A rare pistol, similar to the type used in the 2012 French Alps massacre of a British family and a local cyclist, has been found in Lake Annecy. Police divers discovered the firearm at the bottom of the lake last week, approximately 14 years after the quadruple homicide.
The weapon is described as a Luger PO6/29, Parabellum 7.65, a rare Swiss Army sidearm. Hand-grip fragments of the same type of pistol were recovered from the crime scene in 2012, leading investigators to believe it was the murder weapon. The pistol was immediately retrieved and sent for forensic analysis to determine if it is the one used in the killings.
In September 2012, Saad Al–Hilli, 50, an Iraq-born satellite engineer, his wife Iqbal, 47, her mother Suhaila, 74, and local cyclist Sylvain Mollier, 45, were shot dead on a remote mountain road near Lake Annecy. The killer fired 21 bullets, hitting his victims with 17 of them. The Al–Hilli's seven-year-old daughter, Zainab, survived being shot in the shoulder and struck on the head, while her four-year-old sister, Zeena, was unharmed after hiding in the back of the family's BMW.
Investigators had previously determined the murder weapon was a Luger issued to Swiss soldiers between 1909 and 1947, manufactured in either Switzerland or Germany. A magistrate specializing in cold cases narrowed the scope by identifying the gun as being built in 1935, with only 940 such Lugers produced. Experts concluded the killer was likely methodical, calm, and trained to kill, employing a "double tap" technique.
Advancements in forensic technology offer the possibility of recovering DNA from the newly found pistol, even after its time submerged. The weapon's serial number could also help trace its history. Forensic experts will compare the recovered pistol with the original fragments found at the crime scene.
The Al-Hilli family, originally from Iraq, had theories surrounding their murders ranging from links to Saddam Hussein's former regime to disputes over inheritance, though the latter has been largely discounted due to a lack of evidence. Another prominent theory suggested the primary target may have been cyclist Sylvain Mollier, with the Al-Hilli family becoming collateral damage.
The investigation has been marked by procedural issues, including a forensics officer accidentally contaminating evidence and the crime scene being reopened to the public shortly after the massacre. A suspect, described as a Swiss soldier in his 50s, has reportedly evaded capture. Earlier theories pointed to a mystery "camper" who was present near the Al-Hilli crime scene and another tourist murder a year prior, where a rare Swiss gun was also allegedly used. Investigations traced this individual to a campsite near the 2011 murder of Xavier Baligant, a Belgian man shot multiple times while on a camping trip.
