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A homicide probe has been launched after a British couple of their early sixties have been discovered useless at their house in southwest France.
Detectives worry gangsters with “a score to settle” could have murdered Andrew Searle, a former organised crime investigator, and his spouse, Dawn.
Their our bodies are thought to have been found by a neighbour at round 12.20pm on Thursday in Les Pesquiès, south of Villefranche-de-Rouergue.
Mr Searle was discovered of their home and Mrs Searle was exterior, close to the entrance door, with jewelry scattered round her.
Town mayor Jean-Sébastien Orcibal mentioned the deaths have been “clearly a homicide” and dismissed hypothesis that it was a “burglary gone wrong”. He mentioned it was not a “family tragedy”, which means they didn’t take their very own lives or kill one another.
The couple moved to France from Scotland a decade in the past after Mr Searle spent his profession preventing organised crime and terrorism. This included tackling money-laundering synicates in international locations the place sanctions have been imposed, resembling Russia.
Mr Searle reportedly additionally labored in monetary crime prevention at Standard Life and Barclays financial institution.
The space round their home has been became an intensive crime scene, the place forensic groups have been attempting to find proof. A helicopter and drones flew overhead within the seek for clues.
The house and its grounds remained cordoned off on Friday, and gendarmes – French police – have been finishing up house-to-house enquiries.
An investigating supply mentioned: “A criminal enquiry has been launched and the fear is that the couple were murdered.
“They were very fit, and very popular locally, but there is a theory that they were being pursued by criminals from the United Kingdom.
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The village is north of Toulouse (Google Maps)
“This is currently the prioritised line of enquiry, because Mr Searle was once involved in the fight against organised crime and terrorism.”
The supply added: “It may well be that gangsters with a score to settle are behind these killings.”
The couple have been described as being “well integrated” within the village.
One neighbour mentioned: “Andy and Dawn were lovely – hearing about this is extremely distressing.
“They were extremely friendly, and always out and about. What has happened has caused a lot of fear.”
Another native supply mentioned the Searles “had numerous friends locally and further afield including in Britain, and often organised dinner parties”.
He added: “They both loved the countryside, and were very happily settled.”
The couple’s indifferent property features a two-bedroom flat that was repeatedly occupied by paying guests.
The Searles marketed their “gite” (vacation house) extensively on-line.
There is a swimming pool, and past it thick woods that put the home in an remoted place, away from the centre of the hamlet.
Villefranche-de-Rouergue, which is within the Aveyron division, is well-liked with British expats, and UK holiday-home homeowners.
A spokesperson for the UK’s Foreign Office mentioned: “We are supporting the family of a British couple who died in France and are liaising with the local authorities.”
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