British couple, Andrew and Dawn Searle, found deceased in Les Pesquiès, south of Villefranche-de-Rouergue 6th February 2025

[VioletLilac]

But
Would a person gripped by murderous rage think about others' feelings?

Contriving elaborate plans in an altered state of mind?

Why would he murder his wife?

He was an intelligent guy
(judging by his former profession),
surely this "staged robbery" was too naive to hoodwink anybody

No, I still don't buy this version.

JM

People don't always kill in a murderous rage though. It can be planned like Christopher Foster "Oh, he was meticulous that night," Ian says. "That's weeks of planning, isn't it?"
It also says "In the US, according to the Department of Justice, a parent - usually a man - wipes out his family, and then himself, about once every week."

Why did Christopher Foster kill his family and then himself?

In August, Christopher Foster killed his family and then himself. Jon Ronson asks why

www.theguardian.com

 

[VioletLilac]

Egomaniacs are excessively self-centered, arrogant, and obsessed with their own importance.

Was he ever described as such a person?

Nope.
Quite the opposite.
Only positive reactions from those who knew him.
Friends of the couple absolutely reject the murder suicide theory.
Surely somebody would notice something worrying.
People in this village need psychological therapies to cope with this tragedy.



JMO

Same as Christopher Foster "According to his friends, Foster adored his family in a very ordinary way. He was apparently forever seen laughing and joking and cuddling them while watching TV, and so on, right up until the night he murdered them."
""From a neighbouring family - absolutely stunned," read one bouquet. "You were all such a lovely family," read another."

Why did Christopher Foster kill his family and then himself?

In August, Christopher Foster killed his family and then himself. Jon Ronson asks why

www.theguardian.com

 

[tree1]

But...
what would be the motive of murder?

They were recently married after long time of living together.

Was he a toxic man?
Would a wife suffer such behaviour though?
She was not a naive young woman tied to him by mutual children.
(You know,
suffering in silence for the sake of keeping family together for the kids).

She was a career woman, free to travel and leave at any time.

Was she thinking of leaving him?

The neighbours didn't notice any changes in her behaviour before the tragedy.

Quite the contrary,
the wife was her typically smiley self
(while booking the chimney sweeping service for their house a few hours before the tragedy).

Would she even bother about the maintenance of the house while thinking of escaping?



JMO

I honestly feel that whatever happened if confirmed as murder/suicide was very much an acute episode due to overwhelming stress. He may have been a good man, good husband etc but something caused him to snap.

 

[FromGermany1]

What kind of trigger ? Did I miss something ?
Thanks in advance.

• Yesterday at 10:37 PM

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It feels more in a fit of fury, as opposed to well thought out and planned. What was the straw that broke the camels back?

Murder suicide would fit with sudden fit of rage. I wonder if she told him she was leaving him, that often seems to be a trigger in these cases.

 

[Kemug]

I honestly feel that whatever happened if confirmed as murder/suicide was very much an acute episode due to overwhelming stress. He may have been a good man, good husband etc but something caused him to snap.

I agree with you. I don't think he was a secret wife beater or anything, and I don't think Dawn was planning on leaving him. I think they were genuinely happily married. But something was causing him enormous stress, and he completely snapped because of it. It's scary, because if that could happen to such an apparently happy couple, maybe it could happen to anybody.

 

[VioletLilac]

I agree with you. I don't think he was a secret wife beater or anything, and I don't think Dawn was planning on leaving him. I think they were genuinely happily married. But something was causing him enormous stress, and he completely snapped because of it. It's scary, because if that could happen to such an apparently happy couple, maybe it could happen to anybody.

I think possibly finances.

 

[Dotta]

It's scary, because if that could happen to such an apparently happy couple, maybe it could happen to anybody.

I see another danger.

Regardless of one's impeccable behaviour towards others,
the lack of worrying signs,
a person might be accused
of murder suicide.

JMO

 

[Ssschu]

I think possibly finances.

It's curious that he bought lotto tickets right before this as if it was his last desperate act to fix his financial problems. MOO

 

[iamshadow21]

It's curious that he bought lotto tickets right before this as if it was his last desperate act to fix his financial problems. MOO

It's a habit that people get in, so may have been fairly unconscious. It may simply be that every time he went there, he bought one, and so he did that day.

MOO

 

[ch_13]

I see another danger.

