Overview
- Senior coroner Penelope Schofield concluded at an inquest that the women intentionally entered the sea and died by drowning on May 13, 2026.
- Police evidence and CCTV placed the sisters in Brighton after a pre-booked taxi trip that arrived near the seafront at 10:21pm on May 12 and showed a last sighting on beach footage at about 2:42am on May 13.
- Post-mortem examinations found drowning as the cause of death for Jane Adetoro (36), Christina Walters (32) and Rebecca Walters (31) with no drugs, alcohol or signs of third-party assault, and investigators said the women could not swim and sea conditions were adverse.
- Inquiries presented at the inquest showed the sisters travelled to Birmingham within 48 hours before their deaths to locations linked to their mother’s 2010 drowning, police found extensive online searches about suicide on Christina’s devices and recent financial account clearances, and detectives said they found no evidence of criminal involvement.
- Family members paid tribute and said they cannot explain the loss, the coroner warned against speculation about motive, and the case has prompted renewed public signposting to support services for anyone in distress.