Finding Leah Croucher A Milton Keynes Podcast

Leah Croucher was 19 when she was last seen on CCTV on the morning of 15 February 2019 in Milton Keynes. Despite extensive searches, no trace of her has been found and no-one has been arrested in connection with the case. Miss Croucher was last seen by her parents at the family home in Quantock Crescent at 22:00 GMT on 14 February.

If you have any information: Call 101 quoting 43190049929 or Operation Dawlish

Timeline: 

Thursday February 14, Valentine's Day

8am. Leah sets off for work as normal. She has an admin job with finance company DFC in Davy Avenue, Knowlhill and walks the two mile journey to and from work every day, often going via Furzton Lake.

5.45pm. Leah walks home from work. Strangely, the location settings on her Samsung phone were switched off in the Furzton Lake area. Nobody knows why. It could be that she was downloading another app that disabled them. But the mobile phone company has confirmed Leah had never turned off her location settings before.

6pm. Leah arrives home from work. She changes into tracksuit bottoms and a long-sleeved top with the logo 'I solemnly swear that I am up to no good' (a quote from her favourite Harry Potter books) and leaves the house on foot. She tells her mum she is going to visit a friend.

7.15pm. Leah arrives home again. She doesn't fancy the meal her mum was cooking so she ordered herself a takeaway. Her mum asks if her friend is okay and Leah replies with a yes.

Her behaviour that night was totally normal, say her parents.

Later it was discovered that Leah has not visited the friend. 

Friday February 15

8am. Leah gets up and leaves for work. Her parents have already left for their work. She sets off on her normal route, wearing a black coat, skinny black jeans, black Converse high top shoes and carrying a small black rucksack. Underneath her coat she wears a distinctive grey hoodie, which has the logo of her dad's Stewartby Taekwondo club.

8.13am. CCTV footage shows her walking along Buzzacott Lane in Furzton . That was the last confirmed sighting of Leah.. It was 243 days ago – nearly 35 weeks.

9am. Leah fails to arrive at work

9.30am – 11.15am. Three different witnesses report seeing a girl matching Leah's description walking by Furzton Lake. She was looking “visibly upset” and crying while talking on the phone. She was also text with two thumbs. Police have never been able to say definitely that this was Leah. However, no other female has ever come forward to say it was them.

6pm Leah fails to return home. She is reported missing.

Sunday February 17

Police issue a press release saying Leah is missing. They describe her as white, slim, with below shoulder length brown hair and sometimes wearing glasses.

Tuesday February 19

Police release the CCTV footage of Leah in Buzzacott Lane. They are becoming “increasingly concerned” for her welfare. Her phone is switched off and cannot be traced and her bank account has not been touched.

For the next few weeks police work tirelessly to find Leah. They make repeated appeals for witnesses and knock on hundreds of doors to see if people saw anything. Divers scour Furzton Lake and fingertip searches are carried out. Leah's family and friends put posters up all over MK, Not a single clue is found.

The route that Leah took to work was visible from busy roads, houses and public areas. Yet nobody saw anything. It is as though she vanished off the face of the earth. Police admit the case is highly unusual – and baffling.