Virgin River actor Callum Kerr is in mourning following the deaths of his mother, Dawn Searle, and stepfather, Andrew Searle, who were found dead in their home in France on Thursday, February 6.
On Saturday, February 8, Kerr posted a statement on Instagram, speaking on behalf of himself and his siblings.
“At this time, Callum Kerr and Amanda Kerr are grieving the loss of their mother, Dawn Searle (née Smith, Kerr), while Tom Searle and Ella Searle are mourning the loss of their father, Andrew Searle,” the statement said. “No family member is available for media interviews or comments. We kindly request that their privacy be respected during this difficult period. We will provide updates where appropriate. Thank you for your understanding.”
A neighbor discovered Dawn and Andrew dead at their home in Les Pesquiès — a hamlet in a rural area north of Toulouse in southwest France — on Thursday after the couple didn’t show up to a scheduled dog walk, according to BBC Scotland News.
Jean-Sébastien Orcibal, the mayor of nearby Villefranche-de-Rouergue, said on French television the Searles’ deaths were “clearly a homicide,” the outlet adds.
Nicolas Rigot-Muller, the regional prosecutor leading the investigation into the Searles’ death, said the couple had “both died a violent death,” per The Telegraph.
Dawn and Andrew moved to Les Pesquiès from Scotland about 10 years ago, BBC Scotland Newsreports. They married in 2023, with Kerr walking Dawn down the aisle. “Not many people can say they walked their own mother down the aisle,” the actor wrote on Instagram at the time. “What a pleasure. I love you, mum.”
Odile Marian, who lives a five-minute walk from the Searles’ home in Les Pesquiès, described the deceased as a “serene couple” in an interview with The Telegraph.
“They were not stressed, they were not anguished. They were happy people living a happy life,” Marian added. “I don’t know anybody who didn’t like the couple. It would be impossible to [dislike them]. Generous, open people, it was impossible not to appreciate them.”
A spokesperson for the United Kingdom’s Foreign Office told BBC Scotland News, “We are supporting the family of a British couple who died in France and are liaising with the local authorities.”
