What happened to Callum Kerr’s mother? Virgin River star speaks out against funeral for stepdad suspected in wife’s death

Hollywood Actor and singer Callum Kerr recently issued a statement urging people not to attend his stepfather's funeral, as the man is suspected of the murder of Kerr's mother.

For those unfamiliar, on February 6, 2025, Callum Kerr's mother, Dawn Searle, and stepfather, Andrew Searle, were found dead in their home in the village of Les Pesquiès, France.

According to People Magazine, while the investigation is still ongoing, French prosecutors believe the case to be a murder-suicide. They have ruled out third-party involvement, stating that Dawn, 56, was killed by her husband, 62, who then took his own life.

"The investigation is ongoing, particularly to determine whether the tragedy resulted from a domestic crime followed by suicide or involved a third party," prosecutors stated.

Meanwhile, Callum and his sister Amanda released a joint statement on Instagram on August 19, regarding funeral arrangements for Andrew Searle. In the statement, they urged their mothers' friends not to attend their husbands' funerals.

Referencing the ongoing investigations, the siblings stated:

"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 … There is also no evidence whatsoever of any third party’s involvement at this stage."

They stated that even though the investigation hasn't officially concluded, the current facts strongly suggest that Andrew was responsible for their mother's death. For this reason, firmly asked that their mother not be associated with Andrew's funeral in any way in the funeral arrangements being made for Andrew.

"Please do not share photographs of them together. Please do not attend Andrew's service if you were a friend of out mother. It would be inappropriate for her memory to be associated with a service honouring, my have been responsible for her death. We ask for understanding, privacy and respect as we continue to grieve and seek justice for our mum," they added.

Callum Kerr walked his mother down the aisle at her wedding to Andrew Searle

In September 2023, Callum Kerr walked her deceased mother down the aisle when she married Andrew in France. In an Instagram post, uploaded on September 10, 2023, Kerr 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."

The couple's bodies were found by their neighbours around 12:00 p.m., after the couple failed to show up for a planned dog walk. Dawn was found naked outside the house with "multiple blows to the head with a blunt and sharp-edged object" and pieces of jewelry scattered nearby. Her husband, Andrew, was found hanged inside the house.

A now-deleted statement on Instagram from Callum, posted after his mother's death, stated:

"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. No family member is available for media interviews or comments. We kindly request that their privacy be respected during this difficult period."

Andrew Searle, who was a retired fraud examiner, and Dawn, who was formerly a project manager, lived in rural France for around 10 years, per US Weekly.