Detectives in France are investigating a new theory the shocking deaths of a Scottish mum and her husband could have been a murder-suicide.
The bodies of Dawn Searle, 56, and her husband Andrew, 62, were discovered on Thursday afternoon at their home in Les Pesquiès, near Toulouse in the south of France.
Police have said they are pursuing several lines of inquiry – including an emerging theory that it could have been a murder-suicide, the Mirror reports.
Other avenues being explored by investigators into the suspected homicide include whether the pair were tortured first before being killed, the victims of a burglary gone wrong or targeted by British organised crime. But asked tonight if the tragedy may have been a case of murder-suicide, Nicolas Rigot-Muller, regional prosecutor, said: “It’s being considered.”
An initial theory the killings were a burglary gone wrong gave way to a belief the deaths “were clearly a homicide”, according to sources in France. Some believe Andrew’s work as a financial investigator specialising in terrorism and crime could have made him a target of UK-based gangs.
We told earlier today how Dawn’s son, former Hollyoaks actor Callum Kerr, broke his silence over the tragedy with a statement describing the family’s grief. Dawn, originally from Musselburgh, East Lothian, retired and emigrated to France around a decade ago with her husband.
They had wed only 18 months ago.
Local reports say Andrew was found hanging with a gag in his mouth and may have been tortured before being killed. Dawn was discovered naked near the front door with a head injury, surrounded by scattered jewellery.
Investigators believe based on the way their bodies were discovered that the couple might have been trying to escape when they were killed by an intruder or intruders. Actor son Calum, 30, is best known for playing PC George Kiss in Hollyoaks between 2020 and 2021. He also recently starred in Virgin River on Netflix and is a country singer in the based in Nashville, Tennessee.
Calum walked his mother down the aisle when she married Andrew in September 2023. A statement on his social media pages on Saturday said: “At this time, Callum Kerr and Amanda Kerr are grieving the loss of their mother, Dawn Searle (née Smith, Kerr), while Tom Searle and Ella Searle are mourning the loss of their father, Andrew Searle.
“No family member is available for media interviews or comments. We kindly request that their privacy be respected during this difficult period. We will provide updates as appropriate. Thank you for your understanding.”
We previously told how the couple visited a farm to buy beef and made a chimney sweep booking before their deaths on Thursday. Neighbours said Dawn and Andrew were a popular couple who appeared to be “happy” and “normal” during their visit.
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