UK Inquest Finds Three Sisters Died by Suicide 16 Years After Mother’s Death

A United Kingdom inquest has concluded that three sisters who died in the sea off Brighton took their own lives, 16 years after the death of their mother, in a tragedy that has left their family devastated.

The sisters, Jane Adetoro, 36, Christina Walters, 32, and Rebecca Walters, 31, lived together in Greenford, London. According to the BBC, which was cited by PUNCH, a coroner described them as having lived increasingly secluded lives following their mother’s death in 2010.

Their mother drowned at Brookvale Lake in Birmingham. Their cousin, Natalie Walters-Daniel, told The Times that the loss had deeply affected the sisters and that the family believed they never fully recovered from the tragedy.

Evidence presented at the inquest showed that the sisters travelled from London to Birmingham on May 11 before proceeding to Brighton the following day. During the 48 hours preceding their deaths, they reportedly visited their mother’s grave and the lake where she had drowned.

They arrived in Brighton by taxi at 10:21 p.m. on May 12. The driver told investigators that they spoke very little during the journey. CCTV footage subsequently captured them walking along different sections of the seafront, with the sisters last seen alive at 2:42 a.m. on May 13.

Senior Coroner Penelope Schofield said the sisters were extremely private and that their reasons for travelling to Brighton and taking their own lives might never be fully understood.

“It is not for the court to speculate and sadly these reasons may never be known,” she said during the inquest.

The proceedings also revealed concerns about Christina’s mental health. Investigators found extensive suicide-related searches on her laptop, while evidence indicated that she had experienced anxiety and depression following their mother’s death.

Detective Chief Inspector Mark Cullimore told the court that Rebecca’s medical records contained no notable findings, while Jane was not registered with a doctor.

Toxicology tests found no drugs or alcohol in the sisters’ systems, and investigators found no evidence that they had been subjected to violence.

Jane was recovered by a Royal National Lifeboat Institution crew and pronounced dead at the scene. Christina, who worked in accountancy, was recovered by an RNLI lifeboat, while Rebecca, who worked in human resources, was later found on Brighton beach. Both were pronounced dead by paramedics.

Christina and Rebecca had adopted their mother’s maiden name, Walters, while Jane retained their father’s surname, Adetoro.

Their father, Joseph Adetoro, described the deaths as a heartbreak beyond anything he could have imagined. In a statement read at the inquest, he recalled watching his daughters grow into beautiful and intelligent women.

He expressed the profound pain of losing all three children and said he could not understand why their lives had ended so suddenly.

The case has highlighted the lasting emotional consequences of bereavement and the importance of recognising signs of psychological distress, particularly among people who become socially withdrawn after experiencing profound personal loss.