A BRIT mum who was fatally stabbed outside her home in France was found by a friend who is said to have desperately tried to save her.
Karen Carter, 65, was brutally murdered in a “frenzied attack” in the French village of Trémolat, east of Bordeaux – and her killer is thought to be at large.
The much-loved Brit local is to have suffered the “savage attack” on Tuesday evening, after a night out at a local bar with a male friend.
Bergerac prosecutor Sylvie Martins-Guedes 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 said that Carter was “discovered by a friend with whom she had been in a relationship for several weeks” and that she was found with “bleeding wounds”.
“The victim had several injuries, including five deep ones caused by a sharp object, notably on her right breast, groin, arm, and leg,” the prosecutor explained.
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 mother-of-four was found severely injured, lying on the ground near her car, according to the source.
The man she was reported to be dating tried to save her, according to French newspaper La Dépêche.
Despite his first aid efforts and those by medics, Carter tragically died.
A homicide investigation has been immediately opened.
The prosecutor said that, at this stage, all leads are being explored.
Originally from the UK, Carter had lived in the village for over a decade and was deeply involved in local life, La Dépêche reported.
She was reportedly married and mother to four children living abroad.
Carter is believed to have spent her time between Trémolat and South Africa.
She is said to have ran a guesthouse and was involved in the local community café in the Périgord village.
The community café has cancelled events scheduled for the days following the tragedy.
At one point in her life, she also ran a lifestyle blog for women over 50 called “La Vie est Belle” (Life is Beautiful).
Carter was also a member of the “Football Queens”, a women’s team made up of women over 50 who recently represented Dordogne in a global “Granny Football” tournament in South Africa.
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 France Bleu.
The woman’s friend is not in custody, and the Bergerac prosecutor says “all avenues are being explored”.
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”.
The Bergerac investigative unit and the Agen criminal investigation unit are continuing their efforts to identify the individual or individuals responsible for this crime.
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.
