Police conduct fresh house to house enquiries on Milton Keynes estate following murder of Leah Croucher

They are asking if anyone knew the suspect, Neil Maxwell
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Police officers investigating the murder of Leah Croucher are knocking on the same hundreds of doors that they did almost four years ago, immediately after she disappeared.

This time householders are being asked again if they saw anything suspicious on the morning of February 15 2019.

But they are also being questioned about whether they had any dealings with the suspect in the case, Neil Maxwell.

Leah Croucher's body was found on October 10Leah Croucher's body was found on October 10
Leah Croucher's body was found on October 10

Convicted sex offender Maxwell was the only person believed to have keys to the Furzton house where Leah’s body was found, number 2 Loxbeare Drive.

A property maintenance worker, he was employed by the overseas owner and it was one of a string of houses he looked after all over MK. Friends have claimed he used sub contractors when he could not carry out all the work himself.

The 49-year-old hanged himself in a bin cupboard in Campbell Park in April 2019, two months after Leah vanished. He wrote a polite note on the outside of the cupboard, warning people not to open the door and to call the police.

Police undertook an intensive forensic investigation of 2 Loxbeare Drive after Leah’s body was discovered. But they have refused to say whether any evidence of other potential suspects came to light as a result.

2 Loxbeare Drive2 Loxbeare Drive
2 Loxbeare Drive

Now they have shifted their attention to house to house enquiries on Furzton estate and surrounding areas.

"They asked me loads of questions,” said one householder. “There were all the same questions they’d asked all that time ago, when Leah first went missing, but this time there were added questions about Neil Maxwell.

"They asked if I’d ever seen him, if he’d ever done any work for me or if I knew anyone who’d employed him. They were really very thorough.”

The householder says he was told officers had been drafted in from another force to help with the enquiries.

Police are once again knocking on doors in FurztonPolice are once again knocking on doors in Furzton
Police are once again knocking on doors in Furzton

Thames Valley Police are now appealing to the wider public for help and information.

A spokesman said: “We are continuing to investigate the murder of Leah Croucher following the discovery of her body on 10 October 2022.

“Officers are conducting house to house enquiries in and around the Furzton area of Milton Keynes and would again appeal to anybody who believes that they knew Neil Maxwell or knew of his whereabouts between November 2018 and April 2019 to make contact.”

He added: "Similarly if anyone had any maintenance undertaken by him or witnessed any activity that was out of the ordinary in the area of Furzton specifically on the 14th or 15th February 2019 just prior to and the days after Leah went missing on 15 February 2019, then please contact police.

“Any information, no matter how insignificant you believe this to be, may prove crucial to our investigation.

“You can call Thames Valley Police on 101 or the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously quoting “Operation Innsbruck” or reference number 43220455669.”

Senior Investigating Officer Detective Superintendent Kevin Brown, the Head of the Major Crime Unit, has said previously: “Our investigations into Leah’s murder will leave no stone unturned, and we owe it to Leah’s family to ensure we find the truth.”