Regardless of one's impeccable behaviour towards others,
the lack of worrying signs,
a person might be accused
of murder suicide.

JMO

Well, if you're found dead from a common method of suicide (in this case, hanging), and you're spouse is found murdered nearby, then of course the authorities are going to investigate it as a possible murder-suicide. You can hardly except them to ignore the physical evidence just because the suicide victim is of good character.

I expect the forensic evidence will uncover what really happened. If it turns out that it wasn't a murder-suicide, then AS will have his name cleared and hopefully the real culprits quickly found.

 

[Furore]

Yes I think common things are common - and sometimes we don’t have full insight into relationships. Acute stress can certainly cause extreme swings in behaviour. Likewise, stress could have triggered an onset of psychotic/paranoid psychology, or the onset of paranoia could have exacerbated financial woes and caused a disproportionate stress…

As others say in any circumstance one cannot rule out anything without further information!

One could also argue that in committing suicide a domestic murderer has shown remorse all JMO

 

[Dotta]

"Why would Brit husband have killed his wife to fake a robbery at their dream French home? ​

Mystery over cop theory ​

that mother of Hollyoaks star was victim of 'staged burglary' murder-suicide.​

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.

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."

Why would Brit husband have killed his wife to fake a robbery?

Andrew Searle, 65, and his wife Dawn, 56, who only married two years ago, were found dead earlier this month by a horrified neighbour.

www-dailymail-co-uk.cdn.ampproject.org

 

[Lalalacasbah]

Well... I had an awful thought. IF the theory is true, perhaps he planned to stage the robbery/murder of his wife to get some type of insurance to pay off some debt?

Then after the act couldn't live with himself. Maybe by hanging and looking like a robbery for him as well, his family might get insurance if 'not suicide'?

 

[Bigditch]

No murder weapon bothers me.

 

[Sarahlou]

Maybe I missed it but I hadn't seen this before

Forensic evidence shows no signs of anyone else entering the home or coming into contact with the couple.

Husband 'likely killed Scots wife in France during botched staged burglary'

COPS probing the deaths of a Scots couple who were found dead at their French holiday home believe the husband killed his wife during a botched staged burglary. The bodies of Dawn Searle, 56, and A…

www.thescottishsun.co.uk

edit- Sorry just noticed it was mentioned in the other article posted.

 

[Bigditch]

Maybe I missed it but I hadn't seen this before

Forensic evidence shows no signs of anyone else entering the home or coming into contact with the couple.

Husband 'likely killed Scots wife in France during botched staged burglary'

COPS probing the deaths of a Scots couple who were found dead at their French holiday home believe the husband killed his wife during a botched staged burglary. The bodies of Dawn Searle, 56, and A…

www.thescottishsun.co.uk

edit- Sorry just noticed it was mentioned in the other article posted.

The article appears to be saying two things at once.

 

[Dotta]

Maybe I missed it but I hadn't seen this before

Forensic evidence shows no signs of anyone else entering the home or coming into contact with the couple.

Husband 'likely killed Scots wife in France during botched staged burglary'

COPS probing the deaths of a Scots couple who were found dead at their French holiday home believe the husband killed his wife during a botched staged burglary. The bodies of Dawn Searle, 56, and A…

www.thescottishsun.co.uk

edit- Sorry just noticed it was mentioned in the other article posted.

I guess
anybody thinking of a hit on others would be adequately prepared not to leave any evidence.

Criminals are professionals too.

JMO

 

[LadyL]

That's never been mentioned by the police so I'm not sure I believe that's true about the gag.
It doesn't seem to be mentioned in the more recent articles from what I've seen either.

oh ok ty I should've researched first

 

[LadyL]

I think possibly finances.

for sure
maybe he wanted to stage a robbery to collect on insurance
or even stage a murder for the same reason
did she have life insurance?
maybe Dawn found out how in debt he was (if he was!)
maybe they were going to lose everything
I am convinced that whatever happened, it was because of financial stress

 

[dotr]

Just a thought, however unlikely- but any chance they invested in Bitcoin and lost the password? speculation, imo.

https://www.cbc.ca/radio/asithappens/as-it-happens-friday-edition-1.5875363/this-man-owns-321m-in-bitcoin-but-he-can-t-access-it-because-he-lost-his-password-1.5875366

'This man owns $321M in bitcoin — but he can't access it because he lost his password'​