My brother killed himself after my sister Leah Croucher vanished – her killer has his blood on their hands, sister says
LEAH Croucher’s sister says her killer has “blood on their hands” after her tormented brother took his own life following her disappearance.
Jade Croucher, 26, has spoken of her heartache after the teen’s remains were found in a home close to where she vanished in 2019.
Police have named convicted sex offender Neil Maxwell as the prime suspect in her murder.
The 49-year-old killed himself just two months after Leah was last seen on February 15, 2019, aged 19.
Jade said: “The agony and pain of wondering where you are is now over, yet the torture is far from being done.
“We now face the scariest reality, our worst nightmare.
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“That you, our beautiful, loving, caring, innocent girl have been murdered by someone so evil.”
Jade also told how Leah’s killer is responsible for the death of brother Hayden, 24, who ended his life in 2019.
He had been “tortured” by not knowing what happened to his sister.
Jade said: “I honestly do not know how we will ever recover from this excruciating pain, the sheer horror of what we have been put through and most importantly the heartache of losing you, especially like this.”
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The mum continued: “Let it be known to the whole wide world that the person responsible for your murder has Haydon’s blood on their hands too.
“For now all I can take comfort in is the thought that you two are together in heaven where one day I will be reunited with you both.”
A murder probe was launched earlier this month after the remains and Leah’s belongings were found in an attic in Furzton.
Maxwell was the only person to have keys to the property while the owners, who are not involved in the case, were away.
There are now fears Leah may have been held captive at the address for weeks before she was killed.
The fiend was wanted by police at the time of Leah’s disappearance in connection with the sexual assault in Newport Pagnell in November 2018.
This was reported to Bedfordshire Police on November 29, 2018, but was then transferred to Thames Valley Police that day.
Officers attempted to arrest him the following day at a home in Milton Keynes but he was not there.
His name was placed on the police database the following month and a public appeal was shared on April 4, 2019.
Maxwell took his own life on April 20, 2019, after officers made 18 attempts to arrest him.
‘WORLD CRUMBLED’
Jade said: “We knew something was wrong, we vowed from the very start that you did not choose to disappear.
“We were certain you wouldn’t put us through the worry. We knew in our hearts that something terrible had happened.
“But when the news was broken to us that your body was found in that house of horrors on a path on your route to work our worlds crumbled…
“How could anyone bring such a beautiful life to an end in such a tragic way? How could anyone upset you, let alone harm you?”
Leah was last seen on February 15, 2019, in Milton Keynes as she walked to work in a finance firm.
You're Not Alone
EVERY 90 minutes in the UK a life is lost to suicide.
It doesn’t discriminate, touching the lives of people in every corner of society – from the homeless and unemployed to builders and doctors, reality stars and footballers.
It’s the biggest killer of people under the age of 35, more deadly than cancer and car crashes.
And men are three times more likely to take their own life than women.
Yet it’s rarely spoken of, a taboo that threatens to continue its deadly rampage unless we all stop and take notice, now.
That is why The Sun launched the You’re Not Alone campaign.
The aim is that by sharing practical advice, raising awareness and breaking down the barriers people face when talking about their mental health, we can all do our bit to help save lives.
Let’s all vow to ask for help when we need it, and listen out for others… You’re Not Alone.
If you, or anyone you know, needs help dealing with mental health problems, the following organisations provide support:
- CALM, www.thecalmzone.net, 0800 585 858
- Heads Together, www.headstogether.org.uk
- Mind, www.mind.org.uk, 0300 123 3393
- Papyrus, www.papyrus-uk.org, 0800 068 41 41
- Samaritans, www.samaritans.org, 116 123
- Movember, www.uk.movember.com
- Anxiety UK www.anxietyuk.org.uk, 03444 775 774 Monday-Friday 9.30am-10pm, Saturday/Sunday 10am-8pm
The teen told her family the day before she was meeting a friend but that never happened.
CCTV showed her walking down Buzzacott Lane in Furzton, believed to be in the direction of her work, at about 8.15am the next day.
The house at the centre of the murder probe is just 0.4miles from where Leah’s last movements were captured.
It is also near Furzton Lake, where the teen’s phone left the network – consistent with it being destroyed – at 8.34am.
Paying tribute to her sister, Jade continued: “I hope you know how hard we fought to find you.. I hope you know how loved you are by all of us, your family, your friends, the whole of Milton Keynes and in fact far beyond.
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“Our Leah, your warmth, radiance and beautiful soul made such an impact on the lives of those of us lucky enough to be blessed with knowing you and loving you…
“Sleep tight my baby sister, in the peace that you deserve away from this cruel world.”
If you are affected by any of the issues raised in this article, please call the Samaritans for free on 116123.