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Annecy Shootings (UK Family; French Cyclist; September 2012)

F

Fulcaneli

Gone But Not Forgotten
(ACCOUNT RETIRED)
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The Annecy shootings incident on 5th September 2012 seems to have completely dropped off the media radar. Do any board members have any information/theories as to what happened?
 
As the facts started to emerge I immediately thought of the Drummond family murder in the south of France in 1950.
 
Really happy to return the favour as you're always posting interesting stuff.
 
Interesting development.

French Alps murders: Cyclist 'was shot first'
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-20009542

Police suggest the killer of the Hilli family behaved ruthlessly but without logic

Police investigating the shooting of a British family in the French Alps believe the cyclist also found dead at the scene was shot first, according to a leaked provisional scenario.

Sylvain Mollier was hit by the first bullets, the report leaked to the French Le Parisien newspaper suggests.

The killer then shot Saad al-Hilli, his wife and mother-in-law while they sat in their car.

French investigators suggest the killer was acting alone.

The family, from Surrey, were on a camping holiday on the shores of Lake Annecy when they were killed.

The report details how forensic tests suggest Mr Hilli was outside the car with his seven-year-old daughter Zeinab when the shooting started and had attempted to escape with his family before being shot, the BBC's Christian Fraser in Paris says.


Saad al-Hilli was found dead in his car in France along with two family members
In panic, Mr Hilli reversed the car into a bank of earth surrounding the remote car park above the hamlet of Chevaline, the report suggests, trapping the back axle and preventing his escape.

Without logic
Zeinab was also shot in the shoulder and was struck with the gun, but survived.

The killer then returned to Mr Mollier, who had been wounded by the first shots, police believe.

The killer apparently missed her four-year-old sister Zeena who was found hiding under the skirts of her dead mother and grandmother the following day.

Police described the killer as behaving ruthlessly, but without much logic, a pattern of behaviour they suggest is not consistent with a professional hitman.

The report does not suggest investigators are any closer to learning the identity or motive of the killer.

Speaking earlier this month, the French chief prosecutor in the case, Eric Maillaud, warned there was no hope of solving the murders "in the near future".

"There are lines of inquiry but each raises so many questions and nothing suggests there will be a quick solution," he said.

French and British police have formed a joint task force to investigate Mr Hilli's work as an engineer, his family connections and links to Iraq, where he was born.

Christian Fraser says the leaked report does not dispel French police's current working theory that the gunman was local and a "lone wolf".
Click to expand...
 
Claims emerge Alps murder victim may have had access to part of Saddam Hussein's fortune
A British engineer murdered in the French Alps may have had access to part of a multi-million pound fortune once belonging to Saddam Hussein, it has been claimed.
By Peter Allen, Paris
10:01PM BST 27 Oct 2012

The possibility was raised by German secret agents working on the international enquiry into the quadruple killing close to Lake Annecy on September 5.

Iraqi-born Saad Al-Hilli, 50, died in a blaze of gunfire alongside his wife Iqbal, 47, his mother-in-law Suhaila Al-Allaf, 74, and Sylvain Mollier, 45, a French cyclist.
Since the massacre in an isolated wooden layby on September 5th, police and prosecutors have been at a loss to establish a motive for the bloodshed.

But now intelligence officials based in Berlin have uncovered evidence that Mr Al-Hilli may have had access to cash which belonged to the former Iraqi dictator.
This raises the possibility that sinister forces specifically targeted Mr Al-Hilli as a means of gaining access to part of the enormous wealth that Saddam hid around the world, and especially in Switzerland.

Specialist police were last week questioning Geneva-based bankers about the Al-Hilli’s assets, while financial records in countries including the USA have also been requested.

It has already been established that Mr Al-Hilli was in dispute with his older brother, 53-year-old Zaid Al-Hilli, over the will of their father, Kadhim, who died around a year ago in Spain.
Until now it was thought that the money under dispute came from Kadhim’s property dealing and other business interests.

