Investigation Into Deaths of Three Sisters Off Brighton Beach Concludes as Inquest Resumes Today
Jane, Christina and Rebecca pictured as children with their father Joseph in an old family photo. Credit: Sussex Police
Sussex Police has concluded its investigation into the deaths of three sisters whose bodies were recovered from the sea off Brighton beach in May, confirming there is no evidence of criminality or third-party involvement in their deaths.
Jane Adetoro, 36, Christina Walters, 32, and Rebecca Walters, 31, all from the Greenford area of west London, were pulled from the water near Black Rock, off Madeira Drive, in the early hours of Wednesday 13 May 2026. Emergency services were called at around 5:45am after a report of concern for people in the water.
What the investigation found
Detectives established that the three women were dropped off by taxi at Madeira Drive at 10.20pm the night before, on Tuesday 12 May. Sussex Police, supported by other forces, reviewed hundreds of hours of CCTV footage and made enquiries at businesses and properties around the beach to piece together their final movements.
A post-mortem examination has now confirmed all three women died by drowning. That settles a question that had been left open since late May, when an inquest first opened at Woodvale in Brighton and heard that the provisional cause of death for all three was "yet to be ascertained" pending further medical investigation. Sussex Police said their thorough investigation found no evidence of a crime being committed or involvement by a third party.
"Our investigation has been thorough. Our extensive enquiries intentionally considered concerns raised by black communities surrounding the deaths of black people in or near bodies of water, as we worked to understand who the three women were, and the factors that could have led to them being found on the beach that morning."
The deaths sparked a national outpouring of grief in May. ImJustBrighton shared the police appeal for witnesses on 20 May as the local community responded. A candlelit vigil organised by Women of Colour Brighton UK was held at Black Rock Beach on 24 May, where the sisters' father Joseph released a statement describing Jane, Christina and Rebecca as "unique and precious in her own way" (read ImJustBrighton's coverage of the vigil here).
What happens next
Now that the police investigation has concluded, the matter passes to His Majesty's Senior Coroner, who will hold a full inquest into the circumstances of the three women's deaths. The coroner adjourned the earlier hearing specifically to be resumed on 8 October, saying she hoped the fuller details would help "stop social media speculation" around the circumstances of their deaths.
Sussex Police thanked everyone who supported the investigation by coming forward with information, and said its thoughts remain with the family.
