Murdered Brit expat’s husband hits out at ‘people who suspected I was involved’ in wife’s Dordogne killing as ‘love rival’, 70, is charged by French cops

The husband of a British expat who was stabbed eight times in his home in France has slammed those suspected of involvement in the murder.

Karen Carter, 65, was murdered in her home in the rural French village of Trémolat in the Dordogne in April 2025.

Mrs. Carter died in front of the guesthouse she opened in the quiet village.

Investigators said at the time that the woman had been stabbed eight times, with one blow ‘perforating her aorta’.

His death was filled with mystery; Many people were detained and interrogated in the days after the incident.

But after prime suspect Marie-Laure Autefort, 70, was arrested and charged earlier this month, which was revealed yesterday, Mrs Carter’s husband has now hit out at those accusing him of murdering his wife.

Speaking to The Times from his home in South Africa, Alan Carter said: ‘I am aware that there are some people who suspect I was involved in Karen’s death, which has added to the sense of shock and grief and I hope this will go some way to showing how wrong they are.

He added: ‘Obviously, although there has not been a trial or conviction, we are relieved that some progress has been made in the case after more than a year. We are grateful to the police who have worked so hard to get to this point.’

The 65-year-old man was attacked at the property in the village of Trémolat on April 29 last year

Marie-Laure Autefort (pictured) was accused of murdering Karen Carter in the Dordogne village of Trémolat in April 2025.

He also told the Daily Mail: ‘We are relieved that after more than a year, the investigation has progressed to a formal investigation of a person believed to be responsible for the death of our beloved wife, mother, sister and friend, Karen.

‘We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the investigators, the investigating judge, the Public Prosecutor’s Office and everyone who devoted countless hours to this complex case. We are equally grateful to our attorney, Maître Reda Hammouche, for his unwavering dedication to representing our family with dignity and determination throughout these proceedings.

‘Our family respectfully requests that our privacy be respected as we prepare for the next stages. ‘We remain united in the hope that the full truth will come to light and justice will eventually be served for Karen.’

Meanwhile, Hammouche told the Mail: ‘ By following the latest developments [indictment] In the Karen Carter case, Karen’s family acknowledges this significant development in the criminal investigation.

‘While doing this [indictment] Of course, it does not prejudge the outcome of the trial or the guilt of the person concerned, but it nevertheless represents an important step forward on the path to justice.

‘The family would like to express their sincere gratitude to the investigators, the Inquiry Judge, the Public Prosecutor’s Office and all those who continue to work with diligence and determination in this particularly complex investigation.

‘The family reaffirms its trust in the judicial system and hopes that the investigation can now continue in the greatest possible peace so that the whole truth can be revealed.

‘Finally, the family respectfully requests that their privacy be respected while the justice system carries out its work.’

Ms Carter was on the verge of divorcing Mr Carter, now 66, when she met with retired executive Jean-François Guerrier, 75, who lived near the French estate.

However, this reportedly did not sit well with the suspect, who was thought to be ‘madly in love’ with Mr Guerrier.

The prosecutor did not identify the woman yesterday, but her statement effectively identified her 70-year-old neighbor, Marie-Laure Autefort.

He declined to comment on the identity when approached by the media. It is not known whether Autefort accepts the allegations made against him.

Previously released police records state: ‘During his short period of detention, Jean-François Guerrier directed them to Trémolat resident Marie-Laure Autefort, who was crossing fields, just a ten-minute walk from the victim’s home.

Karen Carter was found dead in her home last year (pictured)

Two days before the murder, on her 65th birthday, Karen Carter (pictured) posed for what is believed to be her last photo while out for lunch with friends.

‘He described her as a woman who was madly in love with him last year, to the point of divorcing the father of her children after decades of marriage.’

Ms Autefort’s brother, Philippe Monribot, confirmed that he was in love with Mr Guerrier and deeply saddened by his relationship with Ms Carter, but said his thoughts of killing someone were irrational.

