Murder investigation launched after possessions belonging to missing Leah Croucher found at Milton Keynes house

The house is less than a mile away from her last known location, her family has been informed
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The case of missing MK woman Leah Croucher has tragically become a murder investigation after her possessions been found in a house on Furzton estate, less than a mile away from her home.

The news has been announced by police this lunchtime and Leah's heartbroken family has been informed.

It comes three years and almost eight months after the 19-year-old mysteriously disappeared while walking to work on a chilly February morning in 2019.

Leah Croucher was 19 when she went missingLeah Croucher was 19 when she went missing
Leah Croucher was 19 when she went missing

Despite a massive police investigation and numerous searches and appeals, no clue was ever found about her whereabouts. The possession she was carrying, a rucksack handbag and phone, were never found.

But on Monday evening police were called to a large detached house, number 2 Loxbeare Drive on Furzton, close to Furzton Lake and in the middle of Leah's route to work.

A heavy police presence has remained at the scene, causing many people to wonder if there could be a connection to the Leah investigation.

Today came the announcement that the city has dreaded. A police spokesman said at 12.50pm: “Following information received from a member of the public on Monday (10/10) relating to a property in Loxbeare Drive, Furzton, Milton Keynes, specialist officers and forensic teams attended the location.

Police have been at the house since Monday eveningPolice have been at the house since Monday evening
Police have been at the house since Monday evening

“As a result of an ongoing detailed forensic search of the property, a number of items have been located.

“During the search we have found items, including a rucksack and personal possessions belonging to Leah Croucher, who was reported missing on 15 February 2019.”

He added: “As a result of our findings, Thames Valley Police have now launched a murder investigation.

“This is a complex and challenging scene, which we have been at since just after 6.30pm on Monday. We will continue to be at the scene for a significant period of time.”

Leah was last sighted on CCTV around 500 metres from the house where her belongings have been foundLeah was last sighted on CCTV around 500 metres from the house where her belongings have been found
Leah was last sighted on CCTV around 500 metres from the house where her belongings have been found

A large-scale missing person investigation has been ongoing for the last three and a half years, with extensive searches and house-to-house enquiries.

Head of Crime for Thames Valley Police, Detective Chief Superintendent Ian Hunter said: “Following a call to police on Monday, we attended an address and located items of concern within the property.

“We are dealing with a very difficult scene but we can now confirm that we have discovered a number of items that are linked to Leah, and as such, we have now launched a murder investigation, led by our Major Crime Unit.”

DCS Hunter added: “The call from the member of the public that we received on Monday was the first occasion that we were alerted to this address, and we thank them for contacting us immediately to report their concerns.

This aerial photograph shows how close the house is to Furzton LakeThis aerial photograph shows how close the house is to Furzton Lake
This aerial photograph shows how close the house is to Furzton Lake

“Our thoughts remain with Leah’s family and friends, and we will continue to offer them all the support that they need.”

It is understood the items Leah had carried on the day she vanished had been hidden in an upstairs room or loft.

Police have not commented on whether a body has been found.

In the weeks following Leah's disappearance, police officers knocked on thousands of doors of houses she would have passed on her way to work on February 15, 2019.

This house would undoubtedly have been one of those.

The last confirmed CCTV sighting of Leah was at at 8:16am that morning, on Buzzacott Lane in Furzton. This is around 500 metres away from the property in Loxbeare Drive.

Leah's phone left the network, consistent with it being destroyed, at 8.34 am, in the area of Furzton Lake.

What happened to the shy and home-loving teenager during those missing minutes will now be the subject of a colossal police investigation.

And this will start with the house itself, where forensic experts will examine every inch for clues and evidence.

It is their first - and only – breakthrough in the case, which will go down in history as one of the most baffling and frustrating mysteries local police have ever had to deal with.

Until now the officer in charge of the case, Detective Chief Inspector Andy Howard, has retained a glimmer of hope that Leah could still be found alive.

In February this year, on the third anniversary of the teenager's disappearance, he said: "The lack of information of what's happened to Leah is actually what gives me, and allows me to retain, some hope; we retain an open mind about what has happened."

Today that open mind will be firmly set on solving the murder, bringing Leah's killer to justice and finally giving her poor, broken family the closure they deserve.

Meanwhile the sympathy of the entire city goes out to Leah’s family and friends today. Many people will be weeping with them.