The skeletal remains of a couple shot and buried under their back lawn were lying one on top of the other in a makeshift grave, a jury heard.
A forensic archaeologist excavated the bodies of William and Patricia Wycherley from their garden in Blenheim Close, Forest Town, on October 10 last year.
Jurors heard on Friday, June 6, at the trial of the couple's daughter Susan Edwards, 55, and her husband, Christopher Edwards, 57, how the remains of the Wycherleys were only discovered 15 years after their killing.
Mrs Wycherley was left in the 90cm by 110cm grave first, followed by her husband, Nottingham Crown Court heard.
A bullet was recovered from the bedding enveloping her body and a second was embedded in her spine, a round prosecutors have said was likely to have struck her heart.
Mr Wycherley had two bullets in the duvet he was inside, the court heard.
Four .38 calibre semi-wadcutter revolver bullets were found and consistent with being fired from the same gun, a .38 calibre revolver.
The Wycherleys were shot twice in the upper body as they faced the person with the gun.
They lay undiscovered in the garden until police were contacted by Mr Edwards' step-mother.
She told them her step-son had revealed he was responsible for helping his wife bury her parents.
By now the Edwards were in France, a country prosecutors say they fled to when they received a letter from the authorities saying they wanted to interview Mr Wycherley as he was approaching his 100th birthday.
The call to the step-mother was made when the couple, who owed in excess of £160,000 to their creditors, ran out of money.
Prosecutors allege the Wycherleys were murdered over the May Day Bank Holiday weekend of 1998 and money cleaned out of their accounts.
In all likelihood the shots were fired by Mr Edwards, but it was allegedly a joint plan between husband and wife.
The couple sold the Wycherley's home after the killing and spent their cash, prosecutors claim, then pretended they were still alive.
They even responded to official letters and inquiries claiming to be them.
Both deny murder.
The trial continues.For all the latest news on the Wycherley trial, click here
