Hollyoaks & Netflix star’s mum and stepdad died in murder-suicide, French cops finally confirm two months on from horror
THE shocking deaths of the mother and step-father of Hollyoaks star Callum Kerr are now being treated as a murder-suicide.
Andrew Searle and Dawn Kerr were found dead at their home in the south of France under mysterious circumstances in the early afternoon of February 6.
French police launched an investigation to establish whether a third party was involved in their sudden deaths.
Callum played PC George Kiss in the Channel 4 soap opera Hollyoaks, and appeared in Netflix‘s Virgin River.
After weeks of intense questioning, police have finally confirmed they believe Dawn was murdered by Andrew before he later took his own life.
There is no evidence that anybody else was involved in either of their deaths, according to the BBC.
Dawn and Andrew, who were in their 60s, were found dead at their idyllic hamlet of Les Pesquies, near Villefranche-de-Rouergue.
Dawn was found lying in front of her house, partly undressed, while Andrew was found hanged from a radiator.
It remains unclear when exactly the pair died.
A post-mortem found Dawn died from a “significant head wound” but it remains unclear how long she received that before the shocking discovery of their bodies.
Police said she suffered “multiple blows to the head with a blunt and sharp-edged object.”
French prosecutors revealed in Feburary: “A box containing jewellery was found near to her, but no item or weapon which could have caused the injuries were located.”
They also said: “Mr Searle, who was found hanged… did not show any visible defensive injuries.”
Cash was found in the couple’s bedroom and their home appeared to have been “roughly searched”.
For this reason, their deaths were first thought to be the case of a botched burglary.
But at the time police also considered the possibility of a murder-suicide or a hitman linked to Andrew’s anti-fraud work in the financial crime sector.
Andrew Searle was a retired fraud investigator specialising in financial crime prevention.
Andrew’s 21-year career at British banks Standard Life and Barclays included spotting accounting irregularities linked to organised crime groups.
Investigators found his mobile device proved “particularly helpful”, after he was spotted making animated calls in previous days.
An investigating source said in February: “There is a mine of information and recent calls made by Mr Searle which are providing vital clues.”
The analysis at the Montpellier forensic institute made it possible to reject any trace of sexual assault on Dawn, according to the prosecutor.
Further evidence included CCTV footage from a local news agency which caught Andrew’s last sighting, the day before the couple were found dead.
He was seen buying two lottery tickets and a bar of chocolate on Wednesday, shortly before 6pm.
The shopkeeper who served Andrew, Isabelle Palazy, 58, shared details about her interaction with the Brit.
“That day he came in just before I was closing and he seemed perfectly happy, he was relaxed and he chatted and bought some chocolate and two lottery tickets.”
Friends of the couple also rejected the theory that Andrew killed Dawn and then himself in a murder-suicide.
A couple, in their 60s, said: “Us Brits, who knew Dawn and Andy very well, are certain this is not a murder-suicide because of financial difficulties or anything like that.
“They weren’t flashy by any means, but they were definitely comfortable and had it good out here.”
Another Brit who knew the pair said: “Life was good, why would they want to kill themselves?
“There was never any suggestion whatsoever of financial or material difficulties – as local business people they always paid us on time.”
Andrew’s heartbroken father, Fred Searle, 88, said he has been left with “thousands of questions” following the shock news in February.
Fred flew to Toulouse, as he wanted to bring the whole family together.
The former British Army major from Littlehampton, West Sussex, said: “We’ve got thousands of questions and very few answers.”
Andrew and Dawn were labelled by local friends as being a “popular” and “happy couple”.
The British expats had been living in Aveyron for five years, according to French prosecutors.
Callum Kerr walked his mother down the aisle during her marriage to Andrew in September 2023.
A statement was posted on Callum’s social media accounts on February 8, reading: “At this time, Callum Kerr and Amanda Kerr are grieving the loss of their mother, Dawn Searle (nee Smith, Kerr), while Tom Searle and Ella Searle are mourning the loss of their father, Andrew Searle.”
It asked for the family’s privacy be respected “during this difficult period.”
Domestic abuse - how to get help
DOMESTIC abuse can affect anyone - including men - and does not always involve physical violence.
Here are some signs that you could be in an abusive relationship:
- Emotional abuse – Including being belittled, blamed for the abuse – gaslighting – being isolated from family and friends, having no control over your finances, what you where and who you speak to
- Threats and intimidation – Some partners might threaten to kill or hurt you, destroy your belongings, stalk or harass you
- Physical abuse – This can range from slapping or hitting to being shoved over, choked or bitten.
- Sexual abuse – Being touched in a way you do not want to be touched, hurt during sex, pressured into sex or forced to have sex when you do not consent.
If any of the above apply to you or a friend, you can call these numbers:
- The Freephone National Domestic Abuse Helpline, run by Refuge on 0808 2000 247 for free at any time, day or night
- Men who are being abused can call Respect Men’s Advice Line on 0808 8010 327 or ManKind on 0182 3334 244
- Those who identify as LGBT+ can ring Galop on 0800 999 5428
- If you are in immediate danger or fear for your life, always ring 999
Remember, you are not alone.
1 in 4 women and 1 in 7 men will experience domestic abuse over the course of their lifetime.
Every 30 seconds the police receive a call for help relating to domestic abuse.