A 70-year-old woman has been formally charged with the murder of Karen Carter, a British mother-of-four who was stabbed to death in her home in the Dordogne village of Trémolat after a wine tasting in April 2025.
Details of the attack
Karen Carter, 65, was found with multiple knife injuries after returning home from a wine tasting. An autopsy found she had catastrophic wounds, including to her aorta, and had tried to defend herself against a 'frenzied attack'. She had been living alone in a renovated farmhouse while preparing to divorce her husband, Alan Carter, who was based in South Africa.
The public prosecutor of Périgueux, Jacques-Edouard Andrault, told Sud Ouest: 'On July 2nd, the investigating judge in Périgueux formally charged a woman with murder. This 70-year-old woman, originally from Trémolat, was taken into custody on April 30, 2025, during a preliminary investigation before being released.' He added: 'Since then, the investigations conducted as part of the judicial inquiry opened on May 7, 2025 have led the investigating judge to indict her.'
Previous arrests
Neighbours of Ms Carter in Trémolat had been arrested and then released without charge in the 10 months since her death. Her French lover, retired business executive Jean-François Guerrier, 75, was originally arrested but released without charge. Karen had promised to call him when she got home safe, but when the call never came, he drove to her house and discovered her lying in a pool of blood.
Her body had eight major wounds, in the chest, groin, an arm and a leg, when it was found on April 29. Alan and Karen have four adult children who live in the UK, America, Australia and South Africa.
Tributes
Paying tribute, one friend described Karen as 'a strong businesswoman who had an air of authority about her', while another said she 'didn't have any enemies.' A Trémolat resident said last year: 'Everyone is in total shock – she was a delightful, energetic person who got on with everybody.'
