The bodies of Andrew and and Dawn Searle, who were both in their 60s, were found at their home in Les Pesquiès, south of Villefranche-de-Rouergue, on Thursday afternoon
A British couple found dead in rural France might have been tortured in their home before being killed, it has been suggested.
The bodies of Andrew and and Dawn Searle, who were both in their 60s, were found at their home in Les Pesquiès, south of Villefranche-de-Rouergue, on Thursday afternoon. Police are carrying out investigations to establish what happened to the pair, with unsettling theories emerging.
One of them, based on how their bodies were discovered, is that they may have been tortured before their death. Investigators working the case have also questioned whether the couple were targets of a “burglary gone wrong” after being pursued by Brit criminals.
On Friday, investigators revealed the disturbing circumstances in which Mr Searle’s body was found – hanged inside the house with a gag in his mouth. There was no gun or knife nearby, suggesting he may have suffered a horrifying death by torture, French police said.
His wife Dawn was found nearby, naked and with a wound to the head. Her body was lying by the front door, just in front of the house, with jewellery scattered around her. It is believed that the way their bodies were discovered suggest the victims may have been trying to escape when killed by an unidentified intruder or intruders.
A source close to the investigation revealed the macabre details to French publication La Dépêche, saying: “The wife’s body was first discovered, completely naked, in front of the door of the house. Around the unfortunate woman, jewellery was found scattered, testifying to a great disorder. In the house, the husband’s body was discovered hanging with a gag stuck in his mouth.”
It has now emerged that Mrs Searle was the mum of former Hollyoaks star Callum Kerr, who starred in the Channel 4 soap between 2020 and 2021. The actor, who also starred on Netflix’s Virgin River, has not spoken publicly about the deaths. The 30-year-old is also a country singer who is based in Nashville, Tennessee, and walked his mum down the aisle when she married Mr Searle in September 2023.
Meanwhile, neighbours of the British couple said they looked “normal” and “happy” as they visited a farm to buy beef and made a chimney sweep booking. One local, who owns a farm 200 yards from the couple’s home, told how the pair visited at around midday on Wednesday and purchased some meat.
She said: “They both came and just looked normal. We talked about ordinary things. We’re farmers and they came to order meat. We’ve already told the police everything.”
About four hours later, Dawn visited a local business that maintains fireplaces to make appointments on behalf of residents in her community. Its owner, Sylvie, who also lives in the hamlet, said: “We saw Dawn on Wednesday. She popped into my shop in the afternoon when my daughter was there. We do maintenance for wooden stoves and chimneys. She came to book many appointments for English friends of hers.”
A local says he saw Mr Searle rowing on the phone a day before the tragedy. The man, who did not want to be named, told how Mr Searle and his wife Dawn were walking on a lane in the hamlet of Les Pesquies when he overheard the heated call. He told us: “He [Andrew] kept saying mon pere mon pere.”
Officials initially believed the pair were killed in a burglary gone wrong but they have since said their “deaths were clearly a homicide.” One line of inquiry is the couple could have been murdered by criminals from the UK because Mr Searle was a financial investigator specialising in crime and terrorism.
