Dawn Searle, 56, was a much-loved mum and grandmother when she was brutally beaten to death in her own home. Investigators believe her own husband was responsible
According to friends around them, Andrew and Dawn Searle were living an idyllic rural life in Southern France. But behind closed doors, it appears to have been a different story.
The couple from East Lothian, Scotland, had moved to the picturesque hamlet of Les Pesquies, Toulouse a decade ago, relocating to a home with a swimming pool and a two bedroom flat to rent out. The popular pair quickly immersed themselves into the community, hosting an annual party for villagers and enjoying sociable dog walks with neighbours.
“They both loved the countryside and were very happily settled,” said one pal. “They were very proud of their house.”
READ MORE: Major update in tragic case of Brit couple found dead in horror scene at French home
Described as lovely, normal people by neighbours in Les Pesquies, the couple had both been married before when they walked down the aisle in France in 2023. Dawn’s son Callum, a former Hollyoaks star turned country musician, gave her away and wished the couple a “tremendous life together” on social media.
A recent grandmother thanks to Callum, the 56-year-old was mother to a daughter called Amanda too, while Andrew, 62, was father to Tom and Ella. When they relocated to France from Musselburgh, near Edinburgh, Dawn had continued her work as a project manager, while Andrew carried out freelance financial work.
One neighbour described a “very generous and united couple” who gave up their Sundays to teach their French neighbours to speak English for free. Another local businessman said they were the “perfect couple” who loved to get involved in social events in the community.
But on February 6 this year, neighbours grew concerned when the Searles didn’t show for their usual dog walk. One friend went round to their house to check on them and stumbled across a horror scene.
Dawn’s body is said to have been found partially dressed outside the couple’s front door. She had been beaten multiple times, with a “significant wound on her skull” from a “blunt and sharp object”.
Jewellery was scattered around Dawn and inside there was more horror to come: Andrew was found hanged, with a gag in his mouth, inside the home. He had no visible defence wounds.
Originally from West Sussex, Andrew’s high-flying career in finance had seen him work with the police and Serious Fraud Office, bringing him into contact with organised crime gangs from across the globe. Was this a robbery gone wrong or could he even have been targeted in a revenge attack? Former colleagues thought the latter theory unlikely, as did French investigators.
Just two days after the couple’s bodies were discovered, Nicolas Rigot-Muller, the Rodez prosecutor leading the investigation, revealed “a marital crime followed by a suicide” was the most likely cause, with no forensic evidence to suggest anyone else had accessed the home.
Police believe Andrew killed his wife inside their home and first thought he could stage a robbery to cover up his crime, placing his wife’s body outside and flipping over furniture. He is said to have changed his mind and killed himself.
The murder-suicide revelation stunned the loved ones who had been quick to pay tribute to the couple following his death.
The couple’s finances were brought into question however, with local sources revealing it had taken Andrew a year to settle a bill of several thousand euros. But others cited the holiday home that generated income and the couple’s frequent travels, which included a honeymoon in South America and family wedding in Goa, to negate this.
One neighbour claimed there had been small signs of trouble. “I saw them the day before they were found – they were walking the dogs and Andrew was on the phone,” they said. “Andrew was very agitated and he was arguing violently in English, he just waved at me and then carried on.”
Another shopkeeper, meanwhile, told the Mirror Dawn, who grew up in the Scottish Borders, had been happy and smiley in the days leading up to her death.
In a lengthy statement shared online this week, her devastated children urged loved ones not to attend their step-dad’s funeral. “In the absence of any evidence suggesting third-party involvement in the tragic death of our mother, Dawn Kerr, the prevailing hypothesis remains that of a murder-suicide,” said Netflix’s Virgin River star Callum and his sister Amanda.
“Our mother was killed by multiple blows to the head, and Andrew was found deceased by hanging. His injuries are consistent with self-hanging, and no defensive wounds were found on his body. There is also no evidence whatsoever of any third party’s involvement at this stage.
“While the official investigation is still ongoing, we cannot ignore the circumstances as they stand. For this reason, we must respectfully but firmly request that our mother not be included in any way in the funeral arrangements being made for Andrew. Please do not share photographs of them together.
“Please do not attend Andrew’s service if you were a friend of our mother. It would be inappropriate for her memory to be associated with a service honouring the man who, based on all available evidence, may have been responsible for her death. We ask for understanding, privacy and respect as we continue to grieve and seek justice for our mum.”
For emotional support you can call the Samaritans 24-hour helpline on 116 123, email [email protected], visit a Samaritans branch in person or go to the Samaritans website.
For confidential support, call the 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Freephone Helpline on 0808 2000 247 or visit womensaid.co.uk. If you or your family have lost a friend or family member through fatal domestic abuse, AAFDA (Advocacy After Fatal Domestic Abuse) can offer specialist and expert support and advocacy. For more info visit www.aafda.org.uk