Police investigating the deaths of three sisters whose bodies were found in the sea off Brighton have concluded there is no evidence that a crime was committed or that anyone else was involved.
Jane Adetoro, 36, Christina Walters, 32, and Rebecca Walters, 31, were found dead near Black Rock car park on Brighton seafront on the morning of May 13.
Sussex Police said a post-mortem examination confirmed that all three women died by drowning. After months of extensive enquiries, detectives have now concluded their investigation, while the circumstances surrounding the deaths will be considered at an inquest.
Sisters were dropped off by taxi hours before they died
Emergency services were called to the beach at around 5.45am on May 13 after concerns were raised about someone in the water.
Three bodies were subsequently recovered from the sea.
Detectives spent months tracing the sisters’ movements and reviewing hundreds of hours of CCTV, speaking to witnesses across the country and carrying out other enquiries.
Police established that the three women had been dropped off by taxi at Madeira Drive at around 10.20pm on May 12.
They were wearing everyday clothing when their bodies were recovered several hours later.
Sussex Police said there was no evidence that the sisters had visited any nightclubs or local businesses in the area.
Investigators also found no evidence that the women had come to harm at the hands of another person.
Based on the evidence currently available, police said the three sisters entered the water close to where their bodies were later found.
Police investigation now concluded
Chief Superintendent Adam Hays said detectives had been conscious from the beginning of the public speculation surrounding the deaths and the unanswered questions faced by the family.
“Our priority throughout has been uncovering the truth for the loved ones of Jane, Rebecca and Christina,” he said, stressing that at the centre of the investigation was a family dealing with an “unthinkable tragedy and loss.”
He added that the investigation had been thorough and had now concluded, although police would reconsider the case if new information emerged.
The force also said its enquiries had deliberately considered concerns raised within Black communities about the deaths of Black people in or near bodies of water.
The police investigation will now give way to the coronial process.
An inquest will examine the facts surrounding where, when and how Jane, Christina and Rebecca died. Police said details including the sisters’ movements before their deaths and their possible reasons for entering the water will be considered by the coroner.
Their mother died in similar circumstances
The tragedy has also raised painful memories for the sisters’ family because their mother, Janice Adetoro, died in similar circumstances in Birmingham in 2010.
Their cousin Natalie previously told the Sunday Times that the sisters had been aged 20, 16 and 15 when their mother died.
She said losing their mother during those formative years had left a profound impact on them.
“The years where a mother’s presence and guidance and reassurance and love should be, they didn’t receive that,” she said.
Natalie also suggested there could be a connection between their mother’s death and what happened in Brighton, saying the sisters had travelled to Birmingham and spent time near a lake.
The family has not publicly been given a definitive explanation for why the three women entered the water in Brighton, and that question remains part of the forthcoming inquest.
Father pays heartbreaking tribute to his daughters
Their father, Joseph, previously spoke about the devastating loss, saying there were “no words” capable of describing the pain of losing three daughters.
In the order of service for their funeral, he wrote that Jane, Christina and Rebecca had been far more than his children.
“You were more than my daughters: you were my joy, my strength and the beautiful light that filled my life with love,” he wrote.
He described Jane as strong, Tina as kind and Becky as possessing a warmth and joyful spirit that brought happiness to those around her.
He added that although there were moments when the loss felt unbearable, he would hold on to the memories, love and bond they shared.
At the funeral, their cousin also paid tribute to the sisters, saying their lives would never be forgotten and their memories would live on.
Family raises more than £45,000 for funeral costs
A GoFundMe campaign established by the sisters’ uncle raised more than £45,000 to help the family with funeral expenses.
The appeal highlighted the extraordinary burden placed on their father, who was forced to arrange three funerals after the deaths.
“No parent should ever have to bury their child, let alone all three,” the fundraising appeal said.
The family said the money would help them give Jane, Christina and Rebecca the loving and dignified farewell they deserved.
With the police investigation now closed, the family’s search for answers will continue through the coroner’s inquest.
Sussex Police said officers would support the coronial process and asked that the sisters’ family be given privacy as they continue to grieve.