A BRIT mum-of-four who was found dead outside her property in France has been identified as 65-year-old Karen Carter.
A manhunt has now been launched for her killer following the “frenzied attack” in the sleepy village of Trémolat, east of Bordeaux.
The beloved local is believed to have suffered the “savage attack” on Tuesday evening following a night out with a male friend at a local bar.
Bergerac prosecutor Sylvie Martins-Guedes, confirmed that Carter was the “British national” killed, and that a murder enquiry had been opened.
She said that on Tuesday at around 10.17pm, emergency workers were called to a home “for a 65-year-old woman in cardiorespiratory arrest”.
The prosecutor noted that Carter was “found by a friend she had been dating for a few weeks” and was discovered with “bleeding injuries”.
“The victim sustained multiple injuries, including five deep ones inflicted by a sharp object, notably on her right breast, groin, arm, and leg,” the prosecutor detailed.
A source close to the matter said that she suffered “five deep injuries” which pointed to “ferocious violence and a desire to kill”.
The British-South African parent was found outside and near her car, according to the source.
She tragically died at the scene despite attempts to save her by medics.
Martins-Guedes added that local cops were investigating a suspected murder.
She said: “A search has been launched to identify and arrest the perpetrator.”
Possible motives include robbery, she added.
Local media described Carter as a “British national” who was an “active participant in Trémolat life”.
She had reportedly spent the evening in Trémolat with a friend with whom she had been in a relationship for several weeks.
It was also said that the same man tried to administer first aid at the scene of the killing.
Karen was married to Alan Carter, also 65, who at one point worked for the London Stock Exchange.
She owned and managed two guest houses in Trémolat.
On her website she wrote about her properties: “We would love to welcome you to visit our beautiful cottage in the Dordogne Valley, France.”
One of her properties is called Les Chouettes (The Owls) and it is described as “a lovely old renovated farmhouse and barn” which sleeps 14 in total.
Heartfelt tributes for the mum poured in from players of her over-50s football team, Reines du Foot.
One team member said: “Everyone is in shock. Karen was super helpful, she was kindness personified.”
Her team recently wrapped up a tour in early April, and she was one of 18 footballers who traveled to South Africa to compete in Grandma’s World Cup.
She played in a number 12 jersey and was a keen midfielder.
Her club said that they were “immensely saddened by the sudden passing of Karen”.
They dubbed her a “Queen of football” who left a “great void in our hearts”.
Talented Carter at one point in her life ran a lifestyle blog for women over 50 called La Vie est Belle (Life is Beautiful).
The tragic Brit was also involved in running the community café in Trémolat.
A Trémolat resident said: “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.”
They said that “nobody can understand how this could have happened in a peaceful place like this” and that many residents were “keeping our doors locked”, according to Francebleu.
The woman’s friend is reportedly not in custody, and the Bergerac prosecutor explained that “all avenues are being explored”.
The Dordogne is a popular holiday hotspot in France for second home owners and expat pensioners.
The Foreign Office told The Sun that they had not yet been approached for assistance but were “ready to support British nationals abroad 24/7”.
In February, Brit couple Andrew and Dawn Searle were found dead at their home in the south west village of Les Peques, north of Toulouse.
Prosecutors revealed that Andrew was found hanging by a rope attached to a radiator at his rural home in France.
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