Disturbing bodycam footage from the police shows a woman calmly confessing to the murders of her parents, whose bodies she hid while continuing to live with them for four years.
Virginia McCullough, 36, poisoned her father, John McCullough, 70, using prescription drugs, and brutally beat and stabbed her mother, Lois McCullough, 71. She concealed her father’s body in a makeshift "mausoleum" constructed from masonry blocks in his room, which was covered with blankets, pictures, and paintings. Her mother’s body was wrapped in a sleeping bag and hidden in a wardrobe.
McCullough was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum of 36 years. Mr. Justice Johnson, in his sentencing remarks, noted McCullough's significant premeditation, highlighting how she used her father as a "guinea pig" by drugging his drink two days before committing the murders.
"You robbed your parents of dignity in death by hiding their bodies," the judge said. "You valued money more than humanity. Your parents should have felt safe in their home, with their own daughter."
McCullough committed the murders between 17 and 20 June 2019, then continued living in their Great Baddow, Essex, home, deceiving relatives and doctors about their whereabouts. She told lies, claiming her parents were ill, on holiday, or away on extended trips.
The truth was uncovered on 15 September 2023, when Essex Police forced entry into the home after the couple's GPs raised concerns over missed medical appointments. McCullough confessed shortly afterward.
Prosecutor Lisa Wilding KC explained that McCullough had been contemplating the murders since March 2019. She added that McCullough had not worked for several years and was engaged in online gambling, spending over £21,000 between June 2018 and September 2023.
Source: The Metro News
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Outlook India
