France - Karen Carter, 65, stabbed to death, Dordogne, 29 April 2025

[Sor Juana]

Who killed our beautiful mum? Hunt for Karen Carter’s murderer goes on

 

[indicolite22]

Who killed our beautiful mum? Hunt for Karen Carter’s murderer goes on

Interesting how only M-L's brother thinks it was a contract killing. The police apparently don't and the mayor suspects someone local.

 

[FromGermany1]

Who killed our beautiful mum? Hunt for Karen Carter’s murderer goes on

Subscribers only .....

 

[Charlot123]

What if the second attack in Tremolat was sort of a diversion? Nothing fits except for the place and “a man attacking women of Tremolat”.

I am not sure it was MLA, but there are younger, stronger, more fit woman who know how to use a knife residing in the vicinity. I think that Karen was the target and the person is known to her, although it may not be related to J-F G.

Having thought of the fact that she had a large family, and probably nephews and nieces, too. She was a wise woman. I can imagine people coming to her for advice. What if it is someone who is very angry, vindictive but not necessarily connected to her directly? Someone angry over a breakup that they blame on KC?

I think that the person knows her but there is one degree of separation between K and that person. Also, there might be some separation in time, too.

 

[indicolite22]

What if the second attack in Tremolat was sort of a diversion? Nothing fits except for the place and “a man attacking women of Tremolat”.

SBM. Wasn't the second attack denied by police? The original article claimed the attack was reported, but the police knows nothing about it.

 

[Charlot123]

SBM. Wasn't the second attack denied by police? The original article claimed the attack was reported, but the police knows nothing about it.

I think the woman could have been pushed, or maybe overreported it.

 

[Dotta]

It seems to me
that investigation got stuck in a dead-end.

The car spotted is crucial IMO.
What kind of car was it?
Has it been traced?

The alleged murderer got into the mysterious car,
left the village
and vanished into thin air!!!

JMO

 

[Sarahlou]

Interesting how only M-L's brother thinks it was a contract killing. The police apparently don't and the mayor suspects someone local.

We don't really know who the police actually suspect or not though. They are not always truthful about these things.

But I would have hoped there'd be some progress/further arrests in this case by now.

 

[Sjöberg]

I has not read that before (source):
"The first blow, to the heart, was fatal, according to the post-mortem examination."

 

[slowpoke]

It seems to me
that investigation got stuck in a dead-end.

The car spotted is crucial IMO.
What kind of car was it?
Has it been traced?

The alleged murderer got into the mysterious car,
left the village
and vanished into thin air!!!

JMO

I am not clear on this, so can anyone clarify:

Do you think the perpetrator’s car was actually seen by someone, or was a car’s presence and movements only determined through the tyre (tire) marks discovered after the murder?

 

[Dotta]

I am not clear on this, so can anyone clarify:

Do you think the perpetrator’s car was actually seen by someone, or was a car’s presence and movements only determined through the tyre (tire) marks discovered after the murder?

Quote:

"This newspaper can reveal that attention has focused on

a car that was parked at the edge of a wood half a mile away.

From here,
it is a six-minute walk
– along a faint path sandwiched between the wood and a barley field and down through the walnut grove –
to the crime scene.

After attacking Karen,
the killer is thought to have returned to the car and sped across the field
– leaving tyre marks –
before joining an isolated road, Route du Plateau,
which leads out of the village."

So ...
I guess there was a witness who spotted the car, no?

Or was it CCTV?

SECOND woman attacked in French village where British expat was killed

Yellow police tape still surrounds Karen Carter's honey-coloured stone cottage on the outskirts of Trémolat, a small village east of Bordeaux.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[slowpoke]

Quote:

"This newspaper can reveal that attention has focused on

a car that was parked at the edge of a wood half a mile away.

From here,
it is a six-minute walk
– along a faint path sandwiched between the wood and a barley field and down through the walnut grove –
to the crime scene.

After attacking Karen,
the killer is thought to have returned to the car and sped across the field
– leaving tyre marks –
before joining an isolated road, Route du Plateau,
which leads out of the village."

So ...
I guess there was a witness who spotted the car, no?

Or was it CCTV?

SECOND woman attacked in French village where British expat was killed

Yellow police tape still surrounds Karen Carter's honey-coloured stone cottage on the outskirts of Trémolat, a small village east of Bordeaux.

www.dailymail.co.uk

But then the same article also says:

'Police with dogs and forensic investigators were all over the field examining the tracks and where they think a car was parked next to the wood,' says a French woman living nearby.

—-

“…where they think a car was parked next to the wood”.

Of course, this is only words from a resident and not an official, but this line made me question if there was a witness who actually saw the car.
If so, that would be great to have some description of the vehicle.

 

[Dotta]

But then the same article also says:

'Police with dogs and forensic investigators were all over the field examining the tracks and where they think a car was parked next to the wood,' says a French woman living nearby.

—-

“…where they think a car was parked next to the wood”.

Of course, this is only words from a resident and not an official, but this line made me question if there was a witness who actually saw the car.
If so, that would be great to have some description of the vehicle.