But the German agents have now told their French anti-terrorist counterparts that cash deposited in an Al-Hilli account in Geneva originally came from Saddam.
Kadhim, a former factory owner, left Baghdad in the late 1970s with his wife, Fasiha, and two boys, after allegedly falling foul of Saddam's Ba'ath Party.
The family settled in Pimlico, central London, with any accounts containing money given to Kadhim by Saddam allegedly frozen after Kadhim was struck off a "list of beneficiaries", according to the new German intelligence.

But the clear implication is that Kadhim may not have fallen out with Saddam at all, and was in fact being used to get money out of Iraq on behalf of the dictator, who was always making plans in case he was overthrown.

etc...

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldne ... rtune.html
 
I'm wondering if the cyclist was the intended victim and the family were the one's in the wrong place at the wrong time.
 
Monstrosa said:
I'm wondering if the cyclist was the intended victim and the family were the one's in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Click to expand...

I think so too. I seem to recall hearing something that suggested he was shot first.
 
Alps al-Hilli family murders: Arrest in fraud inquiry
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-20297670

Mr al-Hilli was originally from Iraq but held British citizenship

Related Stories

Concerns over Alps murder probe
Alps gunman 'shot cyclist first'
'Long task' to solve Alps murders

A man has been arrested on suspicion of attempting to access the bank accounts of a Surrey father murdered in the French Alps.

Saad al-Hilli, 50, was shot dead along with his wife, mother-in-law and a cyclist near Annecy on 5 September.

Police investigating claims that someone tried to access his accounts after his death confirmed they arrested a man in Salford on 25 September.

Abiodun David John, 32, was bailed over suspected fraud offences until Tuesday.

Surrey Police confirmed it had asked Greater Manchester Police to arrest a man at an address in Alban Street, Salford.

Daughters survived
A spokesman said: "A 32-year-old man from the Greater Manchester area was arrested on 25 September in connection with an ongoing fraud investigation being carried out by Surrey Police.

"He was released on bail until 13 November pending further inquiries."

Mr al-Hilli's daughters Zainab, seven, and Zeena, four, survived the gun attack.

About 100 police officers in the UK and France are investigating the murders.
Click to expand...
 
Long report here on the investigation:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-20373970

Basically, still no progress towards finding a motive, though more details are given about the gun used.

"The al-Hilli's loved Annecy and it is the last kind of place you would expect to encounter the deranged killer Mr Maillaud describes.
But two months on perhaps there is no other explanation. Maybe there was no motive.
Maybe it was a savage, but entirely random act of murder."
 
Man denies fraud charge over Saad al-Hilli accounts
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-21372738

Mr al-Hilli was shot dead along with his wife, mother-in-law and a cyclist in the French Alps

A man has denied trying to defraud the bank accounts of an engineer murdered in the French Alps.

Abiodun David John, 33, from Salford, is on trial at Guilford Crown Court charged with eight counts of fraud, four of which relate to Saad al-Hilli.

The 50-year-old, from Claygate, was shot dead with his wife, mother-in-law and a cyclist on 5 September.

Mr John was remanded in custody with a trial expected in March or April.

It is alleged he tried to open an Amazon account in the name of Mr al-Hilli and sought to use the dead man's HSBC and Royal Bank of Scotland cards.

In addition he is charged with four offences of fraud involving the use of the names of three other individuals.

Surrey Police said the fraud charges are not linked to the investigation into the murder of the Iraqi-born engineer.

Mr John was told his trial will take place in March or April.
 
Brother of British engineer murdered in Alps questioned by French police
The brother of a British engineer murdered in the Alps alongside two members of his family has been questioned at length by French police for the first time, it emerged on Saturday.
By Peter Allen, in Paris and Patrick Sawer
12:28PM GMT 30 Mar 2013

Zaid-Al Hilli, 53, was interviewed by detectives on Friday at a location close to his home in Chessington, Surrey.
French detectives have now had the first opportunity to put to him a number of questions regarding numerous aspects of the quadruple murder at a beauty spot close to Lake Annecy, in eastern France.

The significant development came almost seven months to the day since Zaid’s 50-year-old brother, Saad Al-Hilli, was killed alongside his wife Ikbal, 47, and Mrs Al-Hilli’s mother, Suhalia, 74, in their family’s BMW.

