Virgin River actor Callum Kerr is speaking out about the funeral of his stepfather, Andrew Searle, who is suspected of killing Kerr’s mom, Dawn, in a murder-suicide in February.
Kerr, 31, posted a joint Instagram statement with his sister Amanda on Tuesday, August 19, urging loved ones not to attend Andrew’s funeral, nor for the service to include mention of his late mother.
The bodies of Andrew and Dawn were found at their home in Les Pesquiés in the Aveyron region of France on February 6. In April, French officials deemed the deaths murder followed by suicide, per BBC News.
“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,” Kerr said in the joint statement with his sister. “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.”
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Kerr and his sibling continued, “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. Please do not attend Andrew’s service if you were a friend of our mother,” the brother and sister said. “It would be inappropriate for her memory to be associated with a service honoring 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.”
Scotland-born Kerr is best known for playing PC George Kiss on British soap opera Hollyoaks. He recently appeared in flashbacks in Virgin River season 6 as a younger version of Everett Reid, main character Mel’s (Alexandra Breckenridge) biological father. He will next be seen as Smoker in the second season of Netflix’s live-action adaptation of One Piece.
As well as acting, Kerr, who resides in Nashville, is also a country singer and recently released his debut EP, Roots Under Me.
Andrew and Dawn’s bodies were discovered in February when a neighbor checked in on them after they failed to appear for a planned dog walk, the BBC reported at the time.
In April, the BBC reported that Dawn’s body was found in the garden with severe head wounds, citing local officials. Andrew’s body was found inside the couple’s home. The prosecutor in charge of the case told the outlet there was no evidence that there was anyone else involved in the deaths.
The British couple lived in rural France for around 10 years and got married in September 2023. Kerr walked his mother down the aisle, per the BBC.
If you or someone you know are experiencing domestic violence, please call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 for confidential support.
