Mystery after British couple found dead in villa when ‘burglary went wrong’

A British expat couple brutally murdered in France may have been hunted down by British gangsters with a grudge, investigators fear. Andrew and Dawn Searle, both in their 60s, were found dead in the rural southern hamlet of Les Pesquiès on Thursday afternoon. Andrew, a retired financial crime investigator, is said to have been hanged and had a gag in his mouth. Dawn’s naked body was reportedly found by the front door, with a wound to the head and jewellery scattered around her.

An investigating source said: ‘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. ‘This is currently the prioritised line of enquiry, because Mr Searle was once involved in the fight against organised crime and terrorism.’. Andrew is believed to have spent two decades working with British police and the UK government’s Serious Fraud Office against organised crime groups involved in money laundering.

His roles included ‘anti-bribery and corruption’ and ‘sanctions screening’, where authorities make sure business activities don’t involve individuals or groups deemed to be involved in terrorism, drug trafficking and the like. The alert was raised after the couple didn’t turn up to a planned dog walk with a neighbour, who then went to ring their doorball and didn’t receive an answer. A source near the investigation said: ‘The house is very isolated, close to thick woods, and it may have been targeted. A neighbour who goes on long walks with the couple discovered the bodies when he called round to see them. He is currently speaking to detectives.’.

According to initial reports, prosecutors aren’t ruling out ‘any theory’. No weapons were found at the scene and a forensic doctor found no bullet or knife wounds in the bodies, according to local media. Full autopsies on both bodies have been scheduled. Andrew, originally from Sussex, and Dawn, originally from Scotland, had both been married before and wedded each other in 2023. Les Pesquiès is in the department of Aveyron, near Toulouse and Montpellier.

A spokesperson for the Foreign Office said: ‘We are supporting the family of a British couple who died in France and are liaising with the Local Authorities.’. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. For more stories like this, check our news page. Arrow MORE: Educating Cardiff star accused of sexual assault and having indecent images of children. Arrow MORE: Stepdad who murdered toddler after all-nighter playing Xbox jailed for 25 years.