Leah Croucher: Forensics in teen murder case could take weeks

Police investigating the murder of teenager Leah Croucher said forensic examinations at a house where human remains were found could take weeks.

On Wednesday, police said unidentified remains and a rucksack and personal items belonging to the 19-year-old had been found at a Milton Keynes property.

A post-mortem examination is due to take place on Friday but may "take some time", Thames Valley Police said.

Meanwhile, Miss Croucher's parents visited the house on Thursday evening.

They arrived in a police vehicle just before 20:00 BST and were driven behind the cordon surrounding the property, on Loxbeare Drive in Furzton.

They reappeared some minutes later and laid flowers at a nearby memorial, made up of bouquets, teddy bears and candles left by members of the public.

The teenager was last seen on CCTV in the Buckinghamshire city on Friday, 15 February 2019.

Police began searching the home on Monday evening, following a tip-off phone call from a member of the public.

It was there they discovered a number of Miss Croucher's items, along with human remains.

Forensic examinations at the scene may last "several weeks", the force said, and as a result there would continue to be a police presence both at the house and in the area.

It would also "take some time" to formally identify the remains, police said.

A message left on the flowers laid by Miss Croucher's parents said they would "cherish her memories forever".

It said: "Our darkest fears have come true, we only need to be apart a little longer. We have so missed you for so long already.

"The future looks so bleak now we know we will never see your smile or hear your laughter again. We will cherish your memories forever."

A handwritten message signed from "Nan and Grandad" was also tied to a bunch of yellow roses and left outside the property by a group of mourners.

It read: "Our darling, we will never stop seeking answers. Will love and miss you always."

A police spokesman said Monday was the first time they had been alerted to the property, but it had been previously "visited as part of our house-to-house inquiries as part of the investigation".

"There was no response at the property and as such leaflets would have been dropped through the letterbox," the force said.

More than 4,000 homes have been visited and 1,200 hours of CCTV footage reviewed since Miss Croucher's disappearance on her way to work at a finance company three years ago.

Det Ch Supt Ian Hunter asked people to remain respectful of Miss Croucher's family and thanked the local community for their "support and patience" as the investigation continued.

"We are absolutely committed to finding out what has happened to Leah," he said.

He made a "renewed and specific appeal" to anyone who may have been in the area of Loxbeare Drive on or around the day Miss Croucher went missing.

He said even with the passage of time "we remain hopeful that somebody may have a crucial piece of information".

"No matter how insignificant you believe any information you may have will be, please contact us," he said.

The property is less than half-a-mile (0.8km) from where Miss Croucher was last seen in Buzzacott Lane, Furzton, walking in the direction of Loxbeare Drive and Chaffron Way.

Tara Maher, 51, who lives nearby, said she saw the teenager most days, including on the day she went missing, just after 08:00 GMT.

"It was no different that day - the 15th. We didn't say hello, it was more of an acknowledgment, just a nod."

She gave a statement to police at the time she disappeared and helped with the community effort to find her, because she "did not want her to be forgotten".

"This has come as such a shock. It's a nice area. It hits home when it is on your doorstep," she said.

Ms Maher, who works at a local shop, said customers were usually jovial, but when the news came through on Wednesday "the whole mood changed", becoming "very sombre".

Iain Stewart, Conservative MP for Milton Keynes South, said it was "extremely upsetting to learn of the developments" in the case.

He said he was in contact with police about the situation.

"My thoughts and prayers will continue to be with Leah's loved ones at this difficult time," he said.

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