Andrew and Dawn Searle were found dead in their home in France on Thursday, with cops keeping an open mind to all possible scenarios which resulted in their deaths
This chilling CCTV footage marks the last time a British man was seen alive, before he and his wife were found dead at their French residence mere hours later.
A police investigation is underway after the lifeless bodies of Andrew, 62, and Dawn Searle, 56, were discovered in the quaint village of Les Pesquies, situated north of Toulouse, on Thursday. The video clip captured Andrew making a purchase of a chocolate bar and two Euro Lottery tickets from a local tobacconist on Wednesday, just before 6pm.
Isabelle Palazy, the shopkeeper, recounted her encounter with the Brit, saying: “I just couldn’t believe it when I heard the news.
“He and Dawn were regular customers. He would come in every day and buy Fortuna Blue cigarettes. 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.
“Thinking that they were to die less than 24 hours later makes me go cold, I just can’t believe it. They were a lovely couple, always happy and chatting and they spoke reasonably good French.
“He was working on his house, and he would come and boy chocolate bars here, KitKat and Kinder were his favourite.”
This revelation comes after a neighbour reported seeing Andrew – a former financial investigator who worked against organised crime – appear distressed during a dog walk the day before his untimely demise, reports Mirror.
A source revealed: “I saw them the day before they were found, they were walking the dogs and Andrew was on the phone. He was very agitated, and he was arguing in English, he just waved at me and then carried on.”
Family friend, Odile Marian, alongside her husband Christophe, remembered Andrew being annoyed about his garage door being left open. She added: “He had seen the door of his garage was open, although he was sure he had closed it.
“So he was searching for who opened his garage. And he didn’t find who did it. We don’t know if it’s connected. Maybe it was him who left it open, but he was certain he had closed it.”
Last night, Andrew’s father Fred Searle, 88, from Littlehampton, West Sussex, shared his sorrow following his son’s tragic demise. He said: “We’ve got thousands of questions and very few answers.”
Police have proposed several theories regarding the newlywed’s deaths.
Initially, officers thought Andrew, originally from West Sussex, and Dawn, from Scotland, were killed during a botched burglary at their secluded home.
New evidence then hinted they may have been targeted by hitmen, with Andrew being a former organised crime investigator.
Reports also surfaced suggesting that Andrew may have been tortured prior to his tragic death. Dawn had sustained a head injury and was discovered near the front door in her pyjamas amidst scattered jewellery.
Investigators have stated they are considering “all leads”.
Prosecutor Nicolas Rigot-Muller dropped a bombshell, saying the couple suffered a “violent death”.
Last night Andrew’s father Fred Searle, 88, from Littlehampton, West Sussex, expressed his grief following his son’s tragic death. He said: “All leads remain under serious consideration.”
Pressed on whether they’re looking at a murder-suicide scenario, Rigot-Muller admitted: “It’s being considered.”
Investigators also revealed 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 tomorrow (Monday) as the couple’s home continues to be searched for clues. Mr Searle is said to have moved his family to France a decade ago.
A spokesperson for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: “We are supporting the family of a British couple who died in France and are liaising with the local authorities.”