Woman, 70, charged with murder of British expat Karen Carter in France
A 70-year-old woman has been charged with the murder of Karen Carter, a 65-year-old British-South African national found dead in Trémolat, Dordogne, last year.
French prosecutor Jacques-Édouard Andrault confirmed that on July 2, the investigating judge in Périgueux formally charged a 70-year-old woman with murder. The suspect, originally from Trémolat, was arrested shortly after the crime on April 30, 2025, but was released without charge. Following a judicial inquiry opened on May 7, 2025, the judge indicted her, and she has been placed under judicial supervision.
Karen Carter, a 65-year-old British-South African national, ran two holiday rentals in Trémolat: a 250-year-old renovated farmhouse and an adjacent 18th-century stone barn, collectively known as Les Chouettes. She divided her time between France and South Africa, where she lived with her husband, Alan Carter.
An autopsy revealed that Carter died from severe blood loss after being stabbed multiple times. A total of eight serious wounds were noted, including to the chest, abdomen, and forearm, as well as superficial wounds on the thigh, shoulder, and thumbs. She collapsed and died next to her car.
On the day of the attack, Carter had attended a wine-tasting party at Cafe Village Trémolat with about 15 guests, including the village mayor, Eric Chassagne. A few days later, a 69-year-old local woman was arrested but later released.
Carter was discovered by 75-year-old businessman Jean-François Guerrier, with whom she reportedly had a relationship. Her husband Alan, who was in South Africa at the time, expressed shock at the revelation that his wife had "started a relationship" with another man, saying he believed Guerrier was "just a friend of hers."
