Three sisters who drowned at Brighton Beach had visited the lake where their mother died just two days before the tragedy.
Jane Adetoro, 36, Christina Walters, 32, and Rebecca Walters, 31, were found dead in the early hours of May 13—16 years after their mother also drowned.
The circumstances surrounding the sisters’ deaths remain unclear, but their cousin Natalie Walters-Daniel, 33, believes their return to the lake where their mother died may have held a “deeper meaning”.
Speaking to the Sunday Times, she said the sisters—who were 20, 16 and 15 when their mother, Janice Adetoro, died—had never truly recovered from the loss.
Janice drowned near the family’s home in Birmingham in 2010.
Ms Walters-Daniel said: “To lose their mum at the ages they were, it was during those crucial stages of growing up and becoming young women.
“Those were the years when a mother’s presence, guidance, reassurance and love should have been there, but they didn’t receive that.
“For them to return to Birmingham, spend that time at the lake and see their mother, I think there is definitely a connection there.”
Janice had been living with one of her daughters and was last seen by her before she disappeared, prompting her distressed family to issue an appeal for information.
The sisters with their father, Joseph. He has been “catatonic” since learning what happened to his daughters
In 2010, their mother Janice Adetoro, who had separated from their father and experienced mental health problems, walked into a park lake
She had been suffering from stress-related mental health issues and did not have any medication with her when she disappeared.
Her brother Lincoln said at the time: “The girls are so upset and can’t stop thinking about you. For their sake, we need you to make contact.”
Janice disappeared in January 2010, before her body was found in early February.
An inquest heard that she had gone to a police station earlier that year displaying “paranoid delusions”.
The sisters later moved back to London, where neighbours described them as extremely private and unsociable. Their food shopping was delivered once a week.
Jane was a senior accountant, Christina worked as a junior accountant and Rebecca was an HR administrator.
Sussex Police have now concluded their investigation into the sisters’ deaths, saying officers found no evidence of a crime or third-party involvement.
MORE STORY: Driver Allegedly Drives Onto Sidewalk Near White House, Police Say
Ms Walters-Daniel said: “We are not going to get the full answers to this.”
She said an inquest scheduled for next month could provide some insight into the tragedy.
Their father Joseph previously spoke of his devastation at losing all three of his daughters, saying ‘no words can truly describe the pain’ in a heartbreaking tribute reported by the BBC.
‘You were more than my daughters: you were my joy, my strength and the beautiful light that filled my life with love,’ he wrote in the order of service.
‘There are moments when it feels unbearable, but I hold tightly to the memories we shared, the love we knew and the bond that nothing can ever take away.
Flowers and messages left at the scene in Brighton
‘Jane, I will never forget your strength. Tina, your kindness touched so many lives. Becky, your warmth and joyful spirit brought happiness wherever you went.’
Joseph’s wife Genevieve Barnaby described the sisters as ‘the most beautiful girls [who] didn’t give us no trouble’.
Paying tribute to her stepchildren, she wrote: ‘Our hearts are broken. The pain is indescribable.’
Their cousin told mourners at the funeral that their ‘lives will never be forgotten’ and their ‘memory will live on forever’.
A GoFundMe page launched by their uncle has since raised more than £45,000 towards funeral costs.
The page reads: ‘No parent should ever have to bury their child, let alone all three.
‘While trying to process this unimaginable tragedy, my brother is now also faced with the heartbreaking task of arranging three funerals.
‘As a family, we simply want to give the girls the loving and dignified farewell they deserve.
‘We are humbly asking for any support you may be able to offer towards the funeral expenses.
‘Any contribution, no matter how small, will help ease the burden on the family during this incredibly difficult time.’