Sylvain Mollier, a 45-year-old French cyclist also died in the shooting on September 5, which is believed to have been carried out by at least one gunman.

Zaid is alleged to have been involved in a dispute with his brother over a family inheritance.

In turn he has insisted that he is completely innocent of any wrong-doing, and said he had a good relationship with his brother.
Their father, Kadhim Al-Hilli, died in Spain two years ago, leaving a number of properties and cash, including the equivalent of some £800,000, in a bank account in Geneva, which is less than an hour’s driver from the murder scene.

Saad put a legal block on his father’s will, effectively preventing Zaid from inheriting his share until ‘unknown’ disputes had been resolved, according to published legal documents.

The French detectives wanted to question Zaid over claims that he tried to use an expired credit card to withdrew cash from the Geneva account shortly before the killings.
Eric Maillaud, the Annecy prosecutor who is leading the investigation, has made no secret of his frustration at not being able to interview Zaid at length, but that situation changed when officers working directly to him arrived in the UK last week.

According to a French police source, Zaid was asked about his ‘whereabouts on the day of the tragedy.’ He also volunteered information about the will, and about Saad’s work as satellite technology engineer.
Surrey police, who have to date released little information about the enquiry, confirmed that Zaid had been contacted.
But they refused to provide any details about last week’s questioning of Zaid, which was today being widely reported in the French media.

A Surrey Police spokesman said: “We have regular contact with him as the next of kin of one of the victims. There is nothing more than that. He has never been arrested or considered a suspect.”

During the investigation it emerged that Saad kept a Taser stun gun protection weapon at his home in Claygate, Surrey, and had also changed the locks of the 1 million pounds property.

Saad’s seven-year-old daughter, Zainab, suffered head injuries after being pistol whipped in the attack and was also shot in the shoulder.
Her sister, Zeena, escaped unscathed after hiding under her mother’s skirt in the back of the family BMW.
Both little girls are now in the care of social services, with surviving members of the Al-Hilli family, including Zaid, allowed limited access to them.

There have been no arrests since the murders happened, with Mr Maillaud admitting that the baffling case ‘may never be solved’.
He recently ordered a visit by investigators to Iraq, which is where the Al-Hillis originally came from, but this has been delayed because of security worries.

Zaid Al-Hilli could not be reached for comment.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/ ... olice.html

Nothing really new, then.
 
But this is:

Armed guard on Alp victim's brother, Zaid-Al Hilli
Police fear for the safety of the brother of a British engineer murdered in the French Alps alongside two members of his family and have installed a panic alarm in his home that triggers an armed response.
By Andrew Hough
10:23PM BST 31 Mar 2013

Security has been stepped up at the home of Zaid-Al Hilli, 53, in the wake of the quadruple murder at a beauty spot close to Lake Annecy, in eastern France, last year, The Daily Telegraph can disclose.

It emerged on Sunday that Zaid, who is alleged to have been involved in a dispute with his brother over a family inheritance, has been questioned by French police at his home in Chessington, Surrey, for the first time.
Shortly after this newspaper knocked on his front door to ask him about the development, several Metropolitan Police units, containing heavily armed officers, swooped on the address, accompanied by colleagues from Surrey Police.
A reporter and a photographer were spoken to by police before being told “no further action” would be taken.

It is believed that Zaid, who has insisted he is completely innocent of any wrong-doing and had a good relationship with his brother, has told British police officers he is fearful for his safety and that he may be a target for his brother's killer.

Details of the escalation in his security arrangements come after his 50 year-old Iraqi-born brother Saad Al-Hilli was killed in a cold blooded shooting in the family’s BMW seven months ago.
The murder, which remains unsolved, also claimed the life of the Saad’s wife Ikbal, 47, Mrs Al-Hilli’s mother Suhalia, 74 and Sylvian Mollier, a 45 year-old French cyclist.

The attack, on Sept 5, also saw Saad's seven-year-old daughter, Zainab, badly injured, while her four-year-old sister Zeena, was left deeply traumatised.
Both little girls are now in the care of social services, with surviving members of the Al-Hilli family, including Zaid, allowed limited access to them.

