Leah Croucher funeral: teenager laid to rest as mourners line streets of Milton Keynes - what happened to her?

Mourners have lined the streets of Milton Keynes to pay their respects to Leah Croucher on Friday, as the teen was laid to rest three years after her disappearance.

Ms Croucher went missing in February 2019. Police confirmed in October 2022 that human remains belonging to the 19-year-old had been found in the loft of a home in the Furzton area of the city.

The hearse carrying her body was bound for the Crownhill Crematorium, where a private service was held for friends and family of the teenager. Crowds gathered for the horse-drawn cortège as it made its way through Furzton, Shenley Brook End, Shenley Church End and Grange Farm.

Ms Croucher was a fan of the Harry Potter franchise, with the horses carrying her coffin draped in flags bearing the crest of the Hogwarts house Gryffindor. Some of those who had gathered to pay their respects to the teenager were also spotted wearing red and gold scarves as a nod to her love of the book and film series.

Her parents, John and Claire, thanked the community for its support during the past few years. Speaking of the messages left by some people, which have since been compiled into a book by a local church, they said: “As a family, this has brought us a large amount of comfort.”

What happened to Leah Croucher?

Ms Croucher was reported missing on the evening of 15 February 2019 after she failed to turn up to her work shift or return to her home in the Emerson Valley area of Milton Keynes later that evening. The last time she was confirmed to have been seen that day was just after 8am, when a CCTV camera pictured her on Buzzacott Lane in Furzton walking in the direction of her workplace.

Police noted that her mobile left the network at 8.34am that morning and was never reconnected. Search teams began searching for the teenager three days after she was first reported missing and continued for a number of days after, however search teams were unable to recover any evidence as to where Ms Croucher was.

A renewed campaign to try to find the 19-year-old with cash rewards offered for any information over the years following her disappearance. However, there was no information gathered from this push.

It wasn’t until 12 October 2022 that human remains, which were later confirmed to belong to Ms Croucher, were found in the loft of a property in Furzton. The property, on Loxbeare Drive, was located less than one mile from her home.

Two days after the remains were found, police said that officers had identified Neil Maxwell, a convicted sex offender, as the prime suspect in the case as he had access to the property at the time. However, Maxwell committed suicide in April 2019, two months after Ms Croucher’s disappearance.

Police said that they believe Maxwell killed himself while attempting to evade officers. They also believe that he may have altered his appearance after Ms Croucher’s death.