Source: Credit: Sussex Police / Jane Adetoro, 36, Christina Walter, 32, and Rebecca Walter, 31, the three sisters whose bodies were found near a beach in Brighton.
According to a press release issued by Sussex Police on May 20, investigators in the UK have formally identified the three sisters whose bodies were recovered from the sea near Black Rock car park off Madeira Drive in Brighton. Following extensive enquiries, the women were named as 36-year-old Jane Adetoro, 32-year-old Christina Walters and 31-year-old Rebecca Walters. The sisters, all from the Uxbridge area of London, have been described by police as a close-knit family, with specialist officers now supporting their next of kin through the tragedy.
On May 13, emergency services were called to the beach near Black Rock car park off Madeira Drive at around 5:45 a.m., where the bodies of the three women were tragically recovered from the sea. Police said investigations into how the three women came to be in the water remain ongoing. At this stage, detectives have found no evidence of third-party involvement or criminality, although specialist investigators continue working to establish the full circumstances surrounding their deaths, the press released noted.
As part of the inquiry, officers have reviewed hundreds of hours of CCTV footage, carried out interviews at nearby homes and businesses, and worked closely with partners in Brighton and London in an effort to trace the sisters’ final movements. Sussex Police are continuing to appeal for anyone with information that could assist the investigation to come forward, particularly those who may have seen the sisters in the Madeira Drive area between 10 p.m. on May 12 and 5:30 a.m. on May 13.
Tragically, the three sisters whose bodies were recovered last Wednesday, lost their mother in a drowning incident over a decade ago.
The tragedy comes after the sisters experienced devastating loss earlier in life when their mother, who reportedly struggled with mental health problems, died in a drowning incident in 2010. According to the Times, the body of Janice Adetoro, 43, was recovered from Brookvale Lake in Erdington, Birmingham, a month after she disappeared from the family’s nearby home in January 2010. The Telegraphreported that she had left the house without medication, money or any personal belongings.
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“It traumatised the girls. They never recovered,” the sisters’ aunt, Ajike Johnson, told the Daily Mail during a joint interview with their stepmother, Genevieve Barnaby-Adetoro. “They’d been living in the Midlands with their mum, but then moved in with their dad and Genevieve in Uxbridge afterwards. They picked up the pieces,” Johnson said.
Family members said they do not know whether their mother’s death is connected to the tragic incident nor why or how the sisters travelled to the south coast. They said the family’s only previous connection to Brighton was a holiday taken there years ago.
Adetoro recently told The Times: “We are not speculating, but the girls were totally happy in the weeks and months before it happened and it was totally unexpected.”
She described the sisters as “the closest sisters and best friends who did everything together,” adding: “They were happy girls. They’d moved out of their dad’s house two years ago but would message at least twice a day.”
Chief Superintendent Adam Hays, Divisional Commander for Brighton and Hove, extended his condolences to the family and vowed to get to the bottom of the case.
“The thoughts of everyone at Sussex Police are with the family of Jane, Christina and Rebecca following this devastating loss,” he said in a statement. “I know this incident has had a profound impact on the local community in Brighton, and across the country and I’d like to reassure the public we will leave no stone unturned in our investigation to understand exactly what led to the tragic events of that Wednesday morning,” he added. “This investigation will continue in earnest, with Jane, Christina and Rebecca’s family at its centre. I would ask that they are given the privacy to come to terms with this terrible tragedy.”
Their father wrote a heartbreaking tribute.
In a tribute shared along with Wednesday’s press release from the Sussex Police, Joseph said he was filled with “sorrow” after losing his daughters “tragically far too soon.”
He continued, “No words can truly describe the pain of losing three daughters in the prime of their lives. Jane, Christina, and Becky were more than daughters to me; they were my joy, my strength, and the beautiful light that filled our family with happiness and love. 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. Though your time on earth was short, the impact you made will remain in our hearts forever.”
Later on, Joseph paid tribute to each of his daughters individually, saying Jane’s “strength and loving spirit will never be forgotten.” Paying tribute to Christina and Becky he noted, “Christina your kindness and beautiful heart touched so many lives. Becky, your warmth and joyful soul brought happiness wherever you went. You were deeply loved, and you will always be deeply missed.”
He continued, “The tragedy of losing all three of you has left an emptiness that words cannot heal. There are days when the grief feels unbearable, yet I hold tightly to the memories we shared — the laughter, the conversations, the love, and the bond that death can never take away.”
The grieving father added, “Though you are no longer here beside us, your spirits live on in our hearts every day. Love like yours never dies. You will forever remain a part of our lives, our prayers, and our memories. Rest peacefully, my precious daughters — Jane, Christina, and Becky. You may be gone from our sight, but never from our hearts. Forever loved. Forever missed. Forever remembered.”
