Brother of missing Leah Croucher, 20, dies aged 24 as heartbroken dad says ‘our world is broken’
THE older brother of missing Leah Croucher has died suddenly aged 24. Haydon Croucher’s heartbroken dad confirmed his son’s death – nine months after Leah, 20, vanished without trace. The 24-year-old was part of the huge team searching for his younger sister who went missing on Valentine’s Day in Milton Keynes, Bucks. In a heartbreaking […]
THE older brother of missing Leah Croucher has died suddenly aged 24.
Haydon Croucher’s heartbroken dad confirmed his son’s death – nine months after Leah, 20, vanished without trace.
The 24-year-old was part of the huge team searching for his younger sister who went missing on Valentine’s Day in Milton Keynes, Bucks.
In a heartbreaking Facebook post on Haydon’s passing, his dad John said, “our world is broken”.
He wrote that he’d spoken with his son on Thursday evening.
John explained they’d discussed the “sadness” the family felt approaching November 15 – a day marking nine months “with no news about Leah”.
They agreed to meet on Friday, “so we can face it together”.
DAD’S AGONY
But overnight on Thursday, police knocked at the door and told the family that Haydon was fighting for his life in hospital.
Told by doctors that “the prognosis is bad”, John sat by Haydon’s bedside and saw him “deteriorate by the minute”.
Saying his goodbyes, John told his son he loved him, to be “at peace” and held him as he “slipped away”.
‘OUR HEARTS AND MINDS ARE BROKEN’
John added: “To say our hearts and minds are broken is an understatement.
“Haydon was a kind, generous, funny, witty and loving person, and in his words an amazingly good looking bloke.
“He had a huge heart. He was only 24. Too young to be gone forever.
“He has left behind two families and friends that loved him dearly. We will miss him. Always.
“Be at peace Haydon. If Leah is up there with you look after each other as always, until we get there.
“We love and miss you both terribly. Our world could not be more broken than it is now.”
Dad's heartache over son's death nine months after daughter, 20, vanished
John Croucher wrote: “What kind of life is it that you can speak to your son on Thursday evening, to reassure him that we all feel the same sadness at Friday 15th, approaching.
“9 months with no news about Leah is a terrible thing to face.
“We promise to meet up the following day so we can face it together.
“Hours later police knock at the door and tell you that Haydon is fighting for his life.
“The doctors say the prognosis is bad.
“You sit by his bedside and watch him deteriorate by the minute.
“You have to say your goodbyes. What do you say in that situation?”
John said he told his son that he loved him.
He added in his tribute: “Finally you have to tell him to go and be at peace.
“You hold him as he slips away.
“To say our hearts and minds are broken is an understatement.
“Haydon was a kind, generous, funny, witty and loving person.
“He had a huge heart. He was only 24. Too young to be gone forever.
“He has left behind two families and friends that loved him dearly. We will miss him. Always.
“Be at peace Haydon. If Leah is up there with you look after each other as always, until we get there.
“We love and miss you both terribly. Our world could not be more broken than it is now.”
Missing Leah Croucher was having an affair with an engaged man before her disappearance, her family said at the end of October.
Her mum Claire Croucher broke her silence to talk about the relationship with the man – who cannot be named for legal reasons.
Claire said: “It started in the summer of last year.
“She was talking about this man all the time. It was X this and X that. It was obvious she had a soft spot for him.
“She’d go and see him in the evenings, paying £13 each way for a taxi.
‘LIKE AN ARRANGED MARRIAGE’
“It just wasn’t like Leah to do things like that – she’d always been such a home-loving person and didn’t like going out much.
“Then we found out he was engaged and it sounded like it was an arranged marriage.
“I remember saying to Leah, ‘Don’t you go falling for him, he will never be yours.’ I was under the impression that she’d stopped seeing him then.”
Police have spoken to the man and say they have no suspicions about him because it is thought he has an alibi for the time that Leah vanished.
Her parents say Leah lied to them after claiming she was booking a hotel room at Jury’s Inn, Central Milton Keynes, on February 3 for a night out with two female pals.
But she booked a room at a nearby Travelodge instead, her bank statement shows.
Her friends later confirmed they hadn’t been with Leah that night, Claire said.
On Valentine’s night, the night before Leah vanished, she left home between 6pm and 7.15pm, telling her mum she was seeing a friend.
I desperately want her to be alive but we are going through absolute hell
Leah's mum, Claire
But checks showed she never saw that friend and police have never established where she went or who she was with.
Claire said: “You’d think there would be evidence on her phone records of a secret relationship, but there is nothing.
“But then we know she always used Snapchat, and chats are wiped out on that. Or, of course, the man could have supplied her with another phone, a secret phone.”
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Claire admitted last month that she feared Leah might now be dead.
She said: “I try not to think of the second one, but as time goes on it’s there. I get bad days where it won’t go away and I cry and cry.
“I desperately want her to be alive but we are going through absolute hell.”
