Three sisters who drowned in the sea off Brighton earlier this year took their own lives, a coroner has ruled. Jane Adetoro, 36, Christina Walters, 32, and Rebecca Walters, 31, died together in rough waters during the early hours of May 13.
An inquest heard that the sisters had lived a highly isolated existence in Greenford, West London, since the tragic loss of their mother, who also drowned in 2010. Senior coroner Penelope Schofield said the trio had become deeply reclusive in the years leading up to their deaths.
“These three sisters lived very secluded lives, they were incredibly private,” Schofield told the court. “We don’t know why they took this course of action or indeed why they chose to do it in Brighton. It is not for the court to speculate and sadly these reasons may never be known.”
A final, silent journey
The court was presented with a chilling timeline of the sisters’ final days. On May 11, they travelled to an area of Birmingham near where their mother had died. The next evening, they booked an Uber to the Sussex coast, arriving in Brighton at 10:21 PM. The driver later noted that the women sat in complete silence throughout the long trip.
CCTV cameras tracked the sisters pacing along Brighton’s east beach in the pitch black. The final sighting of them alive was recorded at 2:42 AM. The sea was exceptionally rough that night, and the inquest heard that none of the sisters knew how to swim.
Tragic online searches uncovered
Police investigators uncovered harrowing digital evidence on Christina’s laptop. Detective Chief Inspector Mark Cullimore revealed that officers found 227 online references to water and 179 references to suicide. Christina, who worked in accountancy, had struggled with severe anxiety and depression since her mother’s passing.
In contrast, Rebecca’s medical files showed nothing unusual, and Jane, the oldest sister, was not even registered with a local doctor. Toxicology reports came back completely clear, showing no traces of drugs or alcohol in any of the women. Police also ruled out any third-party involvement or violence.
A family shattered
The sisters’ bodies were found on the morning of May 13. An RNLI lifeboat crew recovered Jane and Christina from the water. Rebecca, who worked in human resources, was washed onto the shingle beach. Paramedics pronounced all three dead at the scene.
Their father, Joseph Jacobsen, watched the legal proceedings remotely via a video link. In a deeply moving statement read to the court, he spoke of his agony.
“There are no words that can adequately express the pain of losing a child,” his statement read. “To lose all three of my precious daughters is a heartbreak beyond anything I could ever have imagined.”
He added that he hoped his “beautiful, intelligent” daughters were finally reunited with their mother in eternal care.