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

[Dotta]

Did it state AS died from hanging? I know he was found hanging

Here you are:

"Post-mortem examinations have now confirmed
Mr Searle, 62, died from hanging
and Mrs Searle, 56, suffered multiple blows to the head with a blunt and sharp-edged object."

French prosecutors confirm how Andrew and Dawn Searle died

Andrew and Dawn Searle, who moved to France from Scotland about 10 years ago, were found by a neighbour last week.

www.bbc.com

 

[TonnnnUK]

Absolute speculation, imo- for now.
In a suicide/murder scenario due to financial stress, one could imagine a fight about expensive jewelry, the purchasing of it and/or the need to sell it.
Maybe a bonk on the head with the jewelry box, followed by a chase outside and an angry tossing of them around the victim "Look at what you pushed me to do''!

In a double murder, the message regarding spilled jewels around a victim, might be 'this is what cost you for being greedy', the gagged mouth- 'you should have kept your mouth shut'.

This seems the most logical/reasoned theory for me thus far.

 

[catgreen]

It will be interesting to see if any cameras in the area caught anyone coming into or out of the area around their house.

I live in rural France and there are very few cctv cameras, the law says you cant face a private camera towards a public route, and there are very few 'official' ones in the countryside

 

[tree1]

Here you are:

"Post-mortem examinations have now confirmed
Mr Searle, 62, died from hanging
and Mrs Searle, 56, suffered multiple blows to the head with a blunt and sharp-edged object."

French prosecutors confirm how Andrew and Dawn Searle died

Andrew and Dawn Searle, who moved to France from Scotland about 10 years ago, were found by a neighbour last week.

www.bbc.com

Thank you!

 

[SouthPark]

I am veering towards murder/suicide - an argument, she tried to leave, he followed and bashed her over the head, filled with remorse he committed suicide IMO. Local media are still discussing the 'gag' though and describe him hanging from a radiateur...just not sure how accurate these are, will have to wait for the conference Mort d’Andrew et Dawn en Aveyron : "On a des milliers de questions et très peu de réponses", les amis du couple britannique ne croient pas en la thèse d’un drame conjugal

It’s variously been discussed that she was found naked or in PJs. Someone noted below they had been together 10 years. No matter how big the row with my long term partner, I’m not storming out naked or in my PJs - I’d throw some clothes on and take my handbag at least. I can’t think of any circumstance where I’d grab my jewellery and cash before clothing.

However, if it was an emergency like a house fire I wouldn’t worry about my state of undress, I’d be worried about getting out as fast as possible. I would not be stopping for jewellery and cash. As others have noted, something is very off about the scene (as reported). If we take a home invasion as a parallel to a fire, her state of dress makes sense but not the jewellery and cash.

Whether it’s murder/suicide or straight up murder, my assumption (particularly if she was unclothed/only partially clothed) is that she has been chased from the house; assuming the crime scene shows she was killed where she fell and not moved/staged. IMO the jewellery and cash have been added afterwards (perhaps after the ‘quick search’ of the home?).

I’m thinking out loud, I really don’t know with this one. It’s entirely possible it was a mental unravelling due to external pressures leading to unpredictable/unanticipated behaviour/violence, but I think the gag and lottery ticket purchase, for example, raise doubts. I also wouldn’t have thought it particularly typical for a mentally unstable person who has acted violently/impulsively to have the presence of mind to stage the resultant crime scene to imply third party involvement.

 

[Teche]

I obviously missed the article discussing financial struggles.

 

[Bigditch]

I live in rural France and there are very few cctv cameras, the law says you cant face a private camera towards a public route, and there are very few 'official' ones in the countryside

Interesting.

 

[Officer Dibble]

I read they were both still working. Dawn as a project Manager and Andrew did some freelance work. I will find the link

and had a rental part of their property too?

 

[Officer Dibble]

I still scratch my head
thinking of this "open garage door"

What is significance of it?
Why was he so angry about it?

- Was he afraid someone entered his home?
- Was someone snooping in this private area?
- Or did he leave it open and later forget?
(like some form of dementia)
- Was it some kind of paranoid episode?

Hmmm....

JMO

Or was it staged? (edited to add: JMO)

 

[Bigditch]

I think, myself, it is unlikely anyone targeted them.

However, there's the example of the billionaire Shermans in Toronto, whose deaths were staged, suggesting murder-suicide. But there was evidence of the wrists having been bound, and at least one person was caught on camera.

Police took many weeks to conclude their inquiry, which has been the source of severe criticism from their family and media. It will be interesting to see whether the French inquiry rushes to a quicker conclusion.

