LEAH Croucher used martial arts to defend herself during a sex attack by a convicted predator who killed her, an inquest heard.
The 19-year-old disappeared on February 15, 2019, as she walked to work in the Furzton area of Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire.
Her dismembered remains were found in an attic at a home less than half-a-mile from where she was last seen in October 2022.
Following the tragic discovery, police named Neil Maxwell, 49, as the prime suspect in Leah’s murder.
The convicted sex offender took his own life on April 20, 2019, while on the run from police.
An inquest into Leah’s death today heard how she may have been killed during an “unwarranted sexual attack”.
The court heard Leah was a renowned martial arts expert who had tried to defend herself after being attacked.
It was previously feared she may have been held captive at the home for months but police said they believe she was killed on or close to the day she vanished.
Her body was finally discovered when a handyman was tasked with getting rid of a smell at the home.
Tom Osborne, Senior Coroner for Milton Keynes, said: “Whoever had placed the body in the loft had taken steps to try and remove certain limbs.
“They were in plastic bags.”
No cause of death could be identified despite extensive testing, Milton Keynes Coroner’s Court was told.
Det Sgt Kevin Brown, of Thames Valley Police, said he “absolutely” believed Maxwell killed Leah.
His name had come up in May 2019 but officers concluded there was no link between him and Leah.
This was despite Maxwell being hunted by police at the time and his “predilection for young females”.
The fiend had carried out maintenance work at the house, which was used as a holiday home, from November 2018.
He was the only person to have keys to the property while the owners were away.
At the time, the suspect was wanted for a sex attack in Newport Pagnell and used false names to evade arrest.
He also stopped using his phone and car and may have lost weight and grown a beard to change his appearance.
The coroner will examine admitted failures by the police and probation service that have not yet been made public.
The inquest continues.
