valley Police said: "The forensic introspection continues and volition bash for immoderate time. It is apt to instrumentality immoderate clip to formally place the deceased.

"Leah's household proceed to beryllium kept informed and updated."

Find BBC News: East of England connected Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. If you person a communicative proposition email eastofenglandnews@bbc.co.uk