An inquest has opened into the deaths of three sisters whose bodies were found in the sea off Brighton beach, with the cause of death still recorded as unascertained. The women were identified as Jane Adetoro, 36, Christina Walters, 32, and Rebecca Walters, 31, all from London. Their bodies were discovered near Madeira Drive in the early hours of May 13 after an alarm was raised around 5:45 a.m.
Sussex Police say there is no evidence of criminality and no indication that any third party was involved. Senior coroner Penelope Schofield told the family during the opening hearing that police are not seeking anyone else in connection with the deaths, in an effort to curb social media speculation. The inquest heard that Rebecca’s body washed ashore and she was declared dead at the scene, while Jane and Christina were recovered from the water by RNLI lifeboats and pronounced dead on the shore.
Postmortem examinations have been completed, but medical investigations are still ongoing and the final cause of death has not yet been established for any of the three women. The inquest was adjourned until October 3 as inquiries continue.
The sisters had been living together in a flat in Greenford, west London. It remains unclear why they were in Brighton or how they entered the water. Police have reviewed hundreds of hours of CCTV footage and carried out checks with local businesses and properties near the beach in an effort to reconstruct their final movements. Officers have asked anyone who saw the women in the Madeira Drive area between 10 p.m. on May 12 and 5:30 a.m. on May 13 to contact them.
The hearing was attended remotely by the sisters’ father, Joseph Jacobson, who formally identified the bodies. Coroner Schofield expressed condolences to the family, telling him their loss “must be unbearable.” In a statement last week, Jacobson said the grief felt unbearable at times, but he held onto the memories and bond he shared with his daughters. He described them as his joy, strength and the light that filled the family with happiness and love.
A fundraiser launched after the deaths has raised more than £43,000 to help give the sisters a dignified farewell. The appeal was organised on behalf of the family, who said they are struggling to come to terms with the tragedy and now face the burden of arranging three funerals.
The case has drawn further attention because it comes 16 years after the sisters’ mother, Janice Adetoro, died in a lake in Birmingham. Police have stressed that the current investigation remains open and that they are continuing to work to establish the full facts surrounding the deaths.
