Andrew And Dawn Searle, Location in France Where The British Couple Died

For the final 15km (9.3 miles) of the journey from Toulouse to the hamlet of Les Pequiès, travelers navigate narrow, winding roads through hilly, dense woodlands. Without a reliable GPS system, one can become lost quickly, especially at night.

I had expected the home of Andrew and Dawn Searle, the British couple found dead earlier this month, to be secluded. The photos of the crime scene suggested as much. However, upon arrival, I was surprised to find it within earshot of several other homes.

This detail is significant because Dawn’s partially unclothed body was discovered outside the front of the house last Thursday morning. The prosecutor overseeing the case, Nicolas Rigot-Muller, stated that she had sustained severe head wounds inflicted by a blunt weapon. Any screams from her would have been distinctly audible to neighbors.

Her husband’s body was later found hanging inside the rear of the house. According to the prosecutor, no weapon has been recovered, there are no apparent signs of a burglary, no evidence that Andrew struggled, and no indications of a sex crime.

A friend discovered Dawn’s body when she visited the house with her dog. The couple had two large dogs of their own and frequently walked with the friend or other dog owners in the quiet hamlet.

One woman, Bénédicte, described the couple as “absolutely adorable. We would often meet while walking our dogs around the village.” “We are very shocked, of course we are,” she said.

Lydie, a butcher who sells her goods at local markets alongside her husband, lives nearby. Their property overlooks the Searles’ home, separated only by a fallow field.

“They were a great couple who smiled a lot, and since I once lived in England, I was able to talk to them in English,” she told me. “They were well integrated and hosted an annual gathering for everyone.”

However, not everyone I approached was willing to talk. The residents’ expressions reflected the gravity of this tragedy, as their close-knit rural community grapples with the reality of a criminal investigation in their midst.

The railway crossing near the village lacks safety barriers, having only a stop sign, a testament to how little traffic passes through. Now, the presence of the Gendarmerie, the branch of the French military leading the investigation, is palpable.

While reporting live, I noticed a large car with tinted windows slowly passing by, carrying four officers from the Toulouse homicide and organized crime division, their expressions unreadable.

There is no doubt that locals are unsettled. Several Gendarmerie officers took photographs of our car, requested our identification, and urged us to remain discreet. They explained that the community was frightened and that their patrols aimed to reassure them.

Bright yellow Gendarmerie tape now secures the front gate of the Searles’ home. The dogs are gone, the swimming pool is covered, and two large candles have been placed in the driveway.

A leaflet, affixed to the gate, provides a phone number for psychological counseling and moral support from local social services. The same notice is posted on a community board in the center of the hamlet.

The Searles had retired to this region five years ago, and other mailboxes in the hamlet suggest they were not the only expatriates in the area.

This is hardly surprising; though there are no official figures, Foreign Office staff have estimated that around 30,000 British nationals live full-time in the southwest of France, making it the largest British expat population outside of Paris.

Additionally, tens of thousands more own holiday homes in this region, Occitanie, one of the fastest-growing areas of France. The region attracts not only Britons but also residents from Belgium, the Netherlands, and Paris, drawn by the quality of life, vast open spaces, relatively affordable properties, and stunning countryside and architecture.

Villefranche-de-Rouergue, a nearby town, boasts one of the region’s most beautiful medieval squares, lined with stone arcades. In summer, an open-air market fills the square with holidaymakers, many of them British, carrying woven baskets filled with local produce.

Since the couple’s deaths, various conspiracy theories have surfaced. French national television and radio outlets have frequently asked me about them.

However, the only certainty is that the prosecutor and his team are still working to determine, as he reiterated to me on Wednesday night, “whether the tragedy resulted from a domestic crime followed by suicide or involved a third party.”

Ever since the incident, I have been in contact with the prosecutor leading the case. Late this week, he disclosed that he was transferring the investigation to a senior judge in Montpellier, who has greater resources at their disposal.

I asked if this indicated a belief that both Andrew and Dawn Searle had been murdered.

He replied that nothing had been ruled out but added that if it were determined to be a double homicide and went to trial, he would lead the prosecution.

Dr. Remy Sevigne, the psychologist handling calls from the counseling hotline, told me that around a dozen individuals had reached out for support. Each one was local and personally acquainted with the couple. According to him, they were all either frightened or in shock.