Virginia McCullough Sentenced to Life With Minimum 36 Years for Killing Parents, Hiding Bodies for Four Years

Oct 11, 2024, 02:35 PM

On October 11, 2024, Virginia McCullough, a 36-year-old artist from Great Baddow, Essex, was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 36 years for the murders of her parents, John McCullough, 70, and Lois McCullough, 71. McCullough killed her father in 2019 by poisoning him with prescription medication and then stabbed her mother shortly afterward. She concealed their bodies within the family home for four years, with her father's body found in a 'homemade mausoleum' or 'makeshift tomb' in his bedroom, and her mother's body hidden in a wardrobe. McCullough continued to live in the house, deceiving others about her parents' whereabouts. She showed no reaction as she was sentenced at Chelmsford Crown Court. Essex Police released footage of her admitting to the killings during her arrest.