French police sources have said that Zaid was asked about his “whereabouts on the day of the tragedy”. He also volunteered information about a possibly disputed will and about Saad’s work as satellite technology engineer.

Eric Maillaud, the Annecy prosecutor who is leading the investigation, has made no secret of his frustration at not being able to interview Zaid at length.
No one has been arrested over the killings, with Mr Maillaud admitting the baffling case “may never be solved”.

...

Tonight a Surrey Police spokesman declined to say whether officers held fears that Zaid was a specific target.
She added in a statement: "Around 1pm today two units from Surrey Police attended an address in Chessington alongside officers from the Metropolitan Police Service following a report of a disturbance at the location.
"Two men were spoken to but no offences were disclosed and no arrests were made."

Police sources last night said there was no "special operational cost" incurred as they are considered paid officers.

Last night a Met Police spokesman said: "At approximately 1.10pm today, police were called to attend an address in Chessington. Officers attended the address and two men were spoken to.
"There were no offences disclosed, or apparent, and no one was arrested. There was no further action by police." He declined to comment further.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/ ... Hilli.html
 
French Alps shooting: UK vehicle appeal

An appeal to help trace a UK-registered vehicle seen near the spot where four people were murdered in the French Alps has been issued by Surrey Police.
Saad al-Hilli and his wife Iqbal from Claygate, Surrey, her mother Suhaila al-Allaf and French cyclist Sylvain Mollier were shot on 5 September.
The al-Hilli's daughters Zeinab and Zeena survived.

Police want to speak to the owner of a right-hand drive 4x4, possibly a grey or black BMW X5.
A Surrey Police spokeswoman said there was a "strong possibility" it was a British-registered vehicle.
The 4x4 was being driven on the Combre d'Ire Road in Chevaline, near Annecy, about 20 minutes before the shooting, the force said.

Surrey Police said the Surrey and Sussex Major Crime Team had been working closely with the French authorities on "a number of lines of inquiry" in the UK.
The appeal to trace the vehicle was broadcast on the BBC One's Crimewatch programme earlier.

The family were on a camping holiday on the shores of Lake Annecy when they were attacked.
Nobody has been held responsible for the deaths.

Det Sup Nick May said: "Were you on holiday in the French Alps at the time? Did you visit the Annecy area?
"I am particularly keen to speak to any owner of such a vehicle who visited the towns of Doussard or Chevaline on the afternoon of 5 September as they may be able to provide vital information to assist with this ongoing joint investigation.
"This location is very popular and there may have been a number of tourists staying in the local area or travelling through at that time of year.
"The timing of this sighting is clearly significant and it is important that we trace this vehicle if only to eliminate it from our inquiries."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-surrey-22345538
 
French Alps murders: Brother arrested over Al-Hilli killings

A 54-year-old man has been arrested in Surrey in connection with the murders of four people in the French Alps, including his brother.
Saad al-Hilli and his wife Iqbal, from Claygate, Surrey, her mother Suhaila al-Allaf and French cyclist Sylvain Mollier were shot on 5 September.
The family were on holiday by Lake Annecy when they were attacked.

Zaid al-Hilli, Saad's brother, was arrested in at an address in Chessington, Surrey.
He had previously denied there was any feud between him and his brother.
Annecy prosecutor Eric Maillaud told news agency AFP: "We felt there were enough reasons to take him into custody.
"We need to ask him questions about his schedule, his relationship with his brother and the family inheritance."

About 100 British and French police officers are investigating the deaths.
The family's home in Claygate was searched by French investigators after the shootings.

Last month, Surrey Police issued an appeal to help trace a vehicle, thought to be a UK-registered right-hand-drive 4x4, which was seen near the crime scene.
The car was being driven on the Combre d'Ire Road in Chevaline, near Annecy, about 20 minutes before the shooting, the force said.

Surrey Police also said at the time that the Surrey and Sussex Major Crime Team had been working closely with the French authorities on "a number of lines of inquiry" in the UK.

Mr and Mrs al-Hilli's daughters survived the shooting.
Four-year-old Zeena was discovered under her mother's body inside the family car, eight hours after the shooting.
Her seven-year-old sister Zainab was found with serious head injuries after being shot and beaten.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-23031076
 
British and French police due to give Alps family murder update

British police have travelled to France for the first anniversary of the murder of three members of a British family.
They are due to give a joint news conference with French police on the investigation into the murders, which remain unsolved.

Saad al-Hilli and his wife Iqbal, from Claygate, her mother Suhaila al-Allaf and French cyclist Sylvain Mollier were shot on 5 September 2012.
The family were on holiday by Lake Annecy when they were attacked.
The bodies of the four victims were found on a remote forest road in Chevaline.
Mr and Mrs al-Hilli's daughters survived the shooting.

Mr al-Hilli's brother Zaid, who is from Chessington, Surrey, is due to answer police bail next month after he was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder amid claims he doctored documents to ensure he inherited the family estate.
He has always denied any involvement in the killings.

Since the inquiry started British police have taken 60 statements, seized 5,500 documents and 1,600 exhibits, Surrey Police said, travelling to France several times in the course of their investigation.

Detective superintendent Nick May said: "The tragic events of a year ago left four people dead in appalling circumstances.
"We remain committed to finding answers to what happened that day on behalf of their families, particularly for the two young girls who lost their parents. This remains a complex inquiry and we continue to have a team of officers dedicated to supporting the investigation.
"We have established a good working relationship with our French colleagues and are continuing to pursue a number of lines of inquiry in the UK."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-23982056
 
Alps murders: French police 'covering up', says brother
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-24476624
By Jane Corbin
BBC Panorama

Alps Murder scene near Lake Annecy

The case sparked an international manhunt involving police forces in more than a dozen countries

The brother of a British man killed with his wife and mother-in-law while on holiday in the Alps has denied arranging their murder.

Zaid al-Hilli, from Surrey, has accused French police of "covering up" the real target of the killings in 2012 and also offered to take a lie-detector test.

He remains on bail after being arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder.

The French prosecutor said he was convinced there was a very serious feud between the brothers.

Saad al-Hilli and his wife Iqbal, from Claygate, her mother Suhaila al-Allaf and French cyclist Sylvain Mollier, were shot on 5 September 2012.

The bodies of the four victims were found on a remote forest road in Chevaline near Lake Annecy.

The two young daughters survived the attack, one by hiding under her dead mother's skirt.

Continue reading the main story
“
Start Quote

They are covering up for someone in France in that region and they know it”

Zaid al-Hilli
Brother of Saad
Saad's brother Zaid, who is from Chessington, was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to murder amid claims he doctored documents to ensure he inherited the family estate following the death of their father.

Zaid denied arranging the killings and said the accusations were "ridiculous."

He rejected claims of a feud between the brothers over the inheritance.

He said they got on well despite only communicating through their lawyers in the eleven months before the attack.

"Our relationship was very brotherly and very close, and we looked after each other," he said.

He declined to answer questions about his father's will because British police are investigating him for possible fraud.

"Serious feud"
He said French police shut down their investigation in to the murdered cyclist, Sylvain Mollier, too soon.

"They are covering up for someone in France in that region and they know it.

"Sylvain Mollier was involved in family disputes and was an outsider to [his] rich family. There is something more to it locally... most crime has local roots."

The French prosecutor, Eric Maillaud, has said he is sure the cyclist was there by accident and is convinced there was a feud between the brothers.

"The police have investigated Sylvain Mollier's family as far as they could. There is nothing to link Mollier to this murder," he said.

"The investigators have become convinced that Zaid tried to steal from his father, one way or another, and that there was a very serious feud between the two brothers.

"Saad al-Hilli was afraid of his brother and had changed the locks at the house and fitted a new alarm."

Mr Maillaud said French investigators will solve the mystery of the Annecy murders however long it takes.

Panorama: Murder in the Alps, BBC One, Monday 21 October at 21:00 BST and then available in the UK on the BBC iPlayer.
Click to expand...
 
France releases sketch of Alps murder motorcyclist

French police have released a sketch of a motorcyclist wanted in connection with the murders of four people in the Alps last year.
Three members of a British-Iraqi family and a French cyclist were shot on 5 September near Lake Annecy.

Investigators say eyewitnesses saw the