Body of Leah Croucher formally identified following discovery of remains in Milton Keynes

Officers investigating the murder of Leah Croucher in Milton Keynes have confirmed her remains have been formally identified.

A Home Office post-mortem, conducted last week, has been inconclusive as to the cause of Leah’s death and investigations are continuing.

A murder investigation was launched last week following the discovery of Leah in the loft space of 2 Loxbeare Drive, Furzton, Milton Keynes.

A number of items belonging to Leah were also located at the property.

Senior Investigating Officer Detective Superintendent Kevin Brown, the Head of the Major Crime Unit, said: “The thoughts of all of us at Thames Valley Police remain and will always be with Leah’s family and friends.

“The entirety of our investigation keeps them uppermost in our minds, and they continue to be supported by specially trained officers and updated on every development.

“After a difficult process, we are now in a position to formally confirm that the body found in Loxbeare Drive last week is that of Leah.

“The grief and shock of Leah’s family and friends is unimaginable, and they have shown enormous courage, patience and dignity over the last three years and eight months while our search for Leah continued.

“They have always been supportive of Thames Valley Police, both during our extensive missing person investigation and this subsequent investigation into Leah’s murder.

“We ask again, on their behalf, to please respect their privacy at what is such a traumatic and upsetting time for them all.

“Our investigations into Leah’s murder will leave no stone unturned, and we owe it to Leah’s family to ensure we find the truth.

“We are absolutely committed to doing so, to allow them to gain an understanding of what happened to Leah.”

> The murder suspect in the tragic Leah Croucher murder case wrote a polite note before he took his own life, it has been revealed.

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

The note was spotted by a member of the public, who did indeed call the police.