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Family handout / Leah Croucher was missing for three years before her remains were found When Leah Croucher's body was found three years after she went missing, her family thought their torture would end. Instead it continued with conspiracy theories, fear and heartbreak haunting their lives. The 19-year-old was walking to work on 15 February 2019 when she disappeared. Her parents say they went through more than three years of "absolute torture" before her dismembered body was discovered in a house in Milton Keynes, less than half a mile (0.8km) from her home in 2022. She had been killed by a repeat sex offender Neil Maxwell, a man who her parents have branded "an animal". He was on the run from police at the time. Despite overwhelming evidence of Maxwell's guilt, her parents Claire and John say they have been subjected to "devastating" speculation online, with some pointing the finger at her brother. Leah's parents are now calling for 'Leah's Law', a mandatory minimum sentence for anyone convicted of a third sexual offence. Haydon Croucher took his own life nine months after his sister went missing. Leah's parents say he struggled to cope with not knowing what had happened to her. The Crouchers believe Leah's Law would have saved Leah and by extension Haydon. 'Leah could have been anyone's child' Family handout / Leah Croucher's family were subjected to online conspiracy theorists and people contacting them pretending to be Leah after she went missing Leah was the "perfect daughter" say her parents. "She was a very shy, home-loving girl," says her dad but had a "brilliant sense of humour" once she opened up, adds her mum. Leah Croucher's parents last saw her at the family home on Quantock Crescent at 22:00 GMT on 14 February. For three years and nine months they went through "absolute torture", says John before her body was found less than half-a-mile from the family home. On 10 October 2022, police received a phone call, which led them to the loft of a house on Loxbeare Drive, where they found Leah's dismembered body in plastic bags along with some of her belongings. She was identified through dental records. Sam Read/BBC / Claire Croucher says she avoids going out on her own because of what happened to her daughter in broad daylight More than seven years after Leah's disappearance Claire says she still fears that what happened to Leah could happen again to Leah's sister and will not leave the house alone. "What I want to know is when I go out tonight to go to the shop to buy some milk, am I going to get home again? "Because that's my main fear, I don't go out on my own. We don't make Jade go out on her own because we know that some days people don't come back. "We've got to remember Leah could have been anyone's daughter, anyone's mum, sister, child," says Claire. Family targeted by conspiracy theorists and hoaxes Family handout / Haydon Croucher struggled to cope with the loss of his sister The Crouchers say the impact of the internet sleuths debating if Haydon had been involved destroyed them at times. "Because at the end of the day Haydon loved his sister so much he gave his own life because he couldn't cope with not knowing what happened to her," says Claire. Claire says the family, who have taken part in a new documentary about the case, have spoken out "to clear his name". Similarly John says they want to make sure people know "what a monster [Maxwell] was". He branded him "an animal". "I won't even mention his name. He's just a disgusting, vile, horrible creature," he says. Before Leah's remains were found, the family's torment was also magnified by internet trolls creating fake social media accounts pretending to be her. Many targeted her sister, Jade. Another woman called pretending to be Leah the morning after Haydon died. "Jade was woken up by a female voice saying that it was Leah and that she couldn't believe Haydon had died, but she didn't know how to come home and face us all... it's just disbelief that somebody could do that. Why? Why do they think that's funny? What were they trying to gain?" 'His DNA was everywhere' Sam Read/BBC / Leah's parents say it has been devastating to see conspiracy theories online when the evidence against Neil Maxwell is overwhelming There is no doubt in her parents' minds that Maxwell killed and sexually assaulted their daughter. He was named by police as the prime suspect. His handprints were on the loft hatch and bags where Leah's remains were found. And on the saw which was used. There was also DNA evidence left behind which indicated Leah was likely sexually assaulted. "His DNA was all over everything and people still say it's easy to fit a dead man up. It's not. "His DNA was everywhere. Multiple forms of DNA. Multiple forms. One hundred percent, it was him. "How much more damning do you need? It was horrendous," says John. John says he often wakes up in the middle of the night, haunted by the details of what happened to Leah. "We know what happened to our daughter, and knowing is just as bad as not knowing. The not knowing was torture, but knowing, now you visualise exactly what was happening." He says there is not a day that goes by without it going through his mind. South Beds News Agency / Leah Croucher's body was found in October 2022 and the police investigation concluded in January 2024 Leah's parents believe their daughter was killed because she fought against her attacker. At the inquest into her death in 2024 police said they believed Leah, who was a Taekwondo competitor, "would have defended herself" which "may have escalated the situation". 'You don't think this kind of thing can happen' Leah's parents are now calling for a mandatory minimum sentence for anyone convicted of a third sexual offence. They also want all repeat sex offenders to be sentenced by a District Judge instead of magistrates. Claire says had that been the case before Leah was targeted she believes her daughter would still be alive. "I hope it would have

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  • 信息来源：英语新闻 / BBC News Top Stories
  • 发布时间：2026/10/10 13:34:43