A pensioner has been charged with the murder of Karen Carter who was found stabbed to death after a wine tasting.
Karen Carter, 65, was stabbed repeatedly after she returned home within the idyllic Dordogne village of Trémolat, east of Bordeaux, in April last 12 months.
The mum-of-four had tried to defend against the ‘frenzied attack,’ which left her with catastrophic wounds, including to her aorta, the autopsy found.
She had been living alone in a renovated farmhouse, while preparing to divorce her husband, Alan Carter, who was based 10,000 miles away, in South Africa.
A 70-year-old woman, originally taken into custody in 2025 before being released, has now been formally charged together with her murder.
The general public prosecutor of Périgueux, Jacques-Edouard Andrault, told Sud Ouest: ‘On July 2nd, the investigating judge in Périgueux formally charged a girl with murder.
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‘This 70-year-old woman, originally from Trémolat, was taken into custody on April 30, 2025, during a preliminary investigation before being released.’
The prosecutor added: ‘Since then, the investigations conducted as a part of the judicial inquiry opened on May 7, 2025 have led the investigating judge to indict her.’
Neighbours of Ms Carter in Trémolat have been arrested after which released at no cost within the 10 months since she was found with multiple knife injuries.
Ms Carter’s French lover, retired business executive Jean-François Guerrier, 75, was originally arrested over the killing after police found Ms Carter’s body, but has since been released at no cost.
Karen had promised to call Jean-Francois when she got home protected, but when the decision never arrived, he drove to her house and discovered her lying in a pool of blood.
Her body had eight major wounds, within the chest, groin, an arm and a leg, when it was found on April 29.
Alan and Karen have 4 adult children together – two daughters and two sons – and so they live within the UK, America, Australia and South Africa.
Paying tribute to her, one friend described Karen as ‘a powerful businesswoman who had an air of authority about her’, while one other said she ‘didn’t have any enemies.’
A Trémolat resident, who wished to stay anonymous, said last 12 months: ‘Everyone seems to be in total shock – she was a pleasant, energetic one that got on with everybody.’
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