Disappearance of Leah Croucher
- @Bilorv: I doubt you are waiting for a reply here, but just in case: the Mail and Metro citations have been deleted. In addition to the two national-level citations (BBC and ITV), the article also cites Bradford Telegraph and Argos, Sky News, The Guardian, Asian Image Blackburn, Yorkshire Live, 9News Australia, Eon Times, Evening Standard (semi-RS?). Is that not enough? --John Maynard Friedman (talk) 19:32, 20 March 2022 (UTC)
| Disappearance of Leah Croucher | |
|---|---|
| File:LeahCroucher.jpgLeahCroucher.jpg | |
| Born | August 14, 1999 Milton Keynes, England, UK |
| Disappeared | 15 February 2019 (aged 19) Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England |
| Status | Missing for 7 years, 5 months and 26 days |
| 💼 Occupation | |
| Height | 5'2" |
| 👴 👵 Parent(s) | John and Claire Croucher |
| 👪 Relatives | Haydon Croucher, Jade Croucher |
Leah Croucher (born 14 August 1999, Milton Keynes) is a British teenager reported missing on 15 February 2019 (aged 19) in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, England.
She was last seen walking to work in Knowlhill after leaving her home in Emerson Valley. The last confirmed sighting of Croucher was reported in Furzton, just after 08:15 on 15 February 2019.[1]
Disappearance
On 15 February, Croucher left her home at approximately 08:00 on Quantock Crescent, Emerson Valley, to make the two-mile walk to her work at a debt collection agency (Debit Finance Collections Plc) in Knowlhill. She did not arrive for her 09:00 shift and was reported missing by her parents later that evening, after not returning home from work.
Croucher was seen on CCTV at 08:16 on Buzzacott Lane in Furzton, walking in the direction of her work. Someone matching her description was seen nearby, in an area known locally as Teletubby Hill (Furzton), at about 08:20. Croucher's phone left the mobile network at about 08:34 and, as of December 2021[update] had not rejoined a network.[2]
Between 09:30 and 11:15 that morning, three separate witnesses reported seeing someone matching her description, walking near Furzton Lake. The witnesses said that she looked visibly upset and crying while talking on the phone. Police have not confirmed if these sightings were of Croucher.[3]
Thames Valley Police say Leah is white, 5’2” tall, of slim build, with below shoulder length brown hair and she sometimes wears glasses. She was last seen dressed in a black coat, skinny black jeans and black Converse high top shoes and was carrying a small black rucksack.[4][5]
Police investigation
In a public appeal for information to help find the missing girl, Thames Valley Police released CCTV footage of Croucher. On 18 February, the police began searching Furzton Lake for evidence and continued the search for a number of days.[6] The Police also searched Blue Lagoon Local Nature Reserve near Bletchley, after a report of clothing matching Croucher's.[7]
Thames Valley Police said that its officers have visited more than 4,000 homes and that it has deployed specialist search teams, drones and helicopters. They also used marine units and dive teams during searches of lakes across Milton Keynes.[8] Nothing was recovered during any search.[9]
On the anniversary of her disappearance, the reward amount was doubled to £10,000. Appeals for information were made in Yorkshire and Lancashire.[10][11]
In 2021, a civilian sleuth discovered an image of a girl resembling Croucher on Google Maps.[12] The Google street view image, taken in March 2019, was of a barn near Eaton Bray, which is over 18 miles from where she was last seen. Police said they had previously searched this property and were looking into this new evidence.[13]
Haydon Croucher
In May 2019, Leah Croucher's half-brother, Haydon Croucher, appeared in Aylesbury Crown Court accused of making threats to a man he described as Leah's ex-boyfriend. The Crown Prosecution Service said it was not in the public interest to continue the prosecution and Haydon accepted a voluntary restraining order.[14]
Haydon Croucher took his own life on 16 November 2019.[15][16] He was discharged from a depression treatment centre on 13 November and discovered the next day at his flat in Bletchley by his mother (Tracey Furness) and sister (Jade Croucher).[17]
Media
- An episode of Crimewatch Live aired in September 2019 detailed Croucher's story. The programme featured interviews with Croucher's mother as well as showing CCTV footage of her final sighting.[18]
- This Morning (TV programme) on ITV asked Investigator Mark Williams-Thomas to take a closer look at the story in October 2019.[19]
See also
References
- ↑ "Leah Croucher: Parents plea for missing Milton Keynes teen". BBC News. 2019-02-22.
- ↑ "Leah Croucher: 'Potential sightings' after one-year anniversary appeal". BBC News. 2020-03-09.
- ↑ "Missing teen Leah Croucher may have been seen upset on day she vanished". Bradford Telegraph and Argos. 2021-02-15.
- ↑ "Thames Valley Police - Search for Leah Croucher". Thames Valley Police Public Portal.
- ↑ "Police appeal for help in tracing missing teen". ITV News. 2019-03-08.
- ↑ "Leah Croucher: Lake searched in missing teen case". BBC News. 2019-02-19.
- ↑ "Police investigating disappearance of Leah Croucher search blue lagoon". ITV News. 2019-10-09.
- ↑ "Leah Croucher: Parents of teen who went missing a year ago plead for information". Sky News. 2020-02-14.
- ↑ "Leah Croucher's parents renew appeal a year after she vanished". The Guardian. 2020-02-14.
- ↑ "Parents of Leah Croucher issue appeal one year after she went missing". Asian Image Blackburn. 2020-02-14.
- ↑ "A reward for any information about Leah's whereabouts was doubled to £10,000". Yorkshire Live. 2020-02-18.
- ↑ "Google Maps sleuth gives police lead on missing Leah Croucher case". 9News Australia. 2021-10-11.
- ↑ "Leah Croucher: Police investigate new lead after 'girl' seen on Google Earth". The Eon Times. 2021-10-11.
- ↑ "Missing teen Leah Croucher 'lied to parents' about where she went on Valentine's Day". ITV News. 2019-06-06.
- ↑ "Brother of missing Milton Keynes woman Leah Croucher dies aged 24". Evening Standard. 2019-11-18.
- ↑ "Leah Croucher's brother Haydon 'was begging for help'". BBC News. 2020-11-03.
- ↑ "Haydon Croucher: Missing teen's brother's death was 'avoidable'". BBC News. 2020-11-05.
- ↑ "Episode 13". BBC One: Crimewatch Live. BBC. 2019-09-17.
- ↑ "Missing in Milton Keynes: 20-year-old Leah Croucher". ITV: This Morning. ITV. 2019-10-02.
External links
- Police Site for Leah Croucher by the Thames Valley Police
- Finding Leah Website Created by the community led investigation
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