An inquest has concluded that three sisters who drowned in the sea off Brighton took their own lives. Jane Adetoro, 36, Christina Walters, 32, and Rebecca Walters, 31, had been living deeply secluded lives in Greenford, London, following the death of their mother, who also drowned in 2010. Senior coroner Penelope Schofield ruled on their deaths, noting that the sisters could not swim.
The sisters' final journey began on 11 May, when they visited an area of Birmingham close to where their mother had died. The following day, they traveled from their shared London home to Brighton beach, arriving by taxi at 22:21 BST. The Uber driver who transported them later noted that there was a complete lack of conversation during the journey.
Once in Brighton, the three women were captured on CCTV pacing the seafront in the darkness at various points along the east beach. They were last seen alive at 02:42 on 13 May, before entering the water and drowning in adverse sea conditions in the early hours of the morning.
A police investigation into the tragedy revealed significant online searches. Detective Chief Inspector Mark Cullimore told the court that a search of Christina's laptop uncovered 227 references to water and 179 references to suicide. The inquest heard that Christina, who worked in accountancy, had been experiencing anxiety and depression since her mother's passing. In contrast, Rebecca's medical records showed nothing of note, and Jane, the oldest sister, was not registered with a general practitioner. Rebecca had been working in human resources.
Postmortem examinations and toxicology tests confirmed that none of the sisters had drugs or alcohol in their systems, and there was no evidence of violence. On the morning of 13 May, emergency services recovered the sisters. Jane Adetoro was brought to the shore by an RNLI crew and declared dead at the scene. An RNLI lifeboat recovered Christina Walters from the water, while Rebecca Walters was washed onto the shore. Paramedics pronounced both Christina and Rebecca dead that morning.
Speaking at the inquest, Penelope Schofield highlighted the private nature of the sisters' lives. She stated that the three sisters lived very secluded lives and were incredibly private, adding that it is not for the court to speculate on why they took this course of action or why they chose Brighton, noting that these reasons may never be known.
Their father, Joseph Jacobsen, followed the proceedings via a video link alongside other family members. In an emotional statement read on his behalf, he described watching his daughters grow from little girls into beautiful, intelligent women who held a special place in his heart. He expressed the profound grief of losing all three of his precious daughters, calling it a heartbreak beyond anything he could have ever imagined, and added that there are no words to adequately express the pain of losing a child. He concluded by saying he could not understand why their lives ended so suddenly, expressing hope that they are now reunited with their mother in God's eternal care.
