COPS believe the killer of a British family shot dead in the Alps could have been a special forces soldier who “went off the rails” in a breakthrough update.
Surrey engineer Saad al-Hilli, 50, his wife, Iqbal Al-Hilli, 47, and her mother, Suhaila al-Allaf, 74, were brutally gunned down in a BMW in 2012.
British-Iraqi man Saad al-Hilli was killed in September 2012 alongside his wife and mother-in-law in a mysterious shooting
Doug Seeburg – The SunThe BMW being investigated at the scene of the shooting in woods near Chevaline in the French Alps[/caption]
Saad al-Hilli, 50, with his wife Iqbal al-Hilli and one of their daughters
Cyclist Sylvain Mollier also died in the tragic shooting
The attack also claimed the life of a 45-year-old cyclist Sylvain Mollier.
French investigators now believe the heinous mass shooting could finally be solved after 12 years, with a new lead suggesting the murderer was a special forces soldier who “went off the rails”.
Saad took his family on a trip to the French Alps before it ended in tragedy when he, his wife and her mum were executed in their car.
The Surrey engineer had pulled his BMW over into a lay-by near Lake Annecy in eastern France when the horror incident unfolded.
The family’s two young daughters survived the massacre, although seven-year-old Zainab Al-Hilli was shot in the shoulder and pistol-whipped.
And cops found Zeena Al-Halli, four, alive after she escaped the suspects by hiding underneath her mother’s legs while remaining motionless for eight hours.
At the time of the killings it was thought that Saad could have been the primary target due to his work in aerospace engineering and science and technology.
Suggestions of a family financial feud which could have been the motive for a professional hit were also explored.
But now a Paris cold case unit has reopened the investigation that could lead to the case finally being solved.
Experts are interested in the theory that the murders were executed by a “seasoned former soldier, trained in very particular shooting techniques” by Swiss special forces who had “gone off the rails,” Le Parisien reports.
Doug Seeburg – The SunFrench cops continued to search the area around the murder scene near Chevaline in the French Alps Saad Al-Hilli[/caption]
The shooting occurred near Lake Annecy in eastern France
Analysts point to various pieces of evidence to substantiate their theory, including that within just 60 to 90 seconds the gunman had fired 21 shots.
The three members of the Al-Hilli family were each hit three or four times, while cyclist Mr Mollier was fired at six times.
Of all the shots taken by the unknown perpetrator, 18 hit their targets, suggesting they had “extreme composure and great skill in handling a weapon”.
And the type of weapon used, a Luger PO6, is not used commonly among professional hitmen, as they are considered to be fairly unreliable and regularly malfunction.
This could be the reason that Zainab was struck in the head with the butt of a weapon after being hit in the shoulder, as it’s believed the killer’s gun did jam.
There is also questions surrounding why the perpetrator chose to ensure he definitely killed his victims by shooting at very close range, according to the expert.
This is a technique used in specialised military training, but particularly by the Swiss Détachement d’Action Rapide et de Dissuasion (DARD).
The expert told Le Parisien: “This is something learned in Switzerland, not in France, or the guy is part of a specialised unit.”
Alps murder mystery timeline
By James Moules, Foreign News Reporter
September 5, 2012: Saad al-Hilli, Iqbal Al-Hilli, 47, Suhaila al-Allaf, 74 and Sylvain Mollier, 45 are all killed in a shooting in the French Alps. The al-Hilli’s two young daughters survive the attack.
September 14, 2012: The al-Hilli’s elder daughter, who suffered injuries in the attack, returns to the UK.
September 22, 2012: British and French police join forces to solve the case amid a lack of progress.
June 2013: A 54-year-old man widely reported to be Zaid al-Hilli, Saad’s brother, is arrested in connection with the attack. He is later released without charge and strongly maintains his innocence.
September 2017: French police admit to having ‘no working theory’ on the case and no suspects after five years of investigation.
January 2022: Nearly 10 years on, an unidentified man is arrested for the murders. He is later released without charge.
June 2022: Channel 4 airs a three-part true crime documentary on the killings titled Murder in the Alps.
May 2024: A French cold case unit orders the ‘unsealing of the fragments’ of the alleged murder weapon for further DNA testing.
In June last year, Saad’s brother slammed French cops for not investigating the case properly.
Zaid al-Hilli – who was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder in 2013 but was later released due to insufficient evidence – called the original investigation a “deception”.
The 63-year-old told The Times: “Most crimes are locally linked, I think it was not properly investigated.
“The original investigation was a deception, [an attempt] to deceive us. It was a local crime and has been covered up.
“They made allegations against me without any evidence, there was no attempt to look at a local motive right from the start… they have covered up three murders.”
He claims Mollier was the primary target of the brutal attack – and his family was simply “at the wrong place at the wrong time”.
Ryan McnamaraThe Brother of the victim Zaid Al-Hilli accused the French cops of a ‘cover-up’[/caption] Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