JMO

The question (like in the Sherman case) is who stood to benefit from their death?

Maybe the deaths didn't have anything to do with money, but rather, coldhearted revenge.

Let's face it the world is a mess right now. Brute Force seems to be the prevailing technique de jour.

 

[Officer Dibble]

or maybe they lent some money and were having trouble getting it back? JMO (I am still catching up and reading through all the recent posts, so not seen 5pm press release yet)

Maybe they borrowed money from the wrong people

 

[Officer Dibble]

if it’s a murder-suicide (which seems likely with what we know) it seems extra cruel that he would stage her that way, partially undressed. would he have thought that that way it would look more like someone else had done it? did he have - despite them looking happy - have a grudge against her and the reasons for doing this weren’t solely financial? curious what others think about why he might “stage” his wife outside, partially undressed

Are you wondering if she was seeing someone else? Someone local? JMO MOO

 

[BrianJohnson]

In what capacity do you think he got involved?

Not sure, just thinking outside the box really, maybe he was in debt to them like borrowed money off them and fell out, or in a desperate bid to raise some cash became gamekeeper turned poacher and laundered money for them and something went wrong that cost him his/his wifes life

 

[Officer Dibble]

Here you are:

"Post-mortem examinations have now confirmed
Mr Searle, 62, died from hanging
and Mrs Searle, 56, suffered multiple blows to the head with a blunt and sharp-edged object."

French prosecutors confirm how Andrew and Dawn Searle died

Andrew and Dawn Searle, who moved to France from Scotland about 10 years ago, were found by a neighbour last week.

www.bbc.com

Thanks for that. It is sad to read. RIP the pair of them and condolences to the family.
So no time or date or death mentioned? What could a blunt sharp edged object be? Garden tool? JMO

 

[Officer Dibble]

French investigators say ‘all hypotheses remain open’ in deaths of British couple

Prosecutor confirms body of Dawn Searle was found semi-clothed outside with head injuries caused by several blows

www.theguardian.com

 

[Officer Dibble]

French investigators say ‘all hypotheses remain open’ in deaths of British couple

Prosecutor confirms body of Dawn Searle was found semi-clothed outside with head injuries caused by several blows

www.theguardian.com

"They had lived in the village for 5 years"

"A claim made by MailOnline that police were investigating the possibility that the couple were murdered by UK-based criminals has not been confirmed by the French authorities."

 

[Officer Dibble]

Does anyone here speak French? There are plenty of French news articles but using Chrome to get the translation the pop ups about cookies are not translating so unsure what to select, to read the articles.

 

[Dotta]

Thanks for that. It is sad to read. RIP the pair of them and condolences to the family.
So no time or date or death mentioned? What could a blunt sharp edged object be? Garden tool? JMO

IMO
It was a targeted hit.
And it took the victims by surprise.

The man was doing shopping only a few hours before death.
He bought things he usually used to buy:
lottery ticket, chocolate bars and cigarettes.
A day like every other day.
A woman was wearing pjs while attacked.

Nothing seemed to be stolen:
jewellery, money still in bedroom.
Maybe some documents were taken?

I don't think the perps will ever be caught
- whoever they were.

I guess the attack was some kind of revenge.
I have no idea for what.
But the man's unusual behaviour, "worried calls", etc are connected to their deaths IMO.

I doubt it was murder suicide.
This option is at the bottom of my list.

I'm still not sure what happened to the dogs.
I hope they survived.

The couple came to this village to start a new life.
Unfortunately,
their lives ended there

JMO

 

[catgreen]

Does anyone here speak French? There are plenty of French news articles but using Chrome to get the translation the pop ups about cookies are not translating so unsure what to select, to read the articles.

I do read French (and am in France) but the popups are impossible! This is from Midi Libre, not much more info: After five days of intensive investigation and multiple investigative acts, the tragedy of the hamlet of Pesquiès remains a mystery. On Tuesday, February 11, the public prosecutor of Rodez published in a press release the results of the autopsy of this British couple in their sixties, Dawn Kerr and Andrew Searle, found dead in their beautiful villa in Villefranche-sur-Rouergue on February 6 by a walker.

Couple britannique tué en Aveyron : pas de violences sexuelles, un objet tranchant, ce que révèle l'autopsie de Dawn et Andrew

L’enquête va se poursuivre pour comprendre le déroulement du drame survenu dans leur belle propriété de Villefranche-sur-Rouergue le 6 février dernier.

www.midilibre.fr

 

[Tricia]

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