Andrew and Dawn Searle were found dead in mysterious circumstances in rural France with fellow expats believing the pair did not kill themselves amid rumours of suicide
Brit expats are convinced the couple found dead in rural France were murdered and would not have killed themselves.
Best friends of the pair said they had been living a “happy” and “comfortable” life in the rural countryside north of Toulouse. The bodies of Andrew, 62, and Dawn Searle, 56, were found in the small hamlet of Les Pesquies, near the town of Villefranche-de-Rouergue on Thursday. It comes after a string of rumours emerged about the pair’s fate.
Two British couples, close friends of the Searles, were last night keen to put down the suggestion of suicide. The Brit expats, who are in their late 60s and live in a nearby village, said: “Us Brits, who knew Dawn and Andy very well, are certain this is not a murder-suicide.”
“We saw them last at Christmas, they were absolutely normal. Life was good, why would they want to kill themselves?” The neighbour who discovered the couple last night said Dawn appeared to have been beaten to death and Andrew was found hanged.
It was previously suggested they could have been murdered by hitmen due to Andrew’s career combatting financial crime. But former colleagues yesterday dismissed the possibility, saying Andrew’s work for banks would largely be anonymous.
Questions about the couple’s possible financial difficulties also emerged yesterday. Local sources said it had taken him over a year to settle a bill of several thousands euros, and was spotted looking tearful in December amid issues with his UK pension.
But the British couples, who were great friends with the pair and attended their wedding, dismissed suggestions they were hard up. They added: “They weren’t flashy by any means, but they were definitely comfortable and had it good out here. They were always travelling – they recently went to a family wedding in Goa, they went to South America for their honeymoon.
“Dawn’s son Callum had a baby and Dawn went over there for that. And [she] had just come back from Scotland because her dad’s funeral was at the end of January. They were also still working – Dawn was a project manager and Andy still did some freelance work.
“[And] they have a gite [holiday home] connected to the main house which they rented out and it was occupied most of the time which gave them a good income on the side.” The couple married in 2023, with Dawn’s son Callum, a former Hollyoaks star, walking her down the aisle.
Today’s developments come after CCTV footage captured Mr Searle buying a chocolate bar and two Euro Lottery tickets from a tobacconist the day before the couple’s bodies were discovered. Two neighbours said they saw Andrew having a heated phone call on Wednesday.
Antoine Da Silva, a retired council worker, told how he saw the dad-of-two hurrying through the village and looking “very worried” while on the phone to his dad Fred. Tributes from Andrew’s former colleagues came flooding in yesterday.
Keith Falconer, who worked with Andrew at insurance firm Standard Life, wrote on Linkedin: “Really struggling to process the tragic and horrific story about my former colleague Andrew Searle. My thoughts are with his family.” David Williams, a chief financial officer, added: “Devastating news, can’t believe this has happened to two such beautiful people. Andrew’s father Fred Searle, 88, from Littlehampton, West Sussex, expressed his grief following his son’s tragic death.
He said: “We’ve got thousands of questions and very few answers.” And a statement on Dawn’s son Callum Kerr’s Instagram read: “We kindly request that their privacy be respected during this difficult period. We will provide updates as appropriate.” Authorities have been unreachable over the weekend.
Prosecutor Nicolas Rigot-Muller previously said both had died a “violent death. When asked if this could be a murder-suicide case Rigot-Muller said: “It’s being considered.” Investigators also revealed no weapons were found at the scene and no bullet or knife wounds were found in an initial examination of the bodies, according to a source close to the investigation.
The autopsies are expected to take place on Monday as the couple’s home continues to be searched for clues. Mr Searle is said to have moved his family to France a decade ago. The financial crime expert worked as a consultant for banking giant Barclays for nine months before his retirement.
And before that he worked for more than 21 years for the Standard Life insurance company as UK & Europe Financial Crime Manager. A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office said: “We are supporting the family of a British couple who died in France and are liaising with the local authorities.”