An inquest has determined that three sisters who drowned in the sea off the coast of Brighton in May died by suicide. Jane Adetoro, 36, Christina Walters, 32, and Rebecca Walters, 31, had been living what senior coroner Penelope Schofield described as “very secluded lives” following the death of their own mother by drowning in 2010. He was among family members who followed proceedings via video link.
The sisters, who resided together in Greenford, London, traveled to Birmingham on 11 May to visit an area near where their mother had died. The following day, they arrived in Brighton by taxi, with their journey beginning at 22:21 BST on 12 May. An Uber driver noted their lack of conversation during the transit. CCTV footage later captured the women pacing the seafront throughout the night, with their final sighting recorded at 02:42 on 13 May. With CCTV sightings of them at different points along Brighton’s east beach, the three appeared to pace the seafront in the darkness.
Investigation findings and timeline
- Final sighting: The sisters were last seen alive at 02:42 on 13 May on Brighton’s east beach.
- Technical evidence: A search of Christina Walters’ laptop revealed 227 references to water and 179 references to suicide.
- Health history: Christina had struggled with anxiety and depression since her mother’s death; Rebecca’s medical records showed no concerns, and Jane was not registered with a GP.
- Toxicology: Tests confirmed no presence of drugs or alcohol in any of the three sisters.
- Cause of death: The coroner confirmed they could not swim and succumbed to the sea in adverse conditions.
The bodies of the three sisters were recovered on the morning of 13 May. Jane Adetoro was brought to shore by an RNLI crew, while Christina and Rebecca were recovered shortly after by lifeboat and shore teams. All three were declared dead at the scene. Detective Chief Inspector Mark Cullimore testified that there was no evidence of violence or third-party involvement in their deaths.
In a statement read to the court, the sisters’ father, Joseph Jacobsen, expressed his profound grief. “There are no words that can adequately express the pain of losing a child,” he stated, describing his daughters as beautiful and intelligent women. He noted the difficulty in understanding why their lives ended so suddenly, expressing a hope that they were now reunited with their mother. According to in an emotional statement read out on his behalf, he, He watched his daughters grow from little girls to beautiful, intelligent women “with a special place in my heart”.
Coroner Penelope Schofield concluded the hearing by stating that the court would not speculate on the specific reasons for their actions in Brighton, acknowledging that such details might never be fully understood. She emphasized that the sisters were incredibly private individuals whose reasons for choosing that particular course of action remained unclear.
Important Details
- To lose all three of my precious daughters is a heartbreak beyond anything I could ever have imagined.
- Help and support is available via Action Line here, if you are experiencing emotional stress.