If this car was really involved,
then I think the perp is from another area.

It might mean it is not a local resident.

The perp might have been targeting the usually empty holiday houses.
(as one resident said in this link)

With Karen suddenly appearing
and being
"at the wrong place at the wrong time."

Random.

JMO

 

[Interested_But_Confused]

I assume that when the autopsy report indicates the wounds were to the right-hand side of Karen's body, it's referring to her right, and not to the right as you look at her which would be her left.

When you face someone and strike with your right hand, you're more likely to hit their *left* side.

For all of Karen's wounds to be on her right side and seemingly coming from a rightward direction, it would suggest to me that she was either attacked from the front by a left-handed assailant, or that she was attacked from behind by a right-handed assailant.

There don't seem to be very many defensive wounds given the ferocity of the attack. I suspect Karen was caught by surprise from behind, and hopefully knew very little about what was happening.

 

[slowpoke]

I assume that when the autopsy report indicates the wounds were to the right-hand side of Karen's body, it's referring to her right, and not to the right as you look at her which would be her left.

When you face someone and strike with your right hand, you're more likely to hit their *left* side.

For all of Karen's wounds to be on her right side and seemingly coming from a rightward direction, it would suggest to me that she was either attacked from the front by a left-handed assailant, or that she was attacked from behind by a right-handed assailant.

There don't seem to be very many defensive wounds given the ferocity of the attack. I suspect Karen was caught by surprise from behind, and hopefully knew very little about what was happening.

The latest article posted by @Sjöberg said she was attacked from the front (bolded by me):

“It is believed her killer lay in wait and lunged from the shadows as she got out of her car, stabbing her eight times from the front. The first blow, to the heart, was fatal, according to the post-mortem examination.”

Who killed our beautiful mum? Hunt for Karen Carter’s murderer goes on

Two months on, the killer of the British mother in the Dordogne village of Trémolat is still at large. Her family are tormented by her violent death

www.thetimes.com

 

[Sjöberg]

For all of Karen's wounds to be on her right side and seemingly coming from a rightward direction

If the first blow was to hear heart, as reported, then it is unlikely to be to her right side.
The others, however, might have been.
Has the autopsy information been made public? (I don't think so, but just in case it has)

 

[Interested_But_Confused]

The latest article posted by @Sjöberg said she was attacked from the front (bolded by me):

“It is believed her killer lay in wait and lunged from the shadows as she got out of her car, stabbing her eight times from the front. The first blow, to the heart, was fatal, according to the post-mortem examination.”

Who killed our beautiful mum? Hunt for Karen Carter’s murderer goes on

Two months on, the killer of the British mother in the Dordogne village of Trémolat is still at large. Her family are tormented by her violent death

www.thetimes.com

Then a left-handed assailant?

 

[Interested_But_Confused]

If the first blow was to hear heart, as reported, then it is unlikely to be to her right side.
The others, however, might have been.
Has the autopsy information been made public? (I don't think so, but just in case it has)

This was originally posted earlier in the thread with bolding by me. All major injuries were to the right-hand side:

Individual injuries were described here:

Meurtre d'une Britannique tuée par arme blanche : la voisine de 69 ans placée en garde à vue a été relâchée

L'enquête pour homicide volontaire se poursuit à Trémolat, en Dordogne, après le meurtre d'une Britannique de 65 ans, ce mardi 29 avril. Le rapport des médecins légistes relève huit blessures par arme blanche sur le corps...

france3-regions.francetvinfo.fr

Automatic translation:

Eight injuries were noted by the forensic doctors, confirming the violence of the blows and "the intention to kill": two wounds to the right thorax affecting the aorta and the hemopericardium and the other affecting the liver, an abdominal wound crossing the right kidney and down to the lumbar spine, a wound to the right forearm crossing the limb from side to side.

The other injuries to the thigh, shoulder and thumb were superficial. Considering the areas affected, the victim died very quickly due to massive bleeding.

 

[slowpoke]

This was originally posted earlier in the thread with bolding by me. All major injuries were to the right-hand side:

Since most people are right-handed, if the murderer is a lefty that would be a great clue.

I was interested to know what a hemopericardium was, but it turns out it is not a body part. It is a condition that refers to when there is the presence of blood in the pericardial sac of the heart.

Hemopericardium - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

(Since the original is in French, it’s could be just the translation made it sound like a body part. Or maybe it’s just me…my comprehension, .)

 

[Interested_But_Confused]

Since most people are right-handed, if the murderer is a lefty that would be a great clue.

I was interested to know what a hemopericardium was, but it turns out it is not a body part. It is a condition that refers to when there is the presence of blood in the pericardial sac of the heart.

Hemopericardium - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

(Since the original is in French, it’s could be just the translation made it sound like a body part. Or maybe it’s just me…my comprehension, .)

It might just be a mistranslation or an indicator of damage to the heart.

I think it's very important that all wounds were seemingly front-to-back and right-to left. IMO the wounds tell one of two equally important things: either the assailant was left-handed, or the assailant was tall enough to reach over/around Karen and strike her in the front from behind.