
Grieving family of Hollyoaks star's mum killed ‘in horror murder-suicide' in France ban joint funeral from taking place
Brit expats Andrew and Dawn Searle both died in February at their remote home in Les Pesquiès, north of Toulouse, France.
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Financial crime buster Andrew, 62, was found hanging from a radiator while wife Dawn, 56, suffered multiple blows to the head.
Police initially probed whether it was a gangland hit linked to his former job, but are now treating the tragedy as a murder-suicide.
Dawn's heartbroken son Callum Kerr, an actor and singer, and his grieving sister Amanda want their mum left out of her husband's funeral.
They have 'firmly' requested Andrew's family not to include her in their service and urged Dawn's friends not to go or post pictures of the couple together.
Callum and Amanda wrote in a family statement posted on their social media today: 'It would be inappropriate for her memory to be associated with a service honouring the man who, based on all available evidence, may have been responsible for her death.'
The siblings claim murder-suicide is the 'prevailing hypothesis', adding: 'There is also no evidence whatsoever of any third party's involvement at this stage'.
They will be climbing Sicily's Mount Etna to mark what would have been their mum's 58th birthday on May 18 next year.
A GoFundMe page in their mum's previous name Dawn Kerr has raised more than £3,400 for domestic violence charity Women's Aid.
It reads: 'In February, our mum was taken from us. There's no way to put into words how that feels.
'But we're hoping this challenge brings some good into the world in her name.
Home birth influencer arrested over death of baby 'after leaving mum in labour for TWO DAYS without calling ambulance
'We want to create something that reflects who she truly was, and to change what comes up when people search her name.
'This is for Dawn Kerr. Always.'
Dawn's son, Callum, is best known for playing PC George Kiss in the Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks between 2020 and 2021.
Callum also starred in Netflix 's Virgin River - playing young Everett, Mel's father, in the most recent series.
The 30-year-old has over 135,000 monthly listeners on Spotify and released his new track Cold Beer Cold just hours after his mum's death.
Dawn was found lying in front of her house, partly undressed, while Andrew was found hanged from a radiator.
It remains unclear when exactly the pair died.
A post-mortem found Dawn died from a "significant head wound" but it remains unclear how long she received that before the shocking discovery of their bodies.
Police said she suffered "multiple blows to the head with a blunt and sharp-edged object."
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Daily Mail
42 minutes ago
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The Sun
7 hours ago
- The Sun
Troubling last days of ‘anxious' killer mom Emily Long, 34, who documented final struggles before shooting family
DEVASTATING information has emerged about the last days of a New Hampshire family before the mom killed her husband and two kids. Emily Long, 34, admitted she felt "lonely" and "anxious" in video diaries online before she shot her family to death on Monday. 12 12 She killed her husband, Ryan Long, 48, their son, Parker, 8, and their daughter, Ryan, 6, in the family's home before turning the gun on herself at around 5:30 am, police said. A toddler was left uninjured at the scene. Police haven't released a motive for the murder-suicide and urged the public not to speculate because the family appeared to be facing multiple issues before the tragedy. In the months before the massacre, Emily documented her declining mental state on TikTok in the wake of her husband's diagnosis with terminal glioblastoma, which is an aggressive brain cancer. Emily spoke openly about her grief over preparing for Ryan's death in her "digital diary" with more than 6,000 followers on her now-private TikTok account. She asked for advice from other people affected by cancer and provided emotional updates about her husband's condition, often speaking about how exhausted and afraid for the future she was. Two weeks before the tragedy, Emily admitted she needed professional help before it was "too late." 'I feel very, very lonely. I feel so anxious,' she said in a video. Emily said she was "withering away" and that it was only getting worse, but that she wasn't ready to see a therapist or ask for help yet. "I know that I will [get help] one day, and I hope that I make the decision before I feel that it's too late,' she said. Heartbreak as surviving toddler is found in Madbury home with bodies of two adults and two children Another video showed the aftermath of Emily crying in her car alone, as she said she was "feeling sorry for myself today." She tearfully said she was overwhelmed with grief, worry, and fear over her family's future if she became a widowed single mom. "It's just hard to have this life and have absolutely nothing in my control. It's a waiting game, I am just monitoring symptoms," she said. School district's statement The school district where Ryan Long worked as a psychologist released the following statement to The U.S. Sun on Wednesday: The Oyster River Cooperative School District community is heartbroken by the tragic loss of four community members. We extend our deepest sympathies to all those impacted during this incredibly difficult time. We have partnered with local school districts and organizations to provide mental