Daughter accused of killing her elderly parents in Chelmsford

Daughter accused of killing her elderly parents in Chelmsford

A 35-year-old woman has appeared in court charged with the murder of her parents, who were both in their 70s.

Virginia McCullough is alleged to have killed John and Lois McCullough sometime between August 2018 and September 2023 in their home in Chelmsford, Essex. She was arrested on Saturday after the police discovered the bodies of the couple during a welfare check.

The court hearing

McCullough was brought before Chelmsford magistrates court on Monday, where she faced two counts of murder. She did not enter any pleas and spoke only to confirm her name, date of birth, and address. She was wearing a grey tracksuit and was escorted by a custody officer in the secure dock.

The hearing lasted for only two minutes and no details of the case were revealed in court. The magistrates remanded McCullough in custody and ordered her to appear at Chelmsford crown court on Wednesday.

The police investigation

The police launched a murder investigation after finding the bodies of John and Lois McCullough at their house in Chelmsford on Saturday morning. The police had been called to the property by a concerned relative who had not heard from the couple for a long time. The police said that the couple had died from “multiple injuries” and that they had been dead for “some time”. They also said that they had arrested a woman, who is understood to be the couple’s daughter, on suspicion of murder.

The police said that they were not looking for anyone else in connection with the deaths and that they were treating it as an isolated incident. The police also appealed for anyone who had any information or who had seen or spoken to the couple in the last five years to contact them.

The background of the family

John and Lois McCullough were both retired and lived in a detached house in a quiet residential area of Chelmsford. They had two children, Virginia and James, who are both adults. Neighbors described the couple as “lovely” and “friendly” and said that they kept to themselves and rarely had visitors.

They also said that they had not seen the couple for a long time and that they did not know their daughter very well. According to some media reports, Virginia McCullough had been living with her parents until recently and had been suffering from mental health problems. She had also been involved in some legal disputes with her brother over their parents’ estate.