Police investigating the deaths of a British couple at their home in a rural village in France have shared details from the post-mortem examination.
Andrew Searle and Dawn Kerr were found dead at their home address in the hamlet of Les Pesquies in Villefranche-de-Rouergue, Aveyron, in the early afternoon of February 6 after Mr Searle did not show up for one of their regular dog walks.
Detectives say Ms Searle was found at their property in Les Pesquies with "several" injuries to her head, while her husband was found hanged with no visible defensive injuries.
They say they are investigating whether the deaths are the result of a murder-suicide or if a third party was involved.
Their French villa and its grounds were cordoned off as forensics officers investigated the scene.
Andrew Searles was a financial crime investigator. Picture: Facebook
Mr Searle worked with the police and the Serious Fraud Office for the last two decades in the “fight against organised crime and terrorism”.
Mr Searle is thought to have moved with his family to France a decade ago, retiring in 2015 from his job in Scotland in the financial crime assurance arm of Barclaey’s Bank.
He later conducted “sanction screening” in his later roles, involving a check on individuals and groups who might be barred from dealing in the UK because of their links with rogue states, terror groups or drug traffickers.
This is why investigators believe Mr Searle may have been deliberately killed.
An investigating source previously said: "A criminal enquiry has been launched and the fear is that the couple were murdered.
“They were very fit, and very popular locally, but there is a theory that they were being pursued by criminals from the United Kingdom.
“This is currently the prioritised line of enquiry, because Mr Searle was once involved in the fight against organised crime and terrorism."
French Gendarme standing at the entrance of a house where they were found dead. Picture: Getty
’Exceptional people’
A local woman and acquaintance of the couple, who wanted to remain anonymous, described them as "exceptional people" who were well-known and loved in the town of Villefranche-de-Rouergue, where they had been living for about a decade, according to the newspaper.
She told the PA news agency: "We are devastated. The whole of Villefranche is shocked. There aren’t even words for it, we are traumatised.
"They were people whom we loved, they were part of Villefranche, they were part of us. These people were exceptional."
The woman explained that the British couple used to prepare a meal for all their neighbours once a year, when "everyone went to eat at theirs", adding that the town of Villefranche-de-Rouergue was usually "very quiet".
She said: "Just talking about it, I am crying and shaking. I want to throw up. It just hurts too much.
"People here are disgusted - especially knowing they (Dawn and Andrew) were a mother and a father, a grandmother and a grandfather ...
Their French villa and its grounds were cordoned off as forensics officers investigated the scene . Picture: Getty
It is understood Ms Kerr and Mr Searle were the mother and stepfather of actor and musician Callum Kerr, who played Pc George Kiss in the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, and appeared in Netflix’s Virgin River, according to a statement published on Mr Kerr’s social media accounts on February 8.
The statement read: "At this time, Callum Kerr and Amanda Kerr are grieving the loss of their mother, Dawn Searle (nee Smith, Kerr), while Tom Searle and Ella Searle are mourning the loss of their father, Andrew Searle.
"No family member is available for media interviews or comments.
"We kindly request that their privacy be respected during this difficult period.
"We will provide updates as appropriate."
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