Slayed Brit’s husband tells of ‘relief’ at arrest of ‘love rival’ over stabbing after sleuths suspected his involvement

THE husband of a Brit mum who was knifed to death in France has blasted sleuths who thought he was a suspect following the arrest of a 70-year-old woman. Karen Carter, 65, was killed last April in the sleepy village of Tremolat – with her murder left shrouded in mystery until a breakthrough this month. Alan and Karen Carter during their first visit to Tremolat in 2008 Credit: Not known, clear with picture desk Tragic Karen was killed in a ‘frenzied attack’ Credit: Refer to Caption Cops said the tragic mum-of-four was stabbed eight times in the vicious assault – with one slash “penetrating the aorta”. It was revealed yesterday that a 70-year-old woman has now been arrested and charged in connection with Karen’s death. Sign up for The Sun newsletter Thank you! Following the announcement, Karen’s estranged husband Alan has hit out at those who accused him of being involved in her murder. The couple were going through a divorce at the time of Karen’s death on April 25, 2025. Marie-Laure Autefort is believed to be the 70-year-old suspect who was arrested Credit: Enterprise Jean-Francois Guerrier, 75, had been seeing Karen in April last year Credit: Jamie Lorriman – Commissioned by The Times Alan, who currently lives in South Africa, told The Times: “I am aware that there were some people who suspected I was involved in Karen’s death, which exacerbated the sense of shock and bereavement, and I hope this goes some way to showing how wrong they were. “Obviously we are relieved that there’s been some progress in the case after more than a year, even though it is not a trial or conviction. “We are grateful to the police who have put in a huge effort to get to this point.” He also told the Daily Mail: “We are relieved that, after more than a year, the investigation has progressed to the formal investigation of an individual believed to be responsible for the death of our beloved wife, mother, sister, and friend, Karen.” Most read in The Sun The pair were on the verge of finalising their divorce Credit: Facebook Alan had been living in South Africa at the time of her death Credit: Not known, clear with picture desk Alan added: “We remain united in our hope that the full truth will come to light, and that justice will ultimately be served for Karen.” And he told The Telegraph that he hoped “the full truth will come to light” in the wake of the new arrest. Karen, 65, was stabbed to death in what cops described as a “frenzied attack” in the driveway of her own home. Detectives and prosecutors believe the killer lulled the Brit expat into a false sense of security before launching the meticulously planned knife attack. The charged suspect is yet to be formally identified by prosecutors but she is believed to have been neighbour Marie-Laure Autefort. Prosecutors revealed the prime suspect was originally taken into custody for two days in 2025 as part of preliminary inquiries. The woman detained at the time was named as Autefort – who was also involved in an alleged love feud with Karen and her partner. At the time of her death, Karen had been on the verge of divorcing Alan. But she had also been seeing Jean-François Guerrier, a 75-year-old retired executive who lived close to her French property. This was believed to have upset Autefort, who was allegedly “madly in love” with Guerrier. Sources close to the initial investigations have now claimed that the woman’s alibi appeared solid at first which led to her being released. But as cops continued to look into her story they found “significant holes”. An investigating source said: “Her alibi was centered on helping to look after other people in Trémolat, and it appeared very credible. “She had spent much of her adult life as a care worker, was highly respected in the community, and has no criminal record. “Beyond this, she did not appear to have the physical strength to carry out such a violent attack, and so was initially released.” But, on July 2 this year – 15 months after the horror slaying – the suspect was finally charged with premeditated murder. The investigating source added: “The inconsistencies were exposed after her story was checked out by police, and this took a long time.” Jacques-Édouard Andrault, the state prosecutor in nearby Périgueux, said the suspect remains in custody and that she faces a possible life sentence. Comment now