A British man found dead along with his wife in a remote area of their home in rural France was seen ‘arguing violently’ on the phone just hours before his death.
Retired financial investigator Andrew Searle, 65, and Dawn, 56, who only married two years ago were found last Thursday by a horrified friend who was worried he hadn’t seen them out with their dogs.
Mrs Searle’s son is Scottish actor Callum Kerr, known for his role as PC George Kiss in the soap Hollyoaks between 2020 and 2021.
A neighbour who lives close the house in Les Pesquies, two hours north of Toulouse, described how she saw the couple the day before they died and said: ‘The whole village is shocked by what happened. No-one can believe it.
‘They were such a friendly couple and had a barbeque every year at the end of the summer and everyone was invited.
‘I saw them the day before they were found, they were walking the dogs and Andrew was on the phone.
‘He was very agitated, and he was arguing violently in English, he just waved at me and then carried on. I don’t know, maybe it’s relevant but I can’t see burglary as a motive.’
It comes as a shocking new theory is being considered, with police saying they are also looking into whether the couple’s deaths were a murder-suicide.
Prosecutor Nicolas Rigot-Muller said both had died a ‘violent death’ and added: ‘All leads remain under serious consideration,’ and when asked if murder-suicide was a possibility he said: ‘It’s being considered.’
Andrew and Dawn Searle, who were in their 60s, were found dead Thursday afternoon
Andrew Searle is said to have moved his family to France a decade ago after working as a financial investigator in the ‘fight against organised crime and terrorism’
The Scottish actor known for his role as PC George Kiss (pictured) in Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks between 2020 and 2021
In another worrying development close friend Odile Marian, who lives just five minutes away from the scene said Mr Searle had also been irate just hours before he died after ‘finding the door of his garage open’.
Mme Marian said the idea of a ‘family drama’ was out of the question as they had been ‘planning events and dog walks’ for the coming weeks with her.
She added:’I know that someone had opened the door of his garage was opened, he was trying to find out who it was, maybe it was him, I don’t know maybe it’s connected?
‘I just know he was very angry and irate that it was open but it may have been him who left it open, we just don’t know.
‘I’ve spoken to Andrew’s son Tom who lives in India and he is supposed to be coming over with his sister Ella who lives in Portugal.
‘Dawn’s son lives in the United States is supposed to be coming and so is her daughter who lives in Scotland.’
Mme Marian also gave new details on how Dawn had been found ‘in her pyjamas’ outside the house by a neighbour and she had a ‘head injury’.
She added:’ Her jewellery was scattered around her and the man who found them called police and they arrived and found Andrew inside.’
French media have reported Mr Searle, a former counter-fraud specialist was found inside hanging from a banister with a gag in his mouth, but local officials have refused to confirm this.
But a local whose friend was a firefighter said:’ He went in and he said it was a horrific scene, it really upset him.’
The house where the couple were discovered on Thursday afternoon in Les Pesquiès, south of Villefranche-de-Rouergue
There has been speculation the couple could have been murdered by ‘British criminals’ as he was a counter fraud specialist but there is no confirmation from French investigators on this.
The couple had moved to the hamlet of Les Pesquies two hours north of Toulouse ten years ago and on Saturday Mrs Searle’s son Hollyoaks and Netflix star Callum Kerr issued a statement on the grief-stricken family’s behalf.
He said: ‘At this time, Callum Kerr and Amanda Kerr are grieving the loss of their mother, Dawn Searle (nee Kerr) , while Tom Searle and Ella Searle are mourning the loss of their father, Andrew Searle.’
Callum – who lives in Nashville, Tennessee. ended the brief statement, which he posted on his Instagram by asking for the family’s privacy to be respected during this ‘difficult time’.
Family members are expected to travel to the village in the next few days as police and prosecutors continue their investigation into the shocking double deaths – with prosecutors and police ‘keeping an open mind’.
A specialist pathologist flew in by helicopter for the initial investigation and reportedly ruled out finding any gunshot and knife wounds.
Pictured is the house where Dawn and Andrew Searle were found dead on Thursday
Police have turned the couple’s property into an extensive crime scene
Villefranche-de-Rouergue is in the Aveyron department – the French version of a county. It is full of British expat, and holiday home owners from the UK
At the scene on Saturday a cordon was removed in the early afternoon and a yellow and red crime scene tape was placed over the gates at the entrance to the house but there appeared to be no other police activity.
Later a man who identified himself as a police officer arrived and used a key to open the mailbox at the house and went through the letters saying only: ‘If you want any information speak to headquarters’.
Mr Searle, a former counter-fraud specialist retired to France in 2015 with his wife after working in the financial crime assurance arm of Barclays Bank in Edinburgh and family friends flew in from Scotland where they originally lived for the wedding.
They had rented out a two-bedroom property that was separate to their main house for several years but financial records show that the firm had ceased trading at the end of 2024.
