An inquest into the deaths of three sisters found in the sea off Brighton beach has heard that the cause of their deaths is still unclear. The bodies of Jane Adetoro, 36, Christina Walters, 32, and Rebecca Walters, 31, from Uxbridge, west London, were recovered from the water near Madeira Drive on 13 May.
At a hearing opened in Brighton on Friday, senior coroner Penelope Schofield was told that postmortem examinations had given a provisional cause of death as “yet to be ascertained”. Medical investigations are ongoing to finalise the cause of death for all three women, but Sussex Police have said they do not suspect foul play at this stage.
The sisters' father, Joseph Jacobson, attended the hearing online. The coroner offered her condolences, saying the loss of his daughters must be unbearable. In a statement released through Sussex police, Jacobson described his daughters as his “joy, my strength and the beautiful light that filled our family with happiness and love”, adding that their memories and “the bond that death can never take away” remain.
Specialist detectives are gathering the full facts and circumstances around their deaths. CCTV footage has been reviewed and inquiries made to businesses and properties near the beach to track the women's last movements. Chief Superintendent Adam Hays said the force “will leave no stone unturned” in investigating what led to the tragic events that Wednesday morning.
The coroner adjourned the inquest to be heard on 8 October, expressing hope that details from the hearing would stop social media speculation. A GoFundMe page set up for the women's funerals has raised nearly £44,000 from more than 2,000 donations.
