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Hollyoaks star begs pals of 'murdered' East Lothian mum to avoid stepdad's funeral
The family of an East Lothian woman who was found dead in a French home in a suspected murder-suicide have issued a statement urging people not to attend the funeral of their stepdad.
Andrew Searle and his wife Dawn Kerr were tragically found dead at their property in Les Pesquiès, south of Villefranche-de-Rouergue.
A neighbour grew concerned and discovered the bodies of Andrew, 62, and Dawn, 56, earlier this year.
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Dawn, who was originally from Musselburgh, was found lying outside the front door with jewellery scattered around her, while furniture was flipped inside the property, reports the Record.
Mr Seale was found hanged with a gag in his mouth and it was initially believed the couple had been attacked in a staged robbery. Detectives later suspected, however, that the husband killed his wife before taking his own life.
Now Callum - who has appeared in Channel 4 soap Hollyoaks and in Virgin River on Netflix - has issued a statement alongside his sister Amanda, where they urged people not to attend the funeral.
In a lengthy statement shared online, the pair said: "In the absence of any evidence suggesting third-party involvement in the tragic death of our mother, Dawn Kerr, the prevailing hypothesis remains that of a murder-suicide.
"Our mother was killed by multiple blows to the head, and Andrew was found deceased by hanging. His injuries are consistent with self-hanging, and no defensive wounds were found on his body. 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. For this reason, we must respectfully but firmly request that our mother not be included in any way in the funeral arrangements being made for Andrew. Please do not share photographs of them together."
They added: "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."
Dawn and Andrew Searle married in September 2023 and were originally from Musselburgh, in East Lothian.
Callum was beside his mother as she tied the knot with Andrew just two years ago. Sharing photos from the big day online at the time, he wrote: "Not many people can say they walked their own mother down the aisle. What a pleasure!! I love you mum. Congrats to Dawn and Andy on their wonderful wedding day and here's to a tremendous life together for the happy couple."
Dawn and Andrew had moved from Scotland to Les Pesquies, near Toulouse, southern France, 10 years ago to start a new life.
The pair were retired but Dawn worked from time to time as a project manager and Andrew did freelance financial work. The area where they lived has always been popular with British expats and those who own property abroad and the Searles regularly held dinner parties and gathering for their friends nearby.
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