health support for our students and their families, and our staff. As we prepare for the coming school year, our commitment remains to the well-being of our students, staff, and their families. Out of respect for everyone involved, we will not be making further comments. Source: ORCSD In other videos, more of the Long's family life was shown. In a seven-minute video, Emily praised her husband, a school psychologist, and described him as her "complete opposite." In another clip, she said, 'The grand finale! This week has been SO hard. I am so beat, we are so beat. "I can't leave my husband alone right now so it's been a lot. Thankful for every single one of you here for being my sounding board.' Another post showed Emily holding and comforting her six-year-old daughter, who asked if her dad was "done resting yet." "Lots of these moments lately," she captioned the video. 12 12 FINAL WEEK Just last week, she explained in a video that dad Ryan was suffering seizures, and that she planned to practice calling 911 with her kids in case they ever needed to help him in an emergency. She said her followers could expect a video about their staged practice this week. On Saturday, in her final post on the platform, Emily vowed to make a positive change in her life after spiraling into a recent depression. "OKAY! I'm making strides to get better," she captioned the video. "All I want to do is hide under a blanket with my kids, but that isn't healthy for them and it's not healthy for me." She continued, "Today I decided I need to make a conscious effort to shift my mindset. I'm getting out of this depression whether I want to or not." 12 12 12 In that final TikTok post, the mom said she planned to take her kids to the neighbor's house to play outside. "I am determined to create normalcy," she vowed. It appeared the mom curated some semblance of regular family life in the Longs' final days. "It was a perfect family as far as we knew. It's just shocking. We didn't see it coming," neighbor Beverly Ketel told CBS affiliate WBZ-TV. While investigators are becoming aware of various concerns/issues ongoing in the household at the time of the event in question, people should avoid speculating that this event was caused by a single reason or stressor. New Hampshire Attorney General's Office Emily's Facebook profile never showed a sign of the family's struggles, only showcasing pictures of the family of five smiling before dad Ryan's diagnosis in April. Neighbors on Moharimet Drive recalled her kids recently having a lemonade stand in their residential cul-de-sac, WBZ-TV reported. On Sunday, just hours before the murders, Emily saved nail and clothing inspirations to her Pinterest boards. Then on Monday morning, she shot her husband multiple times and shot both of the children in the head, according to autopsy results by the chief medical examiner. Their deaths were ruled a homicide. She shot herself in the head. Her death was ruled a suicide. Attorney General John M. Formella, New Hampshire State Police Colonel Mark B. Hall, and Madbury Police Department Chief Joseph McGann announce that autopsies have been completed on the bodies of Ryan Long (48), Emily Long (34), Parker Long (8), and Ryan Long (6) discovered inside their home in Madbury on Monday August 18, 2025. Associate Chief Medical Examiner Abigail Alexander conducted autopsies today on both minors Parker Long and Ryan Long. Dr. Alexander determined that both children's causes of death were single gunshot wounds of the head, and their manners of death are homicide. Chief Medical Examiner Jennie V. Duval conducted autopsies on both adults, Ryan Long and Emily Long. Dr. Duval determined that Mr. Long's cause of death was multiple gunshot wounds, and his manner of death is homicide. Dr. Duval determined that Emily Long's cause of death was a single gunshot wound of the head, and her manner of death is suicide. Based upon the information available at this time, it appears that in the early morning hours of Monday, August 18, 2025, Ms. Long took a handgun from the home and caused the deaths of Ryan Long and her two children, Parker and Ryan, and then took her own life immediately thereafter. While investigators are becoming aware of various concerns/issues ongoing in the household at the time of the event in question, people should avoid speculating that this event was caused by a single reason or stressor. Citizens in crisis are reminded that they can call, text or chat with the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 9-8-8, or contact the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741. No further information is expected to be released at this time. Source: New Hampshire DOJ The family's third child, a toddler, was found uninjured in the house when New Hampshire state troopers arrived in response to a 911 call saying people were dead inside. The callers haven't been identified. The toddler is now safe with other family members. The neighbors are taking care of the Longs' two dogs. Officials haven't confirmed that dad Ryan had brain cancer at the time of his death because his medical records haven't been made available, Associate Attorney General Chris Bond told The U.S. Sun. "While investigators are becoming aware of various concerns/issues ongoing in the household at the time of the event in question, people should avoid speculating that this event was caused by a single reason or stressor," the AG's office said on Wednesday. If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, chat on or text Crisis Text Line at 741741. 12 12