“The curtains were always drawn, and you couldn't see if anyone was home,” says Phil Sargeant. BBC.
For 20 years he lived next door to couple John and Lois McCullough in Chelmsford, north-east London.
John (70 years old) was a retired university lecturer, and was described as a hardworking man who practiced hobbies such as golf and exercise. Snooker.
He was known in the family for his jokes, while his wife, Lois (71), is described as kind, understanding and full of care. She loved history and was a supporter of the royal family, according to the BBC LBC.
They had five daughters, and the youngest – Virginia – lived with them in the three-story house.
Virginia allegedly told her parents that she worked as a web designer, but in reality she was unemployed and only pretended to go to the office.
But on the surface, everything seemed normal for the family in the quiet residential area.
But since the summer of 2019, strange things have begun to happen.
Sent birthday cards
The couple could no longer be seen on the street, and neighbors heard from their daughter that they had moved to the coast.
Others were told they were on vacation, or when doctors or family members tried to contact them, they told them they were sick.
Other girls can receive text messages from their mother's phone about everyday things. Other relatives must have noticed that Virginia McCullough pretended to be her mother on the phone, as was shown during the trial.
The daughter is also said to have sent birthday cards and gifts in her mother's name. In court, it was also revealed that she had also pretended to be her mother in contact with the police and the GP.
– There is no doubt that the coronavirus restrictions were a stroke of luck for the defendant as she continued to deceive her parents were still alive, prosecutor Lisa Wilding said during court proceedings.
At the GP's office, they noticed that appointments were constantly being made for the couple, but each time they were cancelled.
Finally, the receptionist became so suspicious that the alarm was raised.
“At least I caught the villain.”
On September 15 last year – just over two weeks after the GP's office reported the issue – police stormed the terraced house.
They wear body cameras that film everything that happens.
Inside the house, they meet Virginia McCullough, and when the police ask if there is anything in the house they should know, she answers in a calm voice:
– yes it is. Should I show you?
Then you say:
– She says my father's body is there.
– What about your mother, the police officer asks.
– It's a little more complicated.
The daughter tells in detail how she killed her parents. The father died of poisoning, while the mother was beaten with a hammer and stabbed to death.
Then you say to the police officer:
– Even with the mood. At least I caught the villain.
Virginia is very dangerous
On Friday of this week, Virginia McCullough was sentenced to life in prison, meaning she must serve at least 36 years before she can be considered for parole.
She admitted to committing both murders as well as defrauding her dead parents.
In court, the amount was calculated at approximately 700 thousand Norwegian kroner, as a result of raising their pensions, using credit cards and selling assets.
She is said to have spent large sums of money on online gambling between 2019 and 2023.
Virginia McCullough killed her parents in cold blood. Her actions were deliberate, precise and carried out in such a way that she could hide what she did for as long as possible, says Detective Inspector Rob Kirby, according to a news release from Essex Police.
McCullough lied about almost every aspect of her life, maintained a facade to deceive everyone close to her, and clearly took advantage of her parents' good will, Kirby says and continues:
– She is a clever manipulator who chose to kill her parents without consideration, without thinking for them or those who are still suffering as a result of their loss.
Virginia's mother's brother, Richard Butcher, asked the judge in court to never release his niece:
Virginia is very dangerous. She spread a lot of lies to cover up her bad deeds. Her ability to kill her parents undermines my faith in humanity.
-Virginia used our hope of seeing Lewis and John to manipulate us. He said: I have been manipulated over the years into believing that my sister is alive.
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