Heartbroken friends have paid tribute to a British woman who was stabbed to death in France as she was pictured for the first time since the ‘brutal’ attack.
The body of Karen Carter, a 65-year-old married mother of four, was found outside a property she ran in the village of Trémolat, east of Bordeaux, on Tuesday evening.
An investigating source said that the mother-of-four was found ‘covered in stab wounds’, with desperate efforts now underway to identify and find the attacker.
They said Ms Carter suffered a ‘frenzied attack’ following a night out at a local café-bar with a male friend.
‘A man called the emergency services after finding her covered in stab wounds. Five deep injuries pointed to ferocious violence and a desire to kill,’ said the source.
Her friend tried to administer first aid at the scene, French media reported.
According to the Bergerac prosecutor’s office, the victim suffered multiple wounds to her chest, groin, arm, and leg. The murder weapon has not yet been found.
When medics arrived, they found Ms Carter ‘in cardio-respiratory arrest’ and, despite attempts to revive her, she died at the scene.
Residents of the small rural commune were in ‘total shock’ from the incident.
The victim was ‘a delightful, energetic person who got on with everybody,’ one resident said.
‘Nobody can understand how this could have happened in a peaceful place like this. We are all keeping our doors locked. It is deeply worrying.’
The body of Karen Carter, a 65-year-old married mother of four, was found outside a property she ran in the village of Trémolat, east of Bordeaux, on Tuesday evening
Karen Carter, a 65-year-old married mother of four, was found outside a property she ran in the village of Trémolat
Ms Carter is believed to have arrived at her home ten minutes before a friend found her
Sylvie Martins-Guedes, the Bergerac prosecutor, confirmed that a criminal enquiry had been opened, and that local gendarmes were investigating.
She said that ‘a search has been launched to identify and arrest the perpetrator,’ and that possible motives included robbery.
Ms Carter was married to Alan Carter, also 65, who at one point worked for the London Stock Exchange.
The couple were both educated at Rhodes University, South Africa, and, according to the France 3 news outlet, Ms Carter was British.
She was the owner and manager of two guest houses in Trémolat, and both were frequently used by guests from the UK.
A message written by Ms Carter read: ‘We would love to welcome you to visit our beautiful cottage in the Dordogne Valley, France.
‘Take time out of your crazy schedule and relax into the wonderful slow lifestyle of the French community.’
The property is called Les Chouettes [The Owls] and it is described as ‘a lovely old renovated farmhouse and barn’, sleeping 14 in total.
Sud Ouest (South West) the French regional newspaper described Ms Carter as a ‘British national’ and ‘an active participant in Trémolat life.’
Ms Carter at one stage ran a lifestyle blog for women over 50 called La Vie est Belle (Life is Beautiful).
She was also a leading player in the Queens of Football (Reines du Foot) team, which in early April completed a tour of South Africa.
The victim was one of 18 football players who left for South Africa to participate in the Grandma’s World Cup, after training between Calès and Trémolat.
‘Everyone is in shock, it’s horrible,’ her distraught teammates told Francebleu.
Known to play in a number 12 jersey, the British national was a substitute left midfielder during the competition in South Africa.
The club paid tribute to Ms Carter, writing on Facebook: ‘We are immensely saddened by the sudden passing of Karen, our friend and Queen of Football, who leaves a great void in our hearts.
‘All our thoughts go out to her loved ones.’
A friend found the 65-year-old woman lying near her vehicle with five deep wounds caused by a blunt object at her home in the village of Tremolat in the Dordogne on Tuesday evening
The victim was the owner and manager of two guest houses in Trémolat, and both were frequently used by guests from the UK
‘We are immensely saddened by the sudden passing of Karen, our friend and Queen of Football, who leaves a great void in our hearts. All our thoughts go out to her loved ones,’ reads a tribute from Les Reines du Foot, her football club
A Trémolat resident said on Wednesday: ‘Everyone is in total shock – Ms Carter was a delightful, energetic person who got on with everybody.
‘We saw emergency vehicles in the village, and then lots of police cars, and then the area around her house was cordoned off,’ said the source, who asked to remain anonymous ‘for security reasons.’
She added: ‘Nobody can understand how this could have happened in a peaceful place like this. We are all keeping our doors locked – it is deeply worrying.’
A sign was placed on the front of the local café to inform residents that the Wednesday concert evening and Thursday quiz were cancelled ‘due to death’.
An investigation has been opened against an unknown person for the count of voluntary homicide.
‘All avenues of investigation are being explored,’ the prosecutor said.
The Dordogne is an area of France that is hugely popular with British tourists, second home owners and expat pensioners.
In February, British couple Andrew and Dawn Searle, who previously lived in East Lothian in Scotland, were found dead at their home in the south west village of Les Peques, north of Toulouse.
Ms Searle’s body was found in the garden with severe wounds to her head, while her husband’s body was found hanging inside.
The prosecutor in charge of the case has since said there was no evidence that another person was involved in their deaths, and that murder-suicide was the likely cause.
MailOnline has contacted the Foreign Office for comment.
