Suspect arrested over murder of British family in French Alps

Police examine the scene after members of the family were shot dead in the French Alps
Aerial photo of the car at the murder scene in the forrest near Chevaline and Lake Annecy in the French Alps. Mr Saad al-Hilli, his wife, Iqbal, and a 74-year-old woman who held a Swedish passport and who is reported to be Mr al-Hilli's mother-in-law, wer
Peter Allen12 January 2022

A suspect has been arrested in connection with the murders of three members of a British family and French cyclist in a gun attack 10 years ago.

In a dramatic development to what many had considered a cold case, a prosecuting source in Annecy, eastern France, on Wednesday confirmed that “a man was placed in custody at 8.05am today, and is being questioned at length” in relation to the savage attack in the Alps.

The unnamed man has been arrested before but they are “examining inconsistencies in his original testament and checking out his alibi,” said the source.

It was on September 5 2012 that Surrey businessman Saad al-Hilli, 50, his wife Iqbal, 47, and his mother-in-law Suhaila al-Allaf, 74, were gunned down as they tried to escape the area in their BMW car.

French cyclist Sylvain Mollier, 45, also died in the bloodbath, after being shot seven times at point blank range.

The Al-Hillis’ daughter, Zeena, four, hid in the footwell of the vehicle and was unscathed, while her sister, Zainab, seven, was shot and beaten but made a good recovery.

Despite an investigation stretching across the world, the individual or gang responsible have never been caught, leading to accusations that the French now view it as unsolvable.

But Line Bonnet-Mathis, the Annecy Prosecutor, has confirmed that the inquiry is still very much active.

Referring to the nearest hamlet to the crime scene, she said at the end of last year: “The Chevaline case is continuing, and still involves an investigating judge and investigators.”

Ms Bonnet-Mathis said the “preservation of physical evidence” was a priority and “for us, this is not a cold case”.

She confirmed that forensics officers from the research section of the Chambery gendarmerie had returned to the scene.

Earlier in 2021, detectives said they were investigating a possible link between the murders and a bungling gang of contract killers based in Paris.

Pistol rounds found at the home of one member – a former police intelligence officer – were of the same calibre as those fired by the antique Luger PO6 used to kill the Al-Hillis, the police said.

If the gang was involved, it would be more likely that Mr Mollier was the primary target, investigators believe.

But none of the numerous theories surrounding the so-called Alps Murders have stuck, meaning there have been no criminal indictments.

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