The prime suspect in the Leah Croucher murder investigation has been named as convicted sex offender Neil Maxwell.

Maxwell was found dead on 20 April 2019 having taken his own life.

Police searching for the missing teenager said on Wednesday they had found human remains in a house less than half a mile from where she was last seen on 15 February 2019.

Forensics experts have been scouring the house in Loxbeare Drive in the Furzton area of Milton Keynes, where Ms Croucher’s rucksack and other personal possessions were also recovered.

During the time when 19-year-old Ms Croucher went missing, and whilst the owner of the property, who lives overseas, was not in the UK, Maxwell was the only person to have keys to the house. He had them from November 2018.

Maxwell had been employed by the home owner to carry out some maintenance there.

Hundreds of officers have searched for Ms Croucher over the past three and a half years. They have trawled 1,200 hours of CCTV footage and carried out 4,000 house-to-house inquiries.

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During the years-long investigation, police visited the Loxbeare Drive property on at least two occasions.

However, there was no response at the house, Thames Valley Police said.

“Therefore, we dropped a leaflet through the letterbox, requesting a call back if the occupants of the property had any information.” Officers also visited the property to scope what CCTV was available in the area.

“It is now known that the owner was not in the UK at the time Leah was reported missing and the house was unoccupied when police attended on these enquiries.”

Her parents have visited the scene and left flowers along with a handwritten note saying “our darkest fears have come true”.

Ms Croucher went missing as she walked to work at a finance company.

She was last seen on CCTV just after 8.15am just a short distance from the house, now the focus of a murder inquiry.

Thames Valley Police said: “Whilst Maxwell has been nominated as a suspect, this does not mean he is guilty of any offence. We will keep an open mind, and our detailed investigation will seek to gather sufficient evidence to establish the truth.

“This may or may not implicate or exonerate Maxwell or any other persons from the investigation.”

Ms Croucher’s family was struck by further tragedy when her brother, Haydon, died age 24 in November 2019, nine months after she went missing.

Thames Valley Police said they are appealing to anyone who had contact with Maxwell between November 2018 and his death in April 2019 or anyone who has information that might help our inquiry to contact them.

Anyone with information should contact them by visiting the force’s website or calling 101, quoting Op Innsbruck.

Alternatively they can call the independent charity Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.

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