'COME HOME'
Leah Croucher’s parents reveal ‘each day is torture’ 3 years after teen daughter vanished as cops release unearthed pic
THE heartbroken parents of missing Leah Croucher have told how every day "is torture" on the third anniversary of her disappearance.
Leah, 19, disappeared as she made her way to work in Milton Keynes, Bucks, on February 15, 2019.
5
5
Speaking today, her dad, John, and mum, Claire, said: "It has been three long, desolate years since our beautiful and wonderful daughter Leah, vanished without a trace on her way to work.
"We still have no answers as to why. No clues as to what happened. No idea as to where or how she is.
"It is impossible to stay positive after all this time, it was difficult at the start of this, but now, the task is so futile, our lives are so bleak.
"It is harder each day to tell ourselves that today will be the day that we get answers, today we find out what happened three years ago. Today we get our treasured daughter back.
"It is unimaginable to convince ourselves that this is not a lie we tell ourselves so that we get out of bed each day.
"Each day is torture. Each day feels like an eternity of pain and despair."
And the devastated family said they read everything about Leah - and aware of cruel trolls who post under fake profiles of the missing teen, or spread rumours about her running after "married, older Muslim men as she had a thing for them".
Her parents blasted: "We find this upsetting, hurtful and disrespectful. None of this is true, all of it is vicious rumour and speculation.
Most read in The Sun
"We would appreciate that if people have nothing pleasant to say, that they say nothing at all. Our daughter has done nothing to deserve this and neither have her family who are forced to tolerate this vile behaviour."
John and Claire went on to say that they still struggle to sleep, and their "hearts leap in our chests" every time someone knocks at the door or the phone rings.
And in a heartfelt plea, they asked for the public's help in the search.
They said: "We ask you to search your phones for pictures taken on the evening of 2 February 2019 outside the Jury’s Inn/Travel Lodge and the morning of 15 February 2019, in the Furtzon area.
"Search your memories to see if you can remember one thing that may help the police in their search.
"Please contact the police with anything you know, even if it seems small and insignificant. You are our only hope, you always have been."
Their emotional statement concludes: "Leah, we only want to know you are safe and well. All you have to do is walk into a police station and tell them who you are and ask them to pass the message onto us that you want to stay away, you choose to remain apart from all who love and cherish you, that you do not want to come home.
"Please, we miss you so much. We are so worried about you. If you left us all that day, please let us know that it was your choice, because until that day happens, we will not stop.
5
"We love you too much to give up and stop looking for answers."
It comes after detectives shared an old photograph of a figure in black, discovered on a mobile phone, in the hopes it will help them track down missing Leah.
The image, which was taken at 10.51am the day she vanished, shows a person dressed entirely in black at Furzton Lake.
It was also more than two hours after her phone left the network in the area near the lake at 8.34am.
Detective Chief Inspector Andy Howard of Thames Valley Police said the picture "may or may not have been Leah".
However, he said locals may have seen a young woman who was "upset" and using her phone that morning.
"The imagine we're releasing today is not of a high quality, but I'm hoping someone will recognise themselves as being in this picture," he said.
“I’m am particularly keen to identify the person seen in the image who is dressed in black."
READ MORE SUN STORIES
A £20,000 reward is being offered for information which leads to Leah being found.
To speak to police, call 101 quoting reference number 43190049929, or Operation Dawlish.
5
5
Topics