A murder probe has been launched after a British couple, Andrew and Dawn Searle, were found dead in their home in the village of Les Pesquies in southwest France.
The British couple in their 60s lived in the hamlet for around a decade and were described as being “well integrated” into the village.
The French media reported that Searles was discovered by a neighbour around 12:20 PM on Thursday.
Jean-Sebastien Orcibal, the mayor of Villefranche de Rouergue, told media outlets that the deaths were “clearly homicides.”. He also dismissed speculation that it was a burglary gone wrong, stating that “no knife was located.”
The surrounding area around their house has been turned into an extensive crime scene, with a helicopter and forensic teams seen at the site. A drone, forensic specialists, and a forensic doctor were also observed at the scene.
During his career, Andrew Searle reportedly worked in financial crime prevention at Standard Life and Barclays banks. One neighbour told Mail Online that the Searles were “lovely” and that hearing about what happened was “extremely distressing.”.
Mrs. Searle’s son, Callum Kerr, is an actor and has appeared in Netflix’s Virgin River and Played PC Kiss in Hollyoaks.
In 2023, at his mother’s marriage ceremony in France with Mr Searle Mr. Kerr said, “Not many people can say they walked their mother down the aisle. What a pleasure. I love you, mom.”
The neighbour added that they were “extremely friendly and always out and about” and that their deaths have “caused a lot of fear.”
Detectives fear gangsters may have killed Andrew and Dawn Searle, according to an investigative source. Mr Orcibal told BBC News that the cause of death was still unclear, but it was not a “family tragedy,” meaning they didn’t take their own lives or kill each other.
The UK’s Foreign Office has released a statement saying, “We are supporting the family of a British couple who died in France and are liaising with local authorities.”
Les Pesquies is a small hamlet with about 100 inhabitants and is favoured by expatriates.
The Rodez prosecutor, Nicolas Rigot-Muller, who is in charge of the investigation, told the BBC he will not disclose the identity of the deceased until the autopsy, which will take place on Monday. He said, “Investigations are currently taking place.”
A spokesperson for the UK’s Foreign Office said: “We are supporting the family of a British couple who died in France and are liaising with the local authorities.”