Woman jailed for murdering her parents – after living at family home in Essex with their hidden bodies for years

A woman has been jailed after murdering both her parents and living with their bodies in the family home for four years.

Virginia McCullough, 36, poisoned her father John, 70, with prescription medication, before stabbing her mother Lois, 71, in the chest at their home in Chelmsford, Essex.

Their deaths happened sometime in June 2019 – but their bodies were not discovered until 2023 after their GP raised concerns about missed appointments.

In that time McCullough had hidden their remains and continued to live there, building a “makeshift tomb” for her father – while telling friends and neighbours that they had moved away, were unwell, or had gone on lengthy trips.

She was sentenced to a life term, with a minimum of 36 years, after pleading guilty to two counts of murder at Chelmsford Crown Court in July.

‘Cheer up, at least you caught the bad guy’

The 36-year-old confessed “moments after” police were called to the family home – following the report from the GP.

Bodycam footage of the arrest showed police forcing entry to the property before confronting McCullough in a hallway.

She calmly told officers she would “co-operate” before they went to another part of the house, where she said, “my dad’s body is in there”.

An officer then asked: “What about your mum?”

McCullough calmly replied: “[That’s] a little bit more complicated… upstairs there are about five wardrobes, it’s behind the bed at the back, next to the sink. It’s the second one.”

In reference to the arrest, she told officers: “I did know that this would kind of come eventually. It’s proper that I serve my punishment.”

She added: “Cheer up, at least you caught the bad guy.”

McCullough later told officers where the murder weapon was.

Apparently referencing the knife she used to stab her mum, she said: “It’s in the middle underneath the stairs, it will still have blood on it, it’s rusted, but it will still have blood traces on it.”

‘Homemade mausoleum’

Prosecutor Lisa Wilding KC told the court that McCullough “built a makeshift tomb” for her father, which was “covered with multiple blankets, and a number of pictures and paintings over the top”.

It was also described in court as a “homemade mausoleum”, and was in a ground floor room which had been her father’s bedroom and study, “composed with masonry blocks stacked together”.

McCullough “concealed the body of her mother, wrapped in a sleeping bag, within a wardrobe in her mother’s bedroom on the top floor of the property,” the barrister said.

McCullough was remanded in custody until she appeared in court earlier this year.

Locals in the area had described her as “chatty” but a “little bit odd”.

Detective Inspector Lydia George, of Essex Police, said after her guilty pleas it had been a “hugely complex investigation“.

“Officers were met with an incredibly challenging scene and worked at the address over the course of several days to carry out forensic enquiries,” she said.

“Virginia’s actions have had a significant and emotional impact on the family group and our thoughts today are first and foremost with them.”

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