Friends of mum killed in 'murder-suicide' urged not to attend husband's funeral
The bodies of Andrew Searle and Dawn Kerr, originally from Musselburgh, were discovered by a neighbour at their home in Les Pesquiés, south of Villefranche-de-Rouergue, France in February.
The couple had lived in the area for around ten years and were 'well integrated' into the community.
Following a post-mortem, French police confirmed that Searle died from hanging and Ms Kerr suffered 'several blows to the skull using a blunt and sharp object'.
Prosecutor Fabrice Belargent said that 'the analysis carried out did not so far show any evidence that a third party was involved'.
In a statement shared on social media, Ms Kerr's son, musician Callum Kerr, and sister Amanda, said that the 'prevailing hypothesis remains that of a murder-suicide'. STV News Dawn Kerr and Andrew Searle were found dead at their home in France
They added: 'There is also no evidence whatsoever of any third party's involvement at this stage.
'While the official investigation is still ongoing, we cannot ignore the circumstances as they stand.'
The children have asked that their mother not be included in 'any way' in the funeral arrangements being made for Searle.
Their statement adds: 'Please do not share photographs of them together.
'Please do not attend Andrew's service if you were a friend of our mother.
'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.
'We ask for understanding, privacy and respect as we continue to grieve and seek justice for our mum.'
A statement issued by French prosecutors in February said: 'The two deceased persons, a man and a woman, were the owners of the house in which their bodies were discovered.
'They were British expatriates, retired, and had been living in Aveyron for five years.
'The first victim, Ms Kerr, has a significant head injury.
'A box containing jewellery was found near to her, but no item or weapon which could have caused the injuries were located.
'Mr Searle, who was found hanged … did not show any visible defensive injuries.'
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