‘This is a disaster,’ he said. ‘The police messed up at the beginning of the investigation and when you get it wrong at the beginning it’s hard to correct it later.’

Périgueux prosecutor Jacques-Edouard Andrault told Sud Ouest: ‘On July 2, the investigating judge in Périgueux officially charged a woman with murder.

‘This 70-year-old woman, originally from Trémolat, was detained during preliminary investigation on 30 April 2025 before being released.’

The prosecutor added: ‘Since then, investigations carried out within the scope of the judicial investigation opened on 7 May 2025 have led to the investigating judge bringing charges against him.’

A local French newspaper, Dordogne Libre, reported that the woman arrested in this case was believed to have ‘unrequited feelings’ for Mr Guerrier and that she frequented the same cafe as Ms Carter.

It was previously reported that he was detained for 48 hours after the incident and then released after ‘checks on his whereabouts’.

During this time, senior judicial police officers as well as an investigating judge questioned him and all interviews were recorded.

An investigating source told the Mail: ‘His alibi focused on helping other people in Trémolat and seemed very convincing.

‘He had spent most of his adult life as a care worker, was highly respected in the community and had no criminal record.

‘Beyond this, he did not appear to have the physical strength to carry out such a violent attack and was therefore initially released.’

However, on July 2 this year, exactly 15 months later, the suspect was finally charged with “premeditated murder” due to “significant gaps” in his allegations.

The investigating source said: ‘The inconsistencies came to light after his story was checked by the police, which took a long time.’

The prosecutor said that the ‘judicial investigation continues’.

Her lover, Mr. Guerrier, had hosted a wine-tasting party on the day of Ms. Carter’s death and later followed her home in his car.

When he arrived, he found her lying in a pool of blood before she was pronounced dead at the scene by emergency officials.

Mr. Guerrier said he was initially concerned that his girlfriend had not called him when he arrived at her home, which was only ten minutes away from his.

Leaked interview notes revealed he later told police he ‘came to spend the night at Karen’s’.

Mrs Carter was said to divide her time between France and South Africa. She and her husband owned their property, Les Chouettes, for 15 years.

The farmhouse and barn sleeps 16 people in total and is a popular vacation rental. The couple owned two other properties near Trémolat.

Jean-Francois Guerrier, the man rumored to be romantically linked to Mrs. Carter

The swimming pool of the Dordogne house where Mrs Carter was found dead last year

The couple had four adult children, two daughters and two sons, who lived in the UK, US, Australia and South Africa.

On the day of her death, Ms Carter had been training with her football team, which consisted of women aged between 50 and 70.

Later that evening, he attended a wine tasting party at Cafe Village, a bar that serves as a community hub and where he occasionally volunteers.

Before leaving, Guerrier asked him to call her when he got home so she knew he was safe.

However, when no such search was made, he went to Mrs. Carter’s home and found her body.

Despite all the intervention of the medical teams, he died at the scene due to heavy blood loss.

Mr Andrault said the 70-year-old man was formally charged with premeditated murder on July 2 and was currently under ‘judicial supervision’ due to his age.

This means he is under constant surveillance by the judicial police without having to stay in a cell.

Mr. Andrault confirmed that he is a resident of Trémolat but is not currently allowed to stay in the village.

As detectives investigated the crime, Mrs. Carter’s widow and her four adult children had a strong sense of who was to blame.

Their lawyer, Reda Hammouche, said on April 29 this year (the first anniversary of the crime) that they had “a hunch, an opinion on the matter”.

This, he said, followed a detailed review of ‘the case file that we – I and they – discussed in the privacy of our conversations’.

Mr Hammouche continued: ‘So they have a hunch but I won’t go into further detail on the matter.

‘Of course I cannot go into details as the confidentiality of the investigation prevents me from disclosing such information, but many leads are being investigated, many actions are being taken and, in fact, every day that I speak to you, actions are being taken.

‘And they hope that all of this will be resolved by identifying the perpetrator of this murder and getting justice for Karen.’