Callum Kerr grief after mum and husband die in France
The son of a Scottish woman who was found dead alongside her husband in France has expressed his family’s grief over their loss.
Callum Kerr, an actor known for his roles in Hollyoaks and Netflix’s Virgin River, shared a statement on social media on behalf of the couple’s four children.
Dawn and Andrew Searle, both in their sixties, were discovered by a neighbor on Thursday at their home in southwest France. The couple had relocated from Scotland a decade ago.
Jean-Sébastien Orcibal, the local mayor, told French television that the deaths were “clearly a homicide.”
In a statement posted on Instagram, Kerr said: “At this time, Callum Kerr and Amanda Kerr are mourning the loss of their mother, Dawn Searle (née Smith, Kerr), while Tom Searle and Ella Searle grieve the loss of their father, Andrew Searle.” He also requested privacy for the family during this “difficult period” and assured that updates would be provided as appropriate.
Kerr, 30, who has also released several country songs, walked his mother down the aisle when she married Andrew Searle in France in 2023. At the time, he shared on social media: “Not many people can say they walked their mother down the aisle. What a pleasure. I love you, Mum.”
The couple’s bodies were discovered around 12:20 p.m. on Thursday at their home in the hamlet of Les Pesquiès, a rural area north of Toulouse. A neighbor, concerned when they failed to show up for a scheduled dog walk, went to check on them and made the tragic discovery.
Authorities have sealed off the property as investigations continue, with forensic experts, a helicopter, a drone, and a forensic doctor deployed to the scene. While no criminal case has been formally opened yet, police have not established a leading theory regarding the couple’s deaths.
Mr. Orcibal, the representative for the Villefranche-de-Rouergue area, informed BBC News that the cause of death remains uncertain.
He had previously dismissed speculation that the deaths resulted from a burglary “gone wrong” and stated that “no knife was found.”
Mr. Orcibal also noted that the couple had become well integrated into the village, frequently inviting neighbors—many of them fellow expatriates—for drinks.
According to his LinkedIn profile, Mr. Searle had a career in financial crime prevention, working for companies such as Standard Life and Barclays Bank.
Mrs. Searle was originally from Eyemouth in the Scottish Borders, while Mr. Searle was from England.
Before relocating to Les Pesquiès, south of Villefranche-de-Rouergue, the couple had lived in Musselburgh, near Edinburgh.
A spokesperson for the UK’s Foreign Office stated: “We are supporting the family of a British couple who died in France and are liaising with the local authorities.”
