By George Omagbemi
LONDON — October 9, 2026. A British coroner has ruled that three sisters whose bodies were recovered from the sea off Brighton, southern England, deliberately entered the water intending to end their lives.
Jane Adetoro, 36, Christina Walters, 32, and Rebecca Walters, 31, were found dead on May 13, 2026. The sisters, who lived together in west London, had travelled to Birmingham shortly before their deaths to visit the former home of their mother, Janice Adetoro, who died by drowning in 2010.
According to evidence presented at the inquest, the sisters travelled by taxi to Birmingham late on May 11 and returned to London in the early hours of May 12. Later that day, they travelled to Brighton, arriving near the seafront that evening.
Closed-circuit television footage showed them at the beach at approximately 2:42 a.m. on May 13. Emergency services were called later that morning, and all three were recovered from the water.
Senior Coroner Penelope Schofield concluded at Woodvale Coroner’s Court that the sisters had deliberately entered the sea with the intention of ending their lives. She noted that they could not swim and that sea conditions were adverse.
Post-mortem examinations confirmed drowning, with no evidence of drugs, alcohol or violence.
The inquest heard that Christina had been diagnosed with mixed anxiety and depressive disorder in October 2024. However, the available medical records did not document comparable mental-health concerns for her two sisters.
The coroner said the women had lived very private lives and acknowledged that the reasons behind their decision, including why they chose Brighton, might never be established.
Their father, Joseph Jacobson, paid an emotional tribute to his daughters, describing them as beautiful, intelligent and accomplished women with individual personalities, ambitions and special places in his heart.
He said losing all three daughters had caused a heartbreak beyond anything he could have imagined.
The case has drawn attention to the devastating impact of bereavement and the importance of compassion when families experience profound loss. However, investigators and the coroner have not established that the death of the sisters’ mother was the direct cause of their actions.
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