Withheld details are finally released about Leah Croucher murder suspect in Milton Keynes

The city coroner has finally released inquest records of the prime suspect in the murder of teenager Leah Croucher.

But he has made public only the bare minimum and the content reveals no apparent clues. It does, however, reveal he left a suicide note, but the contents have not been revealed.

Neil Maxwell has been the only suspect named in the baffling murder case, which started in February 2019 when home-loving Leah inexplicably disappeared while walking to work in Milton Keynes.

Three years and eight months later, her body was found in the attic of a house in Furzton, which was on her route to work. It is thought to have been there all that time and the cause of death was found to be “inconclusive”.

Days after the tragic discovery, police named handyman and convicted sex offender Neil Maxwell as the prime suspect in their murder investigation.

But there was to be no arrest or trial – for Maxwell had taken his own life in April 2019, two months after Leah vanished.

Last October, immediately after he was declared a suspect, national press requested to see the public record of the inquest into his death, wondering if it would provide any vital clues to connect him with Leah.

But, unusually, coroner Tom Osborne refused to release the details, initially promising they would be made public after a few weeks.

When November came, he still refused to make them public, saying police believed the release could "seriously jeopardise" the murder investigation.

At the time Mr Osborne said: "I received a request from Det Ch Supt Ian Hunter, who is overseeing the investigation into the death of Leah Croucher, to withhold disclosure of the record of inquest for a further short period of time as it contains information that is sensitive to their continuing investigation, and by releasing that information into the public domain at this stage may seriously jeopardise the investigation.

"The presumption in favour of open and transparent justice would normally dictate that I disclose the record of inquest.

"However, I have every reason to believe that disclosure of the document at this stage may seriously compromise and indeed jeopardise the ongoing investigation into the death of Leah Croucher, and for that reason the balance is in favour of not disclosing the document, for the time being, although it is a matter that will be kept under constant review and it will be released at the earliest opportunity.

"The risks of compromise to the continuing investigation outweigh the need for disclosure."

The inquest details released this week contain only Maxwell’s name, date and place of birth (9 February 1970 in Bushey, Hertfordshire) and minimum details about his death. His occupation is stated as ‘builder’ and his address as North Street, CMK.

He died on 20 April 2019 and the place of death was recorded as ‘Bike shed, Mainstay Court, Campbell Park’. The cause of death was hanging and the verdict was suicide.

The record states: “He left a suicide note.”

Citizen sources say Maxwell left another polite handwritten note on the cupboard, saying: ‘Please do not come in. There is a dead body inside. Call the police.’

The investigation into Leah’s murder continues.