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

Maybe somebody left prison recently in the UK and decided on revenge?

Someone could have been sitting in a cell and plotting :oops:

JMO

I would think a criminal seeking revenge would look farther up the chain: The cop who arrested him, the prosecutor who tried the case, or the judge who found him guilty. In comparison, Andrew's role in any conviction would seem to be much less prominent. Even if he testified at trial, he would have been just one of many witnesses. Why go after him in particular?

If this wasn't a murder-suicide, then I think the murders were personal. Someone who knew the couple; and perhaps linked to the angry phone call from the day before.
 
"Friends of Andrew and Dawn Searle found dead in France
convinced they were murdered.

1739134115129.jpeg

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.

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?' "

 
"Friends of Andrew and Dawn Searle found dead in France
convinced they were murdered.

View attachment 563619

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.

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?' "

I agree that this does not sound like a murder suicide or a burglery.
But wonder if it could be some business deal gone wrong/money lending, along those lines
 
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?'

That quote from the friends is a bit muddled/odd, unless it's just the reporting. If it was murder/suicide then it wasn't agreed on like in a suicide pact case. So they both didn't want to kill themselves.

But nobody truly knows what's going on in someone's lives, even close friends.
 
Last edited:
More from the link above:

"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."

Hmmm...

And:


"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."

Plus:

"Two neighbours said they saw Andrew having a heated phone call on Wednesday."

 
Last edited:
"Mystery deepens
over deaths of the British couple in France
as colleague rules out gangland hit.

1739142324498.jpeg

A former counter-fraud specialist found dead alongside his wife at their French home
would not have been killed in a gangland hit,
a former colleague said last night.

'There is no way he could have been the target of a gangland hit'.

'He was senior but not hierarchical.
The bad guys just see the organisations declining them
and try new routes
or try to learn how to circumnavigate'.

'Criminals just see the organisation,
not the individuals in the teams or running the teams.
They'd have a full-time job following through on vendettas'.

He said
'everyone who knew Andrew was in total shock at his death'.

'He was a really nice guy,
would chat to anyone',
the former colleague said.

'His plan was to buy a house in the south of France and do it up.
He was excited about it.

He was also bilingual, fluent in German and loved his dogs.
He was not shady in any way'."

 
More from the link above:

"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."

Hmmm...

And:


"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."

Plus:

"Two neighbours said they saw Andrew having a heated phone call on Wednesday."

I wonder if the happy and smiling photos of the couple are historic. They certainly don’t look in their 60s here. In the CCTV shot in the shop he looks much older more matching of someone with worries.
 
I wonder if the happy and smiling photos of the couple are historic. They certainly don’t look in their 60s here. In the CCTV shot in the shop he looks much older more matching of someone with worries.

IMO
money is at the root of this tragedy.

As we say in my country
"If nobody knows what it is about,
Then it surely is about money".

Condolences to both families.
These poor children :(

JMO
 
As a number of members have commented, and as the news articles are hinting if you read closely, this is, very sadly, a probable domestic violence murder-suicide. I suspect the investigation will show escalating financial and mental health problems in the husband, possibly including a gambling habit and debts hidden from his wife. The odd findings at the scene may suggest an attempt at staging by him to imply a robbery rather than a DV murder. The weapon may have been concealed before he died. His work history is, in all likelihood, irrelevant and a distraction. We have seen too many of these. Extremely sad for Dawn and her family.
 
As a number of members have commented, and as the news articles are hinting if you read closely, this is, very sadly, a probable domestic violence murder-suicide. I suspect the investigation will show escalating financial and mental health problems in the husband, possibly including a gambling habit and debts hidden from his wife. The odd findings at the scene may suggest an attempt at staging by him to imply a robbery rather than a DV murder. The weapon may have been concealed before he died. His work history is, in all likelihood, irrelevant and a distraction. We have seen too many of these. Extremely sad for Dawn and her family.
Where did.you come up with that scenario??? Are you privy to information that he had a,gambling habit?
 
The man was found hanged and GAGGED.
Would a person kill oneself putting a gag in one's mouth?

- What about an open garage door?
- And man's intense argument with someone on the phone?
- Would a person intending suicide next day buy lottery tickets?

JMO
If the mentions are true of difficulty in paying bills, the argument on the phone, something about his pension - then he was certainly worried about something. But was he afraid? <modsnip - speculation outside the bounds of the known facts of the case> I can imagine that stuffing a rag into someone's mouth in that scenario might be to send a message that "He won't be doing any more talking".
 
Last edited by a moderator:
If the mentions are true of difficulty in paying bills, the argument on the phone, something about his pension - then he was certainly worried about something. But was he afraid? <modsnip - speculation outside the bounds of the known facts of the case> I can imagine that stuffing a rag into someone's mouth in that scenario might be to send a message that "He won't be doing any more talking".

This report about problems/issues with British pension seems strange IMO.
The guy was working in banking and some kind of LE.
He should have been comfortable living as a pensioner.

JMO
 
Last edited by a moderator:
"Mystery deepens
over deaths of the British couple in France
as colleague rules out gangland hit.

View attachment 563640

A former counter-fraud specialist found dead alongside his wife at their French home
would not have been killed in a gangland hit,
a former colleague said last night.

'There is no way he could have been the target of a gangland hit'.

'He was senior but not hierarchical.
The bad guys just see the organisations declining them
and try new routes
or try to learn how to circumnavigate'.

'Criminals just see the organisation,
not the individuals in the teams or running the teams.
They'd have a full-time job following through on vendettas'.

He said
'everyone who knew Andrew was in total shock at his death'.

'He was a really nice guy,
would chat to anyone',
the former colleague said.

'His plan was to buy a house in the south of France and do it up.
He was excited about it.

He was also bilingual, fluent in German and loved his dogs.
He was not shady in any way'."

Sorry but I don’t believe this anonymous individual could possibly know all of this information for certain. Clearly his opinion only.

MoO
 
Fairly poor attempt at staging the crime scene to make it look like a B&E with jewels strewn about Dawn's body on the lawn.

Criminal intent, maybe? Andrew had a job where he probably made more enemies than friends.

They lived in an exclusive area. Yet they rented it out. Likely to fund travel, potentially a lavish lifestyle.

If I recall correctly he was involved in insurance at one point? Fraud cases?

Just because someone is retired doesn't mean they aren't freelancing.

The jewels, the gag, (her found naked, if the last detail is true) all sound very personal.
 

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