In brief
A 65‑year‑old British‑South African mother, Karen Carter, was found dead in Trémolat with stab wounds. French prosecutors formally charge a woman with her murder after a prolonged inquiry that began in May 2025. The case highlights the complexities of trans‑national victimhood amid rural French communities and the challenges of justice for foreign nationals. Family members describe the victim as an outgoing, caring figure whose loss has deeply traumatized her husband and relatives.
A woman has been placed under formal investigation over the death last year in France of a British‑South African mother‑of‑four. Karen Carter, 65, was found lying near her car with stab wounds by a friend in Trémolat, a Dordogne village where she had lived for over a decade and managed two holiday rental homes.
Prosecutors say the 70‑year‑old woman was originally taken into custody in 2025 as part of preliminary inquiries before being released.
Jacques‑Edouard Andrault, the investigating judge, stated that the investigations conducted as part of the judicial inquiry opened on 7 May 2025 have led to a formal charge.
At the time of the killing in April 2025, Mrs Carter’s husband, Alan, said that he first heard of her death when a cousin contacted him after reading about the death on a local community Facebook page. He said he received confirmation after his assistant phoned local police.
Describing his wife as an outgoing, friendly person who “wouldn't hurt a fly,” he called the death traumatic for the family.
He said he had always been an introvert, whereas she “was the exact opposite” and an “extrovert” who loved people and bringing home lost pets. “Everyone liked her. That's why I married her. She's just lovely.”
