An inquest into the deaths of three sisters from London whose bodies were found in the sea off Brighton beach has heard the cause of their deaths remains 'unascertained'. The bodies of Jane Adetoro, 36, Christina Walters, 32, and Rebecca Walters, 31, were pulled from the water near Madeira Drive after someone raised the alarm at around 5.45am on 13 May.
The circumstances of how they ended up in the water or why the sisters, who shared a flat in Greenford, west London, were in Brighton remain unclear. Sussex Police have said there is no evidence to suggest criminality or that anyone else was involved, but specialist detectives are working to gather the full facts and circumstances around their deaths.
Opening an inquest into their deaths on Friday, senior coroner Penelope Schofield assured the sisters' grieving father, Joseph Jacobson, that the police have indicated that they are not looking for any third party involvement. 'I hope that by providing this information this will stop the social media speculation around their deaths,' she added.
Brighton Coroner's Court heard that Rebecca's remains washed up on Brighton beach and she was declared deceased at the scene. Jane and Christina were recovered from the water by RNLI lifeboats, but both were pronounced dead at the shore. Postmortem examinations have been carried out on the women and a provisional cause of death has been recorded as 'yet to be ascertained', the inquest heard.
Mr Jacobson, who formally identified his daughter's bodies, attended the hearing remotely via video link along with other family members. Expressing her condolences, the coroner Ms Schofield said their loss 'must be unbearable for you'. She adjourned the inquest into all three deaths until 3 October.
The tragedy comes 16 years after the mother of the three girls, Janice Adetoro, died in a lake in Birmingham. A fundraising appeal launched in the wake of the deaths has raised more than £43,000 to give them 'the loving and dignified farewell they deserve'. Fundraiser organiser Adesoji Adetoro wrote that it was set up on behalf of his brother Joseph and the family, adding that they are struggling to come to terms with what has happened.
'No parent should ever have to bury their child, let alone all three,' he said. 'While trying to process this unimaginable tragedy, my brother is now also faced with the heartbreaking task of arranging three funerals. As a family, we simply want to give the girls the loving and dignified farewell they deserve.'
In a statement last week, Mr Jacobson said there are days when the grief feels 'unbearable' but he holds onto the memories they shared and 'the bond that death can never take away'. Paying tribute to his daughters as his joy and strength and 'the beautiful light that filled our family with happiness and love', he added: 'Each of you was unique and precious in your own special way. Your smiles brightened dark days, your laughter brought comfort, and your presence made life more meaningful.'
Police have reviewed hundreds of hours of CCTV footage and made inquiries to businesses and properties around the beach area to try to track the women's last movements, the force said. Anyone with information is asked to come forward, particularly anyone who saw the sisters around the Madeira Drive area between 10pm on May 12 and 5.30am May 13. Chief Superintendent Adam Hays has said the force 'will leave no stone unturned' in the investigation to understand what led to the 'tragic events of that Wednesday morning'.
