The parents of 19-year-old Leah Croucher who vanished on her way to work have emotionally recalled 'begging the world' to help them find their daughter.
asserted
them → vanish → daughter
John and Claire Croucher's lives were turned upside down on February 15, 2019 when Leah went missing while walking in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire.
asserted
Leah → turn → Keynes
Leah, who had a black belt in martial arts, had been killed by Neil Maxwell that day but no trace of her was found for more than three years despite a huge search.
asserted
trace → have → search
Her remains were discovered in the loft of a house in October 2022 less than half a mile from where she was last seen, after a tip-off from a maintenance worker.
asserted
she → discover → worker
Maxwell, a previously convicted sex offender, killed himself while on the run from police in April 2019 - two months after Ms Croucher vanished in broad daylight.
One week after the last confirmed sighting of their daughter, Mr and Mrs Croucher held an emotional press conference at Milton Keynes police station at the start of what soon became one of Britain's most high-profile missing person cases.
asserted
what → convict → cases
Now, they have told their story for the first time in new television series 'The Search For Leah Croucher: A Parent's Nightmare' which starts on U&W this evening.
asserted
which → tell → U&W
Speaking about the conference, Mrs Croucher said: 'I remember sitting down to have to write this because I didn't feel that I would be able to go and do it off the hoof.
asserted
I → speak → hoof
John and Claire Croucher have spoken about their torment after daughter Leah went missing
Leah Croucher, pictured (right) with her sister Jade, vanished while walking in Milton Keynes
asserted
Croucher → speak → Keynes
John and Claire Croucher speak at a press conference at Milton Keynes police station in 2019
'
asserted
Croucher → speak → 2019
By the end of it, I could barely see the words because I was crying so hard.
uncertain
I → see → words
I was struggling to breathe.'
asserted
I → struggle → ?
Mrs Croucher said she remembered thinking 'can Leah hear me when I'm going to be on the news later?', adding: 'Can she hear me if she's being held somewhere or will they turn the TV off so that she can't hear that we're looking for her?'
asserted
we → say → her
She continued: 'I was thinking that as I was reading it, my little girl probably thinks I don't love her enough to come looking for her.
asserted
I → continue → her
But my God look at what I'm doing, I'm stood in front of all these cameras, begging the world to help me find you.'
asserted
me → look → you
Her husband Mr Croucher added: 'I had to make sure the world knew who my daughter was...
asserted
daughter → add → ?
In the press conference on February 22, 2019, Mrs Croucher told reporters that it was 'unbelievable' that Leah had not contacted anyone in the last week after her 'highly unusual' disappearance.
asserted
Leah → tell → disappearance
Mrs Croucher said at the time: 'Leah, if you are able to hear or see me as I read this, please, please get in touch or, better still, come home.
asserted
I → say → touch
It doesn't have to be me or Dad that you contact.
asserted
you → have → that
You can call, text, email, Facebook or Snapchat anybody you feel comfortable with getting in touch.
asserted
you → call → touch
Just show us that you are safe.
asserted
you → show → us
Just drop someone a call to say you are okay.
asserted
you → drop → call
Maxwell came on the force's radar in May 2019 after it received information on him via a phone call but officers did not link him to Leah at the time.
uncertain
officers → come → time
The disappearance of Leah became one of Britain's most high-profile missing person cases
Leah was a black belt in martial arts and was known for it internationally
Mr and Mrs Croucher went more than three years without knowing what had happened to Leah
A murder investigation was launched in October 2022 after a maintenance worker who had been trying to eradicate a smell in a property discovered what he thought were remains and called the police.
asserted
he → become → police
Leah's body was found in the house in the Furzton area of Milton Keynes which was owned by people who lived abroad and used it as a holiday home and had not visited during the pandemic.
asserted
who → find → pandemic
Leah would walk to work which took about 40 minutes and, depending on which route she took, one route took her past the property on Loxbeare Drive.
asserted
route → walk → Drive
Officers previously visited the house at least twice, but there was no response at the property.
asserted
Officers → visit → property
The police investigation involved reviewing 1,200 hours of CCTV, conducting more than 4,000 house-to-house inquiries, and searching lakes, open land and woodland.
asserted
investigation → involve → lakes
A post-mortem examination on Leah was inconclusive and she was identified by her dental records.
asserted
she → identify → records
Maxwell was a handyman and the only person with keys to the property where Leah's body was found.
asserted
body → find → property
He was wanted for a sex attack in Newport Pagnell in November 2018 and used false names to evade arrest, as well as stopping using his phone and car.
asserted
He → want → phone
Officers believe he also lost weight and grew a beard to change his appearance.
asserted
he → believe → appearance
Some 18 attempts were made to arrest Maxwell after he went on the run.
asserted
he → make → run
Claire and John Croucher are pictured on the day of their daughter's funeral in March 2023
Leah's remains were found in October 2022 in the loft of a house in Furzton, Milton Keynes
Leah's murderer Robert Maxwell killed himself while on the run from police in April 2019
asserted
murderer → picture → April
The new two-part documentary, which has been four years in the making, looks at the ordeal faced by Mr and Mrs Croucher who went three years and nine months without knowing what had happened to their daughter.
asserted
what → look → daughter
They also faced the trauma of their son Haydon Croucher taking his own life aged 24 in November 2019, nine months after Leah went missing.
asserted
Leah → face → November
Emile Nawagamuwa, commissioning editor at UKTV, said: 'Leah's disappearance moved the nation.
asserted
disappearance → commission → nation
At the heart of this story is a family who have faced unimaginable heartbreak with extraordinary courage.
asserted
who → face → courage
'We are privileged that John, Claire and Jade [Leah's sister] have chosen to share their experience with us for the first time.
asserted
John → choose → time
This is an important and necessary film that not only honours Leah's memory, but also sparks vital conversations about how we ensure tragedies like this never happen again.'
asserted
tragedies → honour → this
Mr and Mrs Croucher are now pushing for the creation of 'Leah's Law', which would create a mandatory minimum sentence for criminals convicted of a third sexual offence.
asserted
which → push → offence
…and 3 more, not listed.
The Aporia
