Human remains and belongings of the missing teenager Leah Crouch have been found at the former home of a convicted paedophile.
The house was just 500 yards from where Croucher, 19, was last seen in February 2019 as she walked to work. Neighbours said that the four-bedroom detached house had been empty for months.
Thames Valley police said that a number of items linked to Croucher were found at the house, and have confirmed that they had located human remains. No arrests have been made.
The previous occupant of the house had been arrested in 2017 for sexual offences against two teenagers. He was not living at the house at the time.
BEST QUALITY AVAILABLE Undated handout photo issued by Thames Valley Police of Leah Croucher. Detectives from Thames Valley Police have launched a murder inquiry after discovering personal possessions belonging to Leah Croucher who was 19 when she was reported missing in February 2019. Issue date: Wednesday October 12, 2022.
Thames Valley Police
Ian Hunter, detective chief superintendent of Thames Valley police, said: “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.”
He added: “Throughout the course of the last three and a half years, we have made numerous appeals for information and we are grateful to those who have been able to assist. We remain hopeful that somebody may have a crucial piece of information, particularly given this significant development. Our thoughts remain with Leah’s family and friends at what is naturally a very distressing time for them.”
Croucher was last seen at her home in Milton Keynes at 10pm on Valentine’s Day night in 2019. Her parents, Claire and John, reported her missing the next day. There was a reported sighting of her in Furzton just after 8.15am the following day.
Croucher’s brother, Haydon, then 23, was charged with making threats to Adnan Choudhry, then 27, between February 1 and April 30, 2019, because he believed he was her boyfriend. The charges were dropped when he agreed to accept a restraining order. Choudhry has never been a suspect in the disappearance. Haydon Croucher killed himself in November 2019. He had told a therapist he was struggling to cope after his sister’s disappearance.
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