The mystery surrounding the case of a British couple found dead at their idyllic French home has been compounded after investigators declared the woman’s corpse was likely dumped in the garden as part of a ‘staged’ burglary.
Andrew Searle, 65, and his wife Dawn, 56, who only married two years ago, were found dead earlier this month by a horrified neighbour who was worried he had not seen them out with their dogs.
With the couple appearing to the outside world to be happy in their life in rural France, it is still unclear why Mr Searle may have resorted to killing his wife or what his motive may have been for staging a break-in.
The pair had started a new life at a villa in picturesque Les Pesquiès, north of Toulouse, after moving from Musselburgh in East Lothian ten years ago.
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Mrs Searle was discovered in her pyjamas outside their house on February 6 with a head injury and jewellery scattered around her body.
Her husband, a former financial investigator, was found dead inside the house, hanging from a radiator.
The circumstances surrounding their death remain shrouded in mystery as investigators probe the prospect of a murder-suicide, yet have refused to rule out the involvement of a third party.
Meanwhile, Jean-Sébastien Orcibal, the mayor of Les Pesquiès, said the couple ‘were extremely happy together’ – an account upheld by various acquaintances.
Mr Orcibal officiated at their wedding in the hamlet in 2023, when Mrs Searle was walked down the aisle by actor and country singer Callum Kerr, her son from a previous marriage.
Mr Kerr starred as PC George Kiss in Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks and has appeared in the romantic drama Virgin River on Netflix.
Andrew Searle, 65, and his wife Dawn, 56, who only married two years ago, were found dead earlier this month by a horrified neighbour who was worried he had not seen them out with their dogs
Mr Searle was last pictured on CCTV shopping at his local newsagents in Villefranche-de-Rouergue
The house where Dawn and Andrew Searle were discovered
It was initially believed Mrs Searle had tried to run away from an attacker before she was caught and battered to death.
There was also evidence of a frantic search inside the property, with drawers and cupboards left open and furniture upended.
But inquiry sources said that Mrs Searle ‘would have certainly been heard by near neighbours’ if she had been murdered in the garden.
One investigator said: ‘What is very likely is that the victim was killed inside the house, with doors and windows shut on a winter’s night, and then her body dumped in the garden.’
It is believed that the killing was a ‘staged burglary gone wrong’.
This fits the ‘murder-suicide’ theory in the investigation that apparently saw Mr Searle kill his wife before hanging himself.
Nicolas Rigot-Muller, the Rodez prosecutor leading the investigation, told The Sunday Post that ‘a marital crime followed by a suicide’ was probable.
He said that if a stranger had attacked the couple, it is likely they would have raised the alarm by shouting.
There have been no arrests in connection with the deaths, nor any public appeals for potential suspects to come forward.
Post-mortem examination results show there were no defensive wounds on Mr Searle, nor any forensic evidence suggesting persons unknown touched him or his wife.
Further examinations in the house and its garden have also failed to uncover evidence of a third party.
Les Pesquiès and the wider Villefranche-de-Rouergue area are well covered by CCTV in the form of police, traffic and private cameras.
Mr Rigot-Muller has not completely ruled out ‘the intervention of a third party’ in the deaths and the investigation ‘remains open’.
The Searle home is a cordoned-off crime scene, with its swimming pool covered.
Andrew Searle, 65, and his wife Dawn, 56 were found dead at their French home
Police have yet to make any arrests in connection with the deaths or any public appeals for potential suspects to come forward
Police tape over the gate of the home where Mr and Mrs Searle were found. It is believed the killing was a ‘staged burglary gone wrong’
Mr Searle was originally from West Sussex, while his wife grew up in Eyemouth, Berwickshire.
It is understood that Mr Searle spent at least 20 years working with the police and Serious Fraud Office targeting organised crime groups involved in financial crimes such as money laundering.
CCTV footage appeared to show his last known movements, entering a tobacconist in Villefranche-de-Rouergue.
Less than 24 hours before he was found dead, he seemed happy and relaxed as he bought a chocolate bar and lotto tickets.
The Searles’ many friends and neighbours were at a loss as to why this tragedy happened to them.
Well liked and well settled in their new life, on the face of it they scarcely seemed likely targets for such dreadful misfortune.
‘I just couldn’t believe it when I heard the news,’ Mme Palazy, 58, told the Mail. ‘[Mr Searle] would come in every day and buy Fortuna Blue cigarettes.
CCTV footage of Andrew Searle in a newsagent the day before the tragedy
That day he came in just before I was closing and he seemed perfectly happy, he was relaxed and he chatted and bought some chocolate and two lottery tickets.
‘Thinking that they were to die less than 24 hours later makes me go cold, I just can’t believe it.
‘They were a lovely couple, always happy and chatting and they spoke reasonably good French. He was working on his house, and he would come and buy chocolate bars here; KitKat and Kinder were his favourite.’