THE son of the British mother who was killed in her home alongside her husband in south west France is former Hollyoaks actor Callum Kerr.
56-year-old Dawn Searle and her 62-year-old husband Andrew were discovered dead on Thursday at their vacation home in the hamlet of Les Pesquiès, close to Villefranche-de-Rouergue.
Officials first believed they were killed in a burglary gone wrong but they have since said their “deaths were clearly a homicide.”
Callum, who has also starred in Netflix’s Virgin River, has not publicly spoken about the tragedy.
The Scottish actor is best known for playing PC George Kiss in the Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks between 2020 and 2021.
In the most recent series of Virgin River he played young Everett, Mel’s father.
Their son, a 30-year-old country singer from Nashville, accompanied his mother down the aisle when she wed Andrew in September 2023.
He posted a picture on Instagram of the beautiful day wishing them a “tremendous life together.”
The mother and son were pictured beaming as they walked down the aisle with Kerr in a traditional Scottish kilt.
He wrote: “Not many people can say they walked their own mother down the aisle. What a pleasure!! I love you mum.
“Congrats to Dawn and Andy on their wonderful wedding day and here’s to a tremendous life together for the happy couple.”
Recent findings from the inquiry into the couple’s tragic demise suggest that they might have been victims of a targeted attack, possibly due to Andrew’s background as a former investigator in organized crime.
The retired grandad played a key role in cracking down on money laundering crimelords and enforcing sanctions busters linked to rogue states like Russia.
He also probed terrorist money trails before moving to France from Scotland a decade ago following his retirement.
Andrew had a long career of “fighting against organised crime and terrorism,” a French investigating source revealed.
They added: “A criminal enquiry has been launched and the fear is that the couple were murdered.
“They were very fit, and very popular locally, but there is a theory that they were being pursued by criminals from the United Kingdom.
“It may well be that gangsters with a score to settle are behind these killings.”
Shocking new reports claim that he may have been tortured before his death.
Dawn had suffered a head wound and was found near the front door surrounded by scattered jewellery.
No weapons were found at the scene and no bullet or knife wounds were found in an initial examination of the bodies, a source close to the investigation told La Depeche du Midi.
The autopsies are expected to take place on Monday as the couple’s home continues to be searched for clues.
Regional prosecutor Nicolas Rigot-Muller – in charge of the investigation – said: “Both died a violent death – all leads are being examined.”
A spokesperson for the Foreign Office told MailOnline: “We are supporting the family of a British couple who died in France and are liaising with the Local Authorities.”
The pair had moved to rural France where they renovated the run-down property that became their beloved home and holiday let.
Advertised on the official Aveyron tourist website under the headline “At Andrew and Dawn’s”, the online ad read: “2 bedroom apartment (6-8 people) fully furnished and equipped with swimming pool offering plenty of privacy.
“A beautiful apartment in the beautiful countryside, offering privacy and tranquility.”
According to a local source, the couple were much loved in the area popular with British expats and had a busy social life.
The source said ” they had numerous friends locally and further afield including in Britain, and often organised dinner parties.
“They both loved the countryside, and were very happily settled.
“They were very proud of their house, which is situated well away from other buildings in the hamlet.”
No arrests have been made in connection to their deaths.
