FRENCH detectives have revealed a dramatic twist in the hunt for the killer who stabbed British mum-of-four Karen Carter to death in rural Dordogne.
Cops now believe the murderer was an “outsider” after forensic evidence taken from the crime scene failed to match any of the locals tested.
The breakthrough comes seven months after 65-year-old Karen was brutally attacked outside her home in the tiny village of Trémolat, east of Bordeaux.
At least 15 villagers, including friends, neighbours and even the mayor, were ordered to hand over DNA samples earlier this year.
But French officers say every sample has come back clear.
An investigating source confirmed none of the swabs matched traces recovered from the scene of the killing.
“It appears to point to an outsider visiting the village, and carrying out this brutal crime,” the source said.
The shock development has prompted detectives to launch a fresh plea for witnesses.
Their new appeal urges: “We need your help to identify the perpetrator. Your testimonies could prove crucial to the progress of the investigation.”
Karen had been living in the Dordogne for more than a decade and was well-known in the local community.
She was a keen member of a women’s over-50s football team called the Queens of Football (Reines du Foot).
On the night she died, the British-South African expat had attended a wine-tasting party hosted by her lover, 75-year-old Jean-François Guerrier.
Fifteen guests – including the village mayor, Eric Chassagne – were at the gathering and knew exactly when she left.
Karen drove home, just ten minutes away, and had only just reached her front door when she was savagely attacked.
Guerrier arrived shortly afterwards, having followed in a separate car to check she got home safely.
He found Karen bleeding heavily on the ground, suffering eight stab wounds to her chest, groin, arm and leg.
Her dog, Haku, was barking from inside her car as she lay dying.
Both Guerrier and another neighbour, 69-year-old Marie-Laure Autefort, were initially arrested in the days after the murder.
Police at the time suspected a possible love-triangle after Autefort was said to be infatuated with Guerrier.
But the pair were quickly released without charge.
Despite this, Autefort remains on the radar of investigators who continue to flag concerns about her fragile psychological state.
Her home and car were searched, tracking dogs scoured her land, and even a cave on her property was explored – but all with no result.
She spent 40 hours in custody before being let go and continues to deny any involvement.
Guerrier himself was later cleared and is no longer treated as a suspect.
Local media say he told police he “had come to spend the night at Karen’s,” and that he urged officers to take a closer look at Autefort.
Detectives have also investigated several builders who were renovating one of Karen’s homes.
Background checks were carried out, but none are currently considered suspects.
Officers even raided the home of a “psychologically disturbed” man in a neighbouring district and seized two knives.
But again, no evidence linked him to the killing.
Karen’s husband, Alan Carter, was thousands of miles away at their home in East London, South Africa, when she was murdered.
He flew to France soon after her death, visited the scene, and arranged her funeral in Bergerac that June.
The couple had been in the process of divorcing, and Alan later admitted he had “a feeling of complete betrayal” when he learned of her relationship with Guerrier.
Speculation in some media outlets previously suggested the husband could have played a role – but authorities have dismissed the theory as baseless.
Karen’s children broke their silence earlier this year, devastated by the loss of their “beautiful” mum.
Her daughter Liz, an engineering student in the US, said: “I keep thinking about what her last moments would have been like. The colour in my life has washed away.”
She added that the killer was clearly a “deeply disturbed individual who had nothing going for them.”
“They saw my mother’s beautiful life and, for whatever reason, chose to extinguish her light,” she said.
The Carter family welcomed the updated appeal.
A spokesperson said: “We remain deeply committed to obtaining justice for Karen. Any investigative step that may contribute to uncovering the truth is welcomed by all of us.”
According to France’s Interior Ministry, around 60 per cent of murder cases are solved within three months.
But the remaining cold cases can linger on for years.
