The sudden death of a British couple at their residence in the south of France is being treated as a murder-suicide, according to reports.
Andrew Searle and Dawn Kerr, both in their 60s, were found dead in the village of Les Pescis in Villefranche-de-Rouergue, Aveyron, in the early evening of February 6.
Mrs Kerr was found dead in front of her home, partially clothed and with a serious head injury, while Mr Searle was found dead inside.
Police have launched an investigation to find out whether it was a case of murder-suicide or whether a third party was involved in the incident.
View of Villefranche-de-Rouergue
The prosecutor leading the investigation told the BBC there was no evidence to suggest third parties were involved in the couple's deaths.
Ms Kerr and Mr Searle are understood to have been the mother and stepfather of Scottish actor and musician Callum Kerr, who played PC George Kiss in Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks and appeared in Netflix series Virgin River.
A statement posted on Mr Kerr's social media pages on February 8 said: “Callum Kerr and Amanda Kerr are currently mourning the loss of their mother, Dawn Searle (née Smith, Kerr), while Tom Searle and Ella Searle are mourning the loss of their father, Andrew Searle.”
It also asks for respect for the family's privacy “during this difficult time.”
According to his LinkedIn profile, Mr Searle was a former fraud investigator specialising in preventing financial crime and worked at institutions including Standard Life and Barclays Bank.
A statement from the French prosecutor's office released in February said: “The two victims, a man and a woman, were the owners of the house in which their bodies were found.
“They were British expatriates, pensioners, and had been living in Aveyron for five years.
“The first victim, Ms Kerr, has a serious head injury.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
