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French police formally investigate woman over 2025 killing of Briton
French investigators have formally placed a 70-year-old woman under judicial investigation over the killing of Karen Carter, a 65-year-old British-South African mother-of-four, in the Dordogne village of Trémolat in April 2025. The move marks a significant step in the case, as the suspect had previously only been held in custody for preliminary questioning before being released; a formal charge under French law indicates investigators believe there is serious evidence linking her to the crime, though it stops short of a trial referral.
Carter, who had lived in Trémolat for more than a decade and ran two holiday rental properties, was found dead near her car with stab wounds by a friend. The judicial inquiry was opened on 7 May 2025, and the investigating judge, Jacques-Edouard Andrault, confirmed this week that the investigation had led to the formal charge. Carter's husband, Alan, said he learned of her death via a cousin who had seen a local Facebook post, and described her as an outgoing, kind-hearted "extrovert" whose death had been traumatic for the family.
In short
- French woman, 70, formally charged over 2025 killing of Karen Carter
- Carter, 65, found stabbed near her car in Dordogne village Trémolat
- Judicial inquiry opened May 2025; suspect previously held then released
Explained simply
Trémolat is a village in the Dordogne, in south-west France. Karen Carter, a British-South African woman who had lived there for more than a decade, ran two holiday rental properties and was a mother of four.
In France, a judicial investigation is led by an investigating judge and examines evidence in a serious case. Being formally placed under investigation means there is serious evidence linking someone to the alleged crime, but it does not mean they have been convicted or that the case will go to trial.