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.