Post-mortem exams happen today. Cops are checking couple’s phones in France amid mystery over violent deaths.
The couple didn’t show up for a dog walk, and people found them dead last Thursday. Their home was near Villefranche-de-Rouergue. Andrew was seen buying things on CCTV, including chocolate and lottery tickets.
Andrew was found hanged inside the house. Dawn was seemingly beaten to death outside in her pajamas. The prosecutor, Nicolas Rigot-Muller, said autopsies occurred in Montpellier, and details will come at a Tuesday press conference.
The prosecutor said things are very open and it’s too early to say much. He stated he needs to stay alert, and they aren’t favoring any theory right now. He can’t say if they seek a suspect, but confirmed no arrests have occurred.
Both deaths were violent, he said, but he can’t yet confirm homicide. Detectives found vital clues on their phones; Andrew’s phone is “particularly helpful.” He made animated calls recently, giving the detectives important insights.
One idea is a murder-suicide. Other ideas include a burglary gone wrong, and a hitman might be involved. This could relate to Andrew’s anti-fraud work, as he worked with banks like Barclays.
The town’s mayor, Jean-Sébastien Orcibal, said the inquiry continues and they await the results. Evidence was collected and sealed; they will analyze it to find out what happened. The police checked the house at first, looking for a possible perpetrator, then collected fingerprints. They don’t know the post-mortem results yet, and everyone is waiting for the prosecutor’s statement.
The mayor married them in 2023 and also knew them as neighbors, as he lives in Pesquies, too. They socialized and got to know each other. He stated they were well integrated into the area.
Relatives flew to France and are talking to the police there. The UK Foreign Office is helping them. Dawn was found with a head wound near the door, and jewelry was scattered around her.
No weapons were at the scene, and initial exams found no knife wounds. There also were no bullet wounds, a source said. CCTV showed Andrew buying items Wednesday, the day before they were found.
He bought two lottery tickets and a chocolate bar around 6 p.m. Andrew’s father, Fred Searle, is 88 and has “thousands of questions” now. Fred went to Toulouse, near his son’s home.
Friends described Andrew and Dawn as happy. A family friend, Odile Marian, said they never felt threatened and never spoke about threats. “I don’t know anyone who didn’t like them,” Odile said.
Isabelle Palazy is a shopkeeper who served Andrew at the newsagents. She couldn’t believe the news, as Andrew and Dawn were regular customers. He bought cigarettes daily, and the day before, he seemed happy.
He chatted and bought things. “Thinking they were to die makes me cold,” she stated. They were a lovely, happy couple who spoke good French.