Milton Keynes murder probe police have zero 'investigative updates' about how Leah Croucher died

It has been more than three months since Leah’s body was found
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Police have this week confirmed they have “no investigative updates” they can provide about how Leah Croucher was tragically killed.

More than three months after the 19-year-old’s remains were found in a house on Furzton, the murder investigation is still very much active and ongoing.

This has meant Leah’s grieving family has not been able to lay her to rest and an inquest into her death has not yet been opened.

Leah CroucherLeah Croucher
Leah Croucher

The Citizen asked police exactly what has delayed the opening, and whether it is due to more forensic testing or a more detailed post mortem examination.

But a spokesman for the murder team told us: “I can confirm, there are no investigative updates we can provide at this time.”

He added: “However, we will be in touch if there are any updates we can provide.”

Meanwhile a spokesman for the city’s Coroner’s Office confirmed: “The date for the inquest opening has not been set.”

The house where Leah's body was found in Milton KeynesThe house where Leah's body was found in Milton Keynes
The house where Leah's body was found in Milton Keynes

An Inquest is a public, fact finding inquiry to establish when and where the person died and how they came about their death.

Leah’s case became the city’s biggest unsolved mystery after she vanished while walking to work from her Emerson Valley home on February 15 2019.

Her disappearance was treated as a missing persons case for three years and eight months until last October, when her body was found out of the blue.

The remains, along with Leah’s possessions, were found in a house in Loxbeare Drive on Furzton, which was on her route to work.

A murder investigation began and within days police named a suspect, 49-year-old property maintenance worker Nell Maxwell. A convicted sex offender, he was said to be the only person with keys to the house at the time Leah vanished.

But Maxwell hanged himself in a communal bin cupboard at Campbell Park in April 2019 – two months after Leah went missing.

Specialist forensic officers have already conducted a three-week long examination of the Loxbeare Drive house, while an initial post mortem proved “inconclusive” about the cause of death.

Afterwards a police spokesman said: “Whilst Maxwell has been nominated as a suspect, this does not mean he is guilty of any offence. We will keep an open mind.”