Daughter who murdered parents then lived with corpses for four years while spending their money - is jailed for life

Virginia McCullough killed her parents then lived alongside their bodies for four years while she spent their money

An "intelligent manipulator" who lived alongside her deceased parents' bodies for four years while spending their cash has been handed a life sentence with a minimum of 36 years behind bars.

Virginia McCullough was found guilty of poisoning her father, John McCullough, aged 70, with prescription drugs mixed into his alcoholic beverages in June 2019.

The following day, she brutally attacked her mother, Lois McCullough, aged 71, with a hammer and delivered a fatal stab wound. Chelmsford Crown Court was told how the 36 year old concealed their corpses within makeshift graves at their Great Baddow home in Essex and spun a web of deceit to hide her actions.

She racked up substantial debts on her parents' credit cards and continued to use their pensions after their demise. The court heard that she cancelled family events and repeatedly informed doctors and relatives that her parents were either sick, on vacation, or away on extended trips.

However, suspicions about Mr and Mrs McCullough's well-being were raised in September 2023 by a GP from their registered medical practice, leading Essex County Council’s safeguarding team to alert the police. The GP expressed concern over not having seen the couple for an extended period and noted Mr McCullough's failure to pick up his medication or attend scheduled appointments.

Investigations revealed that McCullough had often cancelled these appointments, offering various excuses for her father's non-attendance.

Police launched a missing persons investigation after Fiona McCullough lied to them, claiming her parents were away and planned to return in October. The case escalated into a murder inquiry and upon entering the home on Pump Hill on 15 September 2023, McCullough admitted that her parents' remains were inside and confessed to the murders.

She had previously entered a guilty plea at Chelmsford Crown Court for the murder of her parents between 17 and 20 June 2019 and received her sentence on Friday.

In body-cam footage from the police, a restrained McCullough said to the officers: "I did know that this would kind of come eventually."

She expressed it was just that she faces her punishment, confessing to drugging her father's drink and concealing his body under a bed downstairs, and hiding her mother in a wardrobe upstairs.

Fiona McCullough, who was arrested on suspicion of double murder, attempted to console an officer with the words: "Cheer up, at least you’ve caught the bad guy."

She also mentioned: "I know I don’t seem 100% evil."

At the station, McCullough directed the police to a kitchen knife, which she referred to as a "murder weapon", and a hammer that she warned "will still have blood on it".

Essex Police uncovered documents at the scene that painted a picture of a woman desperately trying to hide her financial troubles from her parents, while misleading them with false assurances about her job and future.

Detective Superintendent Rob Kirby, of Essex Police, said: “Virginia McCullough murdered her parents in cold blood. Her actions were considered, meticulous and carried out in such a way as to conceal what she had done for as long as possible.

“These were the actions of someone who had taken time to plan and carry out the murder of her parents in the interest of self-preservation and personal gain, before living within metres of the bodies of her two victims for a number of years.

“Throughout the course of our investigation, we have built a picture of the vast levels of deceit, betrayal and fraud she engaged in. It was on a shocking and monumental scale.

“McCullough lied about almost every aspect of her life, maintaining a charade to deceive everyone close to her and clearly taking advantage of her parents’ goodwill. She is 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.

“The details of this case shock and horrify even the most experienced of murder detectives, let alone any right-thinking member of the public. It therefore follows that the wider family of John and Lois, understandably, could never have guessed or anticipated that McCullough would be capable of undertaking these murders before committing herself to this level of deceit.

“They have been left utterly devastated by the circumstances of this case and they continue to feel the loss of John and Lois each and every day This process, from the finding of John and Lois’ remains, to the unravelling of McCullough’s web of lies, has taken a huge toll on the wider family network.

“With this sentence and with all that we have uncovered throughout our investigation, we hope they can now start to find a way forward with their lives.”

Nicola Rice, a specialist prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), said: “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.”

She added: “This was a truly disturbing case, which has left behind it a trail of devastation, and I can only hope that the sentence passed today will help those who loved and cared for Lois and John begin to heal.”

Join our Court & Crime WhatsApp community

Join our Court and Crime WhatsApp community for all the latest court and crime news sent direct to your phone.

In this private group, you can expect the day's top court and crime stories, including breaking news and live blogs

To join you need to have WhatsApp on your device. All you need to do is click on the link and press 'join community'.

No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the ChronicleLive team.

We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, affiliate content, and adverts from us and our partners.

If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.

If you’re curious, you can read our privacy notice.

CLICK HERE TO JOIN