Leah Croucher prime murder suspect ‘changed appearance’ on run, police say

Police investigating the murder of Leah Croucher have released a new e-fit image of the prime suspect as officers try to confirm he killed the 19-year-old.

In a new appeal, Thames Valley Police said convicted sex offender Neil Maxwell, who killed himself while on the run from police, likely changed his appearance to “avoid being recognised”.

Maxwell was found dead on 20 April 2019 – two months after Ms Croucher vanished. Officers believe he murdered the teenager but have been unable to find anyone who can place him near the house where her body was found last year. They believe he lost weight and grew a beard to change his appearance and avoid capture for a previous suspected sexual assault.

He was wanted for the sex attack in Newport Pagnell in November 2018 and used false names to evade arrest, as well as stopping using his phone and car. He was the only person with keys to the house in Loxbeare Drive, Furzton, Milton Keynes, where Ms Croucher’s body was found in October last year after a tip-off from a member of the public.

Maxwell had been employed by the homeowner to carry out some property maintenance at the house. He had previous convictions for sexual offences against women and in July 2009, he pleaded guilty to raping a female in her late teens at an address in the Datchet area of Slough on New Years Day that year and was jailed four years and 10 months.

Detective Chief Superintendent Ian Hunter said: “I can confirm that Neil Maxwell remains the only nominated suspect at this point of the investigation, and our investigation continues to diligently gather sufficient evidence to establish the truth.

“Maxwell knew he was wanted in connection with a sexual assault investigation that occurred in Newport Pagnell in November 2018 and appears to have made extensive efforts to evade arrest by using false names, and we believe he stopped using his mobile phone and his vehicles. He is likely to have known that he would be returning to prison if he was arrested and convicted.

“The investigation has now also established that Maxwell is likely to have changed his appearance to avoid being recognised. He had grown a beard and may have lost weight. We have therefore generated a computer image of how Maxwell may have looked around the time Leah went missing in the hope that it may jog someone’s memory.

“Did you see this person in or around Loxbeare Drive, Furzton, at any time between December 2018 and 20 April 2019? Or can you help us with obtaining further information about Neil Maxwell.

“Do you know where he was between December 2018 and 20 April 2019, what phone number he was using, what vehicle he was driving, who he was with or any other useful information that can help us establish the truth for Leah’s family?”

Ms Croucher’s body was found at the house less than half a mile from where she was last seen when she vanished while walking to work in February 2019. No trace of her was found for more than three years despite a large-scale missing person operation.

Investigators have so far been unable to find anyone who saw Maxwell in or around Milton Keynes since early December 2018, or near the house in Loxbeare Drive at the time of Ms Croucher’s disappearance in February the following year.

Anyone with relevant information is urged to contact police on 101 or the Thames Valley Police website quoting Operation Innsbruck, or to remain anonymous, contact Crimestoppers on 0800 555111 or online.