Woman jailed after murdering her parents and living with their bodies for four years
Emily Brown
Featured Image Credit: Essex Police/PA
A 36-year-old British woman has been sentenced after she murdered both of her parents and lived with their bodies for four years.
Virginia McCullough was sentenced today in Chelmsford, England today (October 11), following the 2019 deaths of her father John, 70, and her mother Lois, 71.
McCullough was found to have poisoned her father with prescription medication, before killing her mother by stabbing her in the chest.
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The deaths are known to have occurred some time in June 2019, though the exact dates have not been confirmed due to the amount of time their bodies went undiscovered.
It wasn't until 2023, after a doctor raised concerns about their missed appointments, that police went to John and Lois' home to investigate.
Officers confronted McCullough after they arrived at the home, at which point she told them: "Cheer up, at least you've caught the bad guy."
McCullough quickly confessed to having both of her parents bodies in the home, as well as pointing police towards the knife used to stab her mum.
When asked where her mom's body was, McCullough said: "Upstairs there are about five wardrobes, it's behind the bed at the back, next to the sink. It's the second one."
McCullough fed lies to friends and neighbours about her parents' whereabouts following their deaths, claiming they had moved away or gone on lengthy vacations.
Prosecutor Lisa Wilding KC shared the reality of the situation in court, describing how McCullough had 'built a makeshift tomb' for her father on the ground floor of the home, which was 'covered with multiple blankets, and a number of pictures and paintings over the top'.
To hide the body of her mom, McCullough was said to have wrapped her remains in a sleeping bag and put them in the closet.
After admitting to the murders McCullough was sentenced to life in prison, with a minimum of 36 years before she can be considered for parole.
Prosecutor Nicola Rice described the case as 'truly disturbing' in a statement cited by BBC News, saying: "McCullough callously and viciously killed both of her parents before concealing their bodies in makeshift tombs within their home address.
"She spent the next four years manipulating and lying to family members, medical staff, financial institutions, and the police, spending her parents' money and accruing large debts in their name.
"Working with the police we built a strong prosecution case to show the level of McCullough’s deceit both before and after the killings."
Detective Superintendent Rob Kirby said McCullough was an 'intelligent manipulator who chose to kill her parents callously, without a thought for them or those who continue to suffer as a result of their loss'.