A British inquest has concluded that three sisters found dead in the sea off Brighton took their own lives, bringing a tragic end to a family history marked by the drowning death of their mother.
Jane Adetoro, 36, Christina Walters, 32, and Rebecca Walters, 31, were living together in Greenford, London, and were described during the proceedings as extremely private and socially withdrawn.
The sisters travelled to Birmingham on May 11 and visited an area linked to the death of their mother, who drowned in 2010. They travelled to Brighton the following day.
According to evidence presented at the inquest, the women arrived at Brighton seafront by taxi at about 10:21 p.m. on May 12. CCTV later captured them walking along the seafront at different locations during the night.
They were last seen alive at about 2:42 a.m. on May 13.
Their bodies were recovered from the sea several hours later.
Senior Coroner Penelope Schofield said the sisters had entered the water in challenging sea conditions, despite evidence that none of them could swim.
The inquest also heard that police examining Christina’s laptop found hundreds of references to water and suicide. Her records showed that she had experienced anxiety and depression following the death of her mother.
However, Schofield said the precise reasons behind the sisters’ decision might never be established.
“These three sisters lived very secluded lives, they were incredibly private,” the coroner said, adding that the court could not speculate on why they chose Brighton or what ultimately led to their deaths.
Toxicology examinations found no traces of drugs or alcohol in the three women, while investigators found no evidence that they had been subjected to violence.
Jane was brought ashore by an RNLI crew and pronounced dead at the scene. Christina was recovered from the water by an RNLI lifeboat, while Rebecca was found washed up on Brighton beach.
All three were pronounced dead on the morning of May 13.
Their father, Joseph Jacobsen, described the deaths as an unbearable loss.
In a statement read to the inquest, he said he had watched his daughters grow from children into “beautiful, intelligent women” and struggled to understand why their lives had ended in such circumstances.
He said losing one child was unimaginable, but losing all three was a pain he could hardly put into words.
Jacobsen said he hoped his daughters were now reunited with their mother “in God’s eternal care”.