HOPES that Leah Croucher was still alive have been "brutally extinguished", her devastated family said today.
And the 19-year-old will be remembered as a "bright, funny young woman" whose "smile lit up the room", heartbroken parents Claire and John added.
Earlier this month human remains were found at a property in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, three years after she vanished.
A murder probe was launched, with a dead sex offender identified as the prime suspect.
Breaking their silence, her emotional parents said: "Leah had so much to achieve in her life, milestones that will now never be met.
"The void left in our lives after Leah's disappearance was immense, a pain almost too big to bear.
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"However, there is little that compares to the deep chasm Leah's death has brought to us."
They said looking at pictures of Leah was too painful to even think about at the moment.
And they asked her to give half-brother Haydon – who took his own life in November 2019 – a big kiss.
They added: "Leah was a bright, funny young woman who was a kind, loyal, helpful and caring soul.
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"Her smile lit up the room and her laugh cheered all who heard it.
"Leah had a wonderful sense of humour, who found joy in everything she did.
"Leah's presence and warmth impacted on all who knew her, her disappearance has impacted on an entire city and beyond.
"The world and our lives are darker for losing her in the prime of life.
"We have missed Leah for so long already, and now have the rest of our lives to mourn her as well as the memories we will never be able to make.
"We were able to love you for 19 wonderful years Leah and make amazing memories together as a family, memories that we hope will be sufficient to carry us through the dark and lonely years we have to come.
"Give Haydon a big kiss and a big hug from us baby, we miss and love you both so much, but hope that you are together now, looking out for each other as always."
Leah's body was found in a loft at a four-bedroom house in Milton Keynes on October 10, less than half a mile from where she was last seen alive more than three years ago.
A murder probe was launched by Thames Valley Police, who named convicted sex offender Neil Maxwell, 49, as the prime suspect in the case.
Leah, an office worker, vanished without a trace on her way to work on February 15, 2019, sparking a major police search.
CCTV footage showed her walking to work, but her worried family raised the alarm when she never returned home.
Police launched a major search for her and twice visited the house her body was found as part of more than 4,000 door-to-door inquiries over the course of the investigation.
On both occasions there was no answer at the property and leaflets were left.
Officers also looked at more than 1,200 hours of CCTV during the painstaking investigation, which saw specialist search teams drafted in.
A £10,000 reward offered for information in August 2020, which was doubled the following March when police said they'd had "no significant leads" in the "bewildering and frustrating" case.
But earlier this month, police began searching a £500,000 property in Loxbeare Drive, Milton Keynes, after a tip-off from a member of the public.
Two days later, they launched a murder investigation after unidentified human remains and a rucksack containing personal possessions belonging to Leah were found.
Cops said Maxwell, who took his own life in April 2019 in a park three miles from where Leah disappeared, would have been questioned over her death if he'd still been alive.
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It is feared Maxwell, who had a history of offences against women, may have held Leah captive for weeks before killing her and going on the run.
He was the only person to have keys to the house when she vanished, police said.
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