Woman, 70, charged over death of British mother stabbed to death in her home in France | World | News

French police have finally charged someone over the death of an expat British mum-of-four who was brutally attacked and stabbed to death in her own home in France. Karen Carter, 65, was killed by someone at her pretty property in the village of Trémolat in the Dordogne region of France on April 29 last year.

Mrs Carter was found by a friend lying by her car in a pool of blood, having suffered multiple stab wounds. She had lived in the beautiful village a few miles east of the town of Bergerac for over a decade, managing two holiday homes.

At the time of her death, Mrs Carter’s husband, Alan, was in South Africa and only heard about his wife’s death through a cousin who read about it on a community Facebook page.

Mr Carter, 66, described his wife as an “extrovert” who loved people and that she was “just lovely”.

French police said the 70-year-old suspect under formal investigation over Mrs Cater’s death was originally detained in 2025 but was later released.

In a statement released on Wednesday, French investigating judge Jacques-Edouard Andrault said: “On July 2, 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.

“Since then, the investigations conducted as part of the judicial inquiry opened on May 7, 2025, have led the investigating judge to indict her.”

Judge Andrault said the suspect was formally charge with premeditated murder on July 2, and was currently under “judicial supervision” because of her age.

Mail Online reports at the time of her death, French police said Mrs Carter had been stabbed eight times with one blow “penetrating the aorta”. Her cause of death was listed as a “massive haemorrhage”.

Dordogne Libre, a local French newspaper, reported previously that the woman arrested over the death of Mrs Carter attended the same community café.

Mrs Carter spent her time living between South Africa and the UK and she and her husband owned their property, called Les Chouettes, for around 15 years. The couple have four adult children, two sons and two daughters.

Mrs Carter was a keen sportswoman and on the day of her death trained with a local football team made up of women aged 50 to 70.