A woman from the United Kingdom pleaded guilty to murdering her parents and living in their home for several years after, as per a report in the Independent. Virginia McCullough, 36, entered a guilty plea to the murders of Lois McCullough, aged 71, and John McCullough, aged 70, between June 17 and June 20, 2019, during her appearance via prison video call at Chelmsford Crown Court on Thursday. She hid their bodies inside the house and kept residing at that location.
The woman lied to the doctors and relatives that her parents were unwell, on holiday or on vacation to cover her tracks. Her actions came to light on September 15, 2023, when Essex police executed a warrant at the Pump Hill residence after her parents’ doctors expressed concerns about missing visits. At that point, the 36-year-old admitted to stabbing her mother and poisoning her father with prescription drugs, according to the cops.
McCullough confirmed her identity, entered guilty pleas to both counts and stated that she understood the judge’s remarks. She will be sentenced on October 10 and 11.
As per the outlet, Judge Christopher Morgan said, “You will understand that there is a single sentence that can be passed upon you in these circumstances. Consideration however has to be given to the minimum term.”
Meanwhile, people living around the neighbourhood described the woman as “quite chatty” and a “little bit odd”, according to The Guardian. Dave Oldershaw, a neighbour, said McCullough was “carrying on, going up to the Chinese (takeaway) like nothing has happened”. He “thought she lived on her own” at the house and stated that he “only knew her to say hello to – she wasn’t trouble.”
A worker at a nearby shop said the woman had told him her parents had moved to be by the seaside. He said he had not seen them since the Covid-19 pandemic but would previously “see them two or three times per week”.
According to the employee, McCullough appeared “a little bit odd sometimes.” “She would come in and go ‘do you want a coffee’ then five minutes later, there would be a coffee sitting there,” the worker continued.
