What drove a woman to murder her parents then create a makeshift tomb in their home?

A woman was sentenced to life imprisonment on Oct. 11 for murdering her parents in 2019 and living with their bodies for four years while deceiving family and friends about their whereabouts.

Virginia McCullough, 36, will serve a minimum of 36 years before becoming eligible for parole. According to Essex Police, she pleaded guilty to two counts of murder at Chelmsford Crown Court in June.

Authorities said McCullough poisoned her parents, John McCullough, 70, and Lois McCullough, 71, with prescription medication in their home in Great Baddow, Essex, in June 2019. While John died from the poisoning, Lois was additionally attacked with a hammer and fatally stabbed.

Prosecutor Lisa Wilding told the court that Virginia created a “makeshift tomb” for her father, a university lecturer, keeping his body in the bedroom covered with blankets and pictures, The Guardian reported. Lois’s body was wrapped in a sleeping bag and concealed in an upstairs bedroom wardrobe.

The murders remained undiscovered for four years as McCullough systematically misled family and friends about her parents’ whereabouts. Detective Superintendent Rob Kirby of Essex Police said McCullough “meticulously” concealed the murders in the “interest of self-preservation and personal gain.”

“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’ good will,” Kirby said. “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 deception began to unravel in September 2023 when the Essex County Council’s safeguarding team contacted police after the couple’s doctor expressed concern about their well-being. The doctor noted that John had missed appointments and failed to collect his medication, and Virginia repeatedly canceled appointments using various excuses.

A neighbor, Phil Sargeant, told BBC that the house’s curtains were consistently drawn, making it impossible to see inside. He described Virginia as “quite pleasant” with a “dark sense of humor.”

Police said McCullough initially claimed her parents were traveling when questioned, stating they would return in October 2023. However, during a subsequent house search, she immediately confessed to the murders and revealed the location of the bodies.

Investigators discovered McCullough had accumulated substantial debt using credit cards in her parents’ names. Following their deaths, she continued to collect their pensions, according to police. BBC reported that McCullough claimed nearly $200,000 through pensions and credit cards, spending approximately $30,000 on online gambling.

“The documents uncovered at the address built a picture of a woman who was trying desperately to keep her parents from discovering the depth of the financial black hole she continued to dig, while giving them false assurances about her employment and future prospects,” Essex Police stated.

Throughout the four-year period, McCullough worked to prevent family and friends from visiting the property. She fabricated stories about her parents being unwell, on vacation, or away on extended trips, police said. These persistent lies helped her maintain the deception while she continued to exploit her deceased parents’ financial resources.

According to police reports, McCullough went to “substantial lengths” to conceal the bodies and maintain the illusion of her parents’ continued existence. She regularly canceled family arrangements and gave various explanations for her parents’ absence from social gatherings and medical appointments.

The victims’ family shared their grief through a police-released statement following the sentencing. “We have been left devastated and heartbroken at the deaths of our parents who were taken from us so cruelly.”

“Dad enjoyed lots of hobbies, with particular favorites being golf and snooker,” the statement read. “As we think of Dad, we remember the numerous jokes he used to tell us and the laughs he gave us. Our Mum was kind, caring, and thoughtful. Mum delighted in her grandchildren.”

“As we try to move forward with our lives, we will remember the happy times we enjoyed with them,” the family statement concluded.