A British woman stabbed to death in France planned to divorce her husband after starting a new relationship, a friend has claimed.
Mother of four Karen Carter, 65, was happy after meeting businessman Jean-Francois Guerrier but kept quiet about it, said the fellow expat.
Mr Guerrier, 74, found Ms Carter as she lay dying in a pool of blood on Tuesday near her holiday home in the idyllic village of Tremolat in Dordogne.
The friend told The Mail on Sunday: ‘I’ve known Karen for a while.
‘She seemed to be someone fully in control of her life, a strong businesswoman who had an air of authority about her.
‘I heard that she was trying to divorce her husband in South Africa but he wasn’t keen on that.
‘Karen had apparently been in a relationship with Jean-Francois Guerrier for a few weeks. It was really early days.
‘By all accounts she was very happy in that new relationship but she kept it quiet and was quite modest about it.’
A British woman stabbed to death in France planned to divorce her husband after starting a new relationship, a friend has claimed. Mother of four Karen Carter, 65, was happy after meeting businessman Jean-Francois Guerrier but kept quiet about it, said the fellow expat. Pictured: Pictured: Ms Carter with her husband Alan
Mr Guerrier (pictured), 74, found Ms Carter as she lay dying in a pool of blood on Tuesday near her holiday home in the idyllic village of Tremolat in Dordogne
The British-South African national was found sprawled on the ground with eight stab wounds over her chest, groin, arm and leg outside her guest house. Pictured: Karen Carter’s home in Tremolat
A female relative of Mr Guerrier said: ‘He doesn’t want to say anything but he’s fine.’
Mr Guerrier discovered Ms Carter’s body after she did not confirm she had returned home safely following a wine-tasting event they attended.
The British-South African national was found sprawled on the ground with eight stab wounds over her chest, groin, arm and leg outside her guest house.
A post-mortem examination revealed she most likely ‘tried to defend herself from a frenzied attack’. Police questioned Mr Guerrier but he was released without charge.
Ms Carter had been in a relationship with the former managing director for Fujitsu Services for ‘several weeks’, the state prosecutor’s office said.
Her husband Alan Carter, a former London Stock Exchange worker who has remained at the family home in South Africa, claimed the pair were just friends.
A 69-year-old woman, known to Ms Carter and her husband, was arrested and her property in the village searched but she was released without charge on Friday.
Officers were yesterday scouring woodland near Ms Carter’s property as they search for the murder weapon.
The investigation is concentrating on those who knew the victim amid suspicions she was killed by someone who held a ‘grudge’ against her.
Ms Carter (pictured) had been in a relationship with the former managing director for Fujitsu Services for ‘several weeks’, the state prosecutor’s office said
Officers were yesterday scouring woodland near Ms Carter’s property as they search for the murder weapon
Her husband Alan Carter, a former London Stock Exchange worker who has remained at the family home in South Africa, claimed the pair were just friends
The farmhouse and barn sleeps 16 in total and is a popular holiday rental. The couple owned two other properties near Tremolat
Another close friend of Ms Carter said: ‘She was the loveliest person you could meet. She didn’t have any enemies, as far as I’m aware.
‘There was no feud with anyone. Nothing was stolen so it couldn’t have been a robbery. Nobody knows why she was killed. Everyone who knew her is in complete shock at what has happened. She was fantastic.’
The friend also denied suggestions Ms Carter was in a relationship with Mr Guerrier, adding: ‘They were just friends, that is all. The idea that they were in some kind of relationship is nonsense. Everyone is friends with Jean-Francois in this village.’
But a neighbour claimed the killing was indeed a ‘crime of passion’.
Ms Carter was said to divide her time between France and South Africa. She and her husband have owned their property, called Les Chouettes, for 15 years.
The farmhouse and barn sleeps 16 in total and is a popular holiday rental. The couple owned two other properties near Tremolat.
On Tuesday, Ms Carter had trained with her football team, comprising women aged between 50 and 70.
Later that evening, she attended a wine-tasting soirée at Cafe Village – a bar which acts as a community hub, where she occasionally volunteered.
Before she left, Mr Guerrier asked her to call him when she got home so he knew she was safe.
But when no such call was made, he drove to Ms Carter’s home and found her body.
Despite the best efforts of medics, she died at the scene from severe blood loss.
