Police divers have recovered a rare pistol from the bottom of Lake Annecy that is similar to the weapon believed to have been used in the 2012 murders of a British family and a local cyclist. The discovery marks a potential breakthrough in a case that has remained unsolved for over a decade.
Saad Al–Hilli, a 50-year-old satellite engineer from Surrey, his wife Iqbal, 47, her mother Suhaila, 74, and local cyclist Sylvain Mollier, 45, were killed in a hail of bullets on a remote mountain road near Lake Annecy in September 2012. Fragments of a rare Luger PO6/29, Parabellum 7.65, were found at the scene, leading authorities to identify it as the likely murder weapon. The weapon, of Swiss origin, was issued to Swiss soldiers between 1909 and 1947 and was believed to have been manufactured in 1935.
The pistol was found submerged in the lake, which reaches a depth of 82 meters (269 feet). The recovered firearm has been sent for forensic analysis, though investigators acknowledge that its time in the water will make the process complex. The priority is to determine if this is the exact weapon used in the quadruple homicide.
The killer fired 21 bullets in less than two minutes, hitting the victims with 17 of them. The Al-Hilli's seven-year-old daughter, Zainab, was shot in the shoulder and struck with the gun, while her four-year-old sister, Zeena, survived by hiding in the back of the family's car.
Investigators are also re-testing original gun fragments from the crime scene and comparing them with the newly discovered pistol. The pistol's serial number could potentially help authorities trace its history and ownership.
Various theories have been explored regarding the motive for the killings. One line of inquiry considered links to Saad Al-Hilli's work in the satellite industry and potential connections to the former Iraqi regime under Saddam Hussein. Another theory suggested a dispute over family inheritance, though this was discounted due to a lack of evidence. A prominent theory posits that the Al-Hilli family may have been collateral damage, with the primary target possibly being the cyclist, Sylvain Mollier.
Past investigations have faced challenges, including the contamination of key evidence by a forensics officer and the early reopening of the crime scene to the public. A suspect, described as a tourist-hating former Swiss soldier, has reportedly evaded capture. French investigators also explored the possibility of a 'mystery camper' being present at the scene of the Al-Hilli murders as well as another tourist murder a year earlier in Nancy, where a different rare Swiss weapon was reportedly used. This individual was allegedly staying at a campsite near the scene of the Al-Hilli killings shortly before the massacre.