‘She is an intelligent manipulator’: What happened to Virginia McCullough, the British woman who killed her parents and lived with the bodies for 4 years?

“Cheer up, at least you’ve caught the bad guy.” Those were the words said by 36-year-old Virginia McCullough as police officers arrested her in 2023 for the murders of her parents, 70-year-old John and 71-year-old Lois. Details of the horrifying crime were released soon after, and it turned out the couple had been deceased for four years before their daughter was arrested.

John and Lois lived with their daughter in Pump Hill, Great Baddow in the city of Chelmsford in Essex County, U.K. In 2023, the couple’s GP raised concern to authorities, as both John and Lois had not been seen for quite some time. The GP’s office received calls from Virginia to cancel her parents’ appointments with the doctor. It wasn’t suspicious at that time, as it was during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and a lockdown had been enforced. Years passed, however, and the couple was still nowhere to be found.

Alan Thomson, who had rented out a television to the elderly couple, also received a call from Virginia to cancel the rental. When Thomson picked up the unit, it was already sitting by the front door of the couple’s home. Friends and relatives who attempted to contact John and Lois were told that they had retired to a different location in Essex, had gone on vacation, or were feeling unwell.

What happened to John and Lois McCullough?

Police officers raided the McCullough home in Sept. 2023, and they found Virginia in the hallway. She knew she had been caught and confessed to her crimes. “I did know that this would kind of come eventually. It’s proper that I serve my punishment,” she told authorities. While in custody, Virginia provided the details of the horrific crime.

The murders of John and Lois took place in June 2019, but Virginia had been plotting it all since March. Based on the autopsy reports, the couple had been poisoned with prescription drugs, and John died as a result. Lois, however, survived but was later hit with a hammer and fatally stabbed. Virginia placed the dead bodies in sleeping bags. John was placed in a makeshift tomb, while Lois was found in a wardrobe that was sealed off with tape.  

Those who knew the McCullough family were shocked to learn what Virginia did to her parents. One of their neighbors, Phil Sargeant, described Virginia as having a dark sense of humor but was seen as funny and pleasant. It was difficult to fathom how she could have killed her parents and lived with their dead bodies for years.

Why did Virginia McCullough kill her parents?

The investigation revealed that Virginia took advantage of her parents. She had been out of work for a while and was largely in debt. This continued even after the murders. Per the documents found at the home, she continued using her parents’ credit cards and even used their pension, spending more than $200,000. A part of that was spent on online gambling. Detective Rob Kirby said, “She is an intelligent manipulator who chose to kill her parents callously.”

Virginia was charged with two counts of murder and pleaded guilty to the crimes. During the sentencing, the judge said Virginia’s motive for killing her parents was to prevent them “from discovering you had been stealing from them and lying to them and to take money that was intended for them.” She was sentenced to life in prison with a possibility of parole after 36 years.