The McCullough Murders

On 15 September 2023, armed police forced their way into a house in the Essex village of Great Baddow. Inside, Virginia McCullough calmly told officers she was a double murderer, and showed them where to find her parents' bodies. She had kept them both hidden for more than four years. In this episode, forensic psychologist Kerry Daynes examines how a full-time carer stole from, deceived and killed the elderly parents who depended on her. She also explains how the killer then managed to keep up the pretence that her victims were still alive. In this episode The police raid and the extraordinary bodycam footage of McCullough's arrest and confession Life in a close-knit village, and how Virginia appeared to those around her How she gained control of her parents' finances, and where the money went The fake texts and phone calls to her sisters, and the phone records that exposed them The GP surgery staff whose "professional curiosity" led to a welfare check The planning and events of June 2019 How she hid the bodies and carried on as normal The court case, the judge's sentencing remarks, and the life sentence with a minimum term of 36 years Kerry's psychological insights Why McCullough seemed so calm and matter-of-fact when police arrived, and what lay behind her closing remark to the officers How lies, debt and an out-of-control gambling addiction can trap someone Why Kerry sees this story as one of domestic abuse: financial abuse, gaslighting and, finally, lethal violence Why McCullough's claim that she felt "trapped" by caring for her parents doesn't hold up Featuring Kerry Daynes, forensic psychologist and presenter Graham Bartlett, crime author and former Detective Superintendent Matt Lee, journalist, Essex Live Debbie Pollard and Rachel Murray, who ran the village flower shop Content note: This episode deals with murder, financial and domestic abuse of elderly people, and addiction. Listener discretion is advised. OFFERS FROM OUR PARTNERS Can YOU tell when someone is lying? Dr Cliff Lansley can. He's the world-renowned expert behind the Six Channels Analysis System (SCAnS), a model Kerry uses when studying criminal behaviour. His team at EmotionIntell has created SCAnS Online, a course that teaches the skills of human behaviour analysis. It features real-world case studies and tutoring from Cliff, and you can complete it at home at your own pace. Listeners get 10% off the normal price at emotionintell.com/theprofiler. Enter the discount code theprofiler. Go deeper with Audible If you enjoy exploring the psychology behind these cases, Audible has a huge selection of true crime books, including a couple of Kerry's own. Sign up for a free 30-day trial at theprofiler.co.uk/audible and help support the podcast in the process. Stay in touch Website and weekly email: theprofiler.co.uk Follow Kerry Daynes on all social media platforms, or via her Substack, which has articles to go with nearly every Profiler episode If you enjoy the show, please follow or subscribe, leave a five-star rating or review, and share it with fellow true crime fans The Profiler with Kerry Daynes is a Shearwater Media and Heromedia production. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.