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

FromGermany1 said:

The Carnival event in Tremolat on Febr 17th is cancelled without explanation. Facebook Cafe Village Tremolat.

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As in a Mardi Gras festivity? Today is Mardi Gras.

It appears there was terrible flooding in some parts!
Posted 4 days ago by Cafe Village Tremolat.

Maybe the reason for cancelling an event?

slowpoke said:

It appears there was terrible flooding in some parts!
Posted 4 days ago by Cafe Village Tremolat.

Maybe the reason for cancelling an event?

https://www.facebook.com/CafeVillageTremolat/posts/pfbid0VFeoamsijewU7qT4i1hn71tHkwUvHPLDiFSvZRdZkvSb3mLgc4vaPWms1UTqasJel

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The storm 'Nils' hit the southwestern and southern parts of France, as well as Portugal and Spain very hard this weekend, lots of rain, and high winds.

Let me tell you a story that happened in our peaceful countryside, simply because I need to tell this.

My nearest neighbour is a farmer. We meet because we need to cut bramble bushes, we make a plan, and then he says: 'Did you hear what happened to my sister?' He has two sisters. They live in the village. One of the two gets in her small car early every morning. Drives to the farm and takes care of the dogs.

Same thing one day last week. She gets out in the driveway, lets the dogs out, and they keep snuffling around the car. 'My sister isn't bothered,' the farmer tells me. 'She is making breakfast for the dogs. Picks up the container with the dog food. The dogs remain more interested in the car than in their breakfast. That is odd. My sister finally looks at the car. Then she sees it. The windows are partly covered with condensation.'

There is a homeless person lying in the back seat. Sister is terrified, first by the sight. Then even more so when she realises that she has driven from her home to the farm with the vagrant in the car. Behind her back. The police arrive. Two officers, later even four, have great difficulty getting the man out; he is uncooperative. He just stands there motionless and says nothing at all, according to the farmer. Creepy. The man is 32 years old and comes from the North. He has been wandering around the area for days. Eventually, they manage to get him to the shelter in the next town.

When the sister got into the car that morning, she hadn't noticed anything at all. Wasn't even thinking about the possibility of someone hiding, sleeping in her car. Had simply driven off. He could have grabbed her from behind while she was driving. He could have had a knife with him. She might have ended up in the water. Or crashed against a tree. It all turned out very well, except the nightmare of what if.... does not stop.

So far, so good.

I'm telling this because everthing that happened was a coincidence. There was no relation between the vagrant and the sister or her family. No commercial ties, no history. Nothing to do with the late father's will. Nothing. If something had happened, LE might study bankaccounts on three continents, interview the local soccer team, and nothing would come of it that would lead to any solution. Because wrong place, wrong time. Nothing personal. That's all.

ZaZara's story about coincidence is interesting.

At the same time, in the tragic KC event in Tremolat there were evidently a few
personal issues alongside that horrific situation viz new relationship, potential divorce - that coincided with the event.

The personal side of it all has contributed to a load of intrigue and speculation over a long time.

Could, of course, all be coincidence. VERY challenging for LE !!!

ZaZara’s story is interesting. Indeed, coincidences happen. I think Karen’s house being slightly on the outskirts could potentially make it attractive to “random” people.

If my memory doesn’t fail me, though, the police found marks of a car waiting close by in the field, didn’t they? Not quite near the house, 10 minutes walk or so. Their first assumption was that the person waited in the shadow of the trees next to Karen’s house, if I am not mistaken.

So my feeling is that the assailant knew Karen, or was sent by someone who knew her.

This being said, I am always remembering that Karen was running, essentially, a hospitality business and of the type that people tend to use once. That gite could have put her in touch with someone unpleasant.

The fact that she was killed when something major was happening in her life can be a total coincidence. The fact that it happened after she opened a bank account could be purely coincidental.

But that the person who planned to kill her was a random vagabond is less likely. JMO.

The fact that Police still don't have a suspect might mean
that "personal/romantic issues" were not a motive.
At least,
not of someone we know about.
I mean
one of the residents or a husband.

But
who knows who her business contacts were?
Or who was observing her from afar?

JMO

The police feels that the matter was personal but I wonder if money in general could be more “intimate” than we think.

For example: how is a gite rented? Is the money paid upfront or is it 1/2 upfront and 1/2 upon leaving or is all paid when leaving?

Also, is there a deposit for accidental vandalism to the gite?

Karen was going through the liquidity-demanding phase of her life. JMO. A divorce, purchasing a new property, perhaps restructuring her business. One wonders how might an owner of a hospitality business operate when strapped for cash. Could Karen send old debtors to a debt-collecting agency? I looked up several in France. This could make someone livid.

Or, she might have, indeed, sold some jewelry/family heirloom (or brought it to someone known for evaluation), and the person realized that some old items from South Africa might cost more than Karen was aware of.

Initially, the case was presented as a romantic drama in a not-too-young group. In fact, the author whose comments on this case I stumbled across first, wrote in an elated manner (he was turning 69 himself).

Since that time, all I read bore a romantic flair mixed with saucy language. (“The cafe was a hotbed of affairs”) and such.

But exploiting the romantic angle leads us nowhere, it seems. So should we rather consider the old, banal financial one?

It could be “assets splitting in the divorce”
It could be “Karen has become a local. Locals establish financial ties”.
It could be “as a gite owner, she had to run a tight business. Could anyone get upset?”

"Should we consider the old banal financial one? "

Yes. Money is often extremely 'personal.' Follow the money. jmo

After the journey to SA for an international tournament ("Grannies International Football Tournament") at the beginning of April it seems to have gone downhill. In SA Karen met her husband, and she consulted a lawyer because of their joint property. When Karen was accompanied by JFG, who was also on this trip, afaik we didn't learn. Maybe, JFG was Karen's support during the lawyer's visit.
When Karen with her granny team returned to her second homeland France, she searched for a new home, opened an own bank account and filed for divorce. At the same time, her health and fitness seemed to suffer more and more, as friends noticed. When Karen appeared without make-up to an event, a low point had been reached - in my eyes anyway, and in the eyes of friends/acquaintances it was remarkable at least.

From 5/6th April (returning from SA) to 29th April (the murder) less than 4 weeks passed, and Karen was brutally stabbed by night, when she returned from a wine-tasting. What did she and JFG fear to possibly might happen on her way home? Why did they both arrange a call from Karen to JFG as soon as she would arrive home? I think, there was already a serious threat, that frightened Karen (and JFG). So sad, that Karen probably felt only safe at home and already had arrived at her doorstep.

Then a cousin in Tremolat tells the husband in SA, Karen may be dead, because someone on Fb. had posted it. Exactly, I would tell this unconfirmed drama to a loving husband, who never thought of notable marital problems or a divorce. Sarcasm off.

Sarcasm about loving husband is appreciated! To me his 'bewilderment' about the tragedy sounded disingenuous
from day one.

However! suspects in all cases are innocent until proven guilty. Headache for LE.

FromGermany1 said:

After the journey to SA for an international tournament ("Grannies International Football Tournament") at the beginning of April it seems to have gone downhill. In SA Karen met her husband, and she consulted a lawyer because of their joint property. When Karen was accompanied by JFG, who was also on this trip, afaik we didn't learn. Maybe, JFG was Karen's support during the lawyer's visit.
When Karen with her granny team returned to her second homeland France, she searched for a new home, opened an own bank account and filed for divorce. At the same time, her health and fitness seemed to suffer more and more, as friends noticed. When Karen appeared without make-up to an event, a low point had been reached - in my eyes anyway, and in the eyes of friends/acquaintances it was remarkable at least.

From 5/6th April (returning from SA) to 29th April (the murder) less than 4 weeks passed, and Karen was brutally stabbed by night, when she returned from a wine-tasting. What did she and JFG fear to possibly might happen on her way home? Why did they both arrange a call from Karen to JFG as soon as she would arrive home? I think, there was already a serious threat, that frightened Karen (and JFG). So sad, that Karen probably felt only safe at home and already had arrived at her doorstep.

Then a cousin in Tremolat tells the husband in SA, Karen may be dead, because someone on Fb. had posted it. Exactly, I would tell this unconfirmed drama to a loving husband, who never thought of notable marital problems or a divorce. Sarcasm off.

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I can't shed the feeling of some "compartmentalization" of the situation back in SA.

FromGermany1 said:

After the journey to SA for an international tournament ("Grannies International Football Tournament") at the beginning of April it seems to have gone downhill. In SA Karen met her husband, and she consulted a lawyer because of their joint property. When Karen was accompanied by JFG, who was also on this trip, afaik we didn't learn. Maybe, JFG was Karen's support during the lawyer's visit.
When Karen with her granny team returned to her second homeland France, she searched for a new home, opened an own bank account and filed for divorce. At the same time, her health and fitness seemed to suffer more and more, as friends noticed. When Karen appeared without make-up to an event, a low point had been reached - in my eyes anyway, and in the eyes of friends/acquaintances it was remarkable at least.

From 5/6th April (returning from SA) to 29th April (the murder) less than 4 weeks passed, and Karen was brutally stabbed by night, when she returned from a wine-tasting. What did she and JFG fear to possibly might happen on her way home? Why did they both arrange a call from Karen to JFG as soon as she would arrive home? I think, there was already a serious threat, that frightened Karen (and JFG). So sad, that Karen probably felt only safe at home and already had arrived at her doorstep.

Then a cousin in Tremolat tells the husband in SA, Karen may be dead, because someone on Fb. had posted it. Exactly, I would tell this unconfirmed drama to a loving husband, who never thought of notable marital problems or a divorce. Sarcasm off.

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Behaviourally, that kind of precautionary call reads like someone who felt genuinely uneasy rather than merely cautious; it points more to a perceived risk from someone she knew than to a random passerby. The fact she was sorting out property, opening a bank account and moving towards divorce, alongside rumours of an affair, nudges the balance of probability towards an interpersonal motive, or a jealous acquaintance, or maybe a visitor with a personal connection who turned up to confront her. It’s the sort of situation where ordinary domestic paperwork suddenly looks like the prelude to something much darker, and you can almost feel the tension in the small details.

Viewed through a cautious profiling lens, the most coherent picture is of an offender who had some link to the victim or her circle and who acted in a state of high emotional arousal rather than with cold, clinical calculation. The multiple, focused stab wounds (overkill) and the timing at the doorstep suggest rage or a desire to punish, which fits an acquaintance or someone nursing a grievance; yet the lack of a local dna match and the police’s openness to a non‑local attacker mean we can’t close the book on a visitor or transient who had a personal reason to be there. In short, the behavioural signs point towards a targeted, interpersonal attack, but the forensic gap means investigators must keep one eye on movement and travel traces, accommodation and vehicle records, and any digital breadcrumbs that might place a non‑local person in her orbit, because sometimes the smallest, most human details are the ones that crack a case, and it would be a shame to miss them. JMO

The very fact
that Karen didn't seem herself
(pale, lack of usual makeup, as observed by her friends) during the wine tasting event,
might indicate
she was aware of danger of some kind,
was preoccupied and worried IMO.

So,
it might mean she either knew
- her attacker,
- or that somebody was furious about something concerning her.

She might have been threatened by someone.
She might have been blackmailed.

But for what reason??

(Sure,
her looking out of sorts might have been a coincidence.
The start of an illness, sign of overworking, etc.)

It is also worrying that Police seem to have no trace of the car that was allegedly parked at the edge of the forest.
It might indicate a cold case.
(If the car was used by the perp, that is.)

The only hope is DNA left.
(If it is of the perp, that is - again.)

JMO

Sor Juana said:

The multiple, focused stab wounds (overkill) and the timing at the doorstep suggest rage or a desire to punish, which fits an acquaintance or someone nursing a grievance

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I'd like to add context, that as this is EU, multiple stab wounds does not really carry the implication as in the US.

Ca 40% of all homicides in Europe are sharp force traumas by kives and similar, and in France in particular, stab wounds are the leading cause of death in homicides. (link) These are especially common in the cases where the killer and the victim have a personal connection (imo that's because firearm cases are usually limited to serious criminal activity, such as drug trafficing or terrorism).

Firearms are way less common and usually of the hunting type (not handy for muders, though used in suicides; firearms are way more easy to track, there are too few people who can confidently use them, an individual from elsewhere cannot just fly in with a gun without a prior approval from the airline, the gunshot sound is bound to initate a help call immediately etc). While blunt force trauma is more likely to be an "escalation of conflict", a sharp force trauma is more likely to be a planned murder (why did you have the knife, right).

To me, this looks like someone "not fluent in murder" committing a murder. Waiting for a safe moment (victim alone, back turned), stabbing as much as they can and then running to the car. I think we've seen no indication there was a getaway driver? And why not wait inside the house (less visible)? Scared about DNA evidence? Wanted to make it look like more random? Something else?

Considering that Karen's business
was running holiday rental homes and it was busy and successful,
what about the former clients?

Maybe there was some animosity, some grudges?
As I understand, she mainly rented to the British, no?

I wonder if this angle was checked.
Did she get some correspondence from a former irate client?

One never knows who the client really is.
Renting to strangers might prove risky sometimes.
People might hold grudges for many reasons.

Those who work in hospitality businesses have many strange stories to tell.
It is tough way of earning one's living.
Risky and unpredictable, depending on many factors.
Many businesses go bankrupt.

JMO

* If a recent something in her life was distracting and worrying KC as has been suggested, then JFG would have been aware of the problem wouldn't he ?

* KC and AC were still married. Assuming KC had a will tucked away legally wouldn't the will protect her share of the pair's finances in the event of her demise? I know, never assume. Perhaps there was no will in her name. Hard to understand if that's the case. She was running rentals so she was a smart lady.

checked back into this site : ) More speculation and my own opinion.

I suspect there was a very strong control aspect involved in this tragedy. One person over the other.

Husband appeared happy enough with KC managing the holiday rental business ... however

* with a divorce that the husband didn't want - he would lose control of her life (and of the holiday rentals ... )

* husband tried hard to 'wish' the new relationship with JFG away.

* Then JFG turned up with football team in SA. Trigger ? ( all speculation )

Mayb said:

checked back into this site : ) More speculation and my own opinion.

I suspect there was a very strong control aspect involved in this tragedy. One person over the other.

Husband appeared happy enough with KC managing the holiday rental business ... however

* with a divorce that the husband didn't want - he would lose control of her life (and of the holiday rentals ... )

* husband tried hard to 'wish' the new relationship with JFG away.

* Then JFG turned up with football team in SA. Trigger ? ( all speculation )

Click to expand...

I'm not sure if the husband was aware of JFG's presence in SA less than a month before the murder. The husband likely didn't attend Karen's football matches. According to Google maps, his home and the tournament venue (Tzaneen) are 850 miles apart. I don't remember if she even visited the family home while in SA, but she reportedly consulted lawyers about property division during that time. Divorce papers were probably served at some time after her return.
Karen's affair with JFG was new-ish and she was discrete, though the neighbors (and perhaps the village) were aware of it. If the husband had an informant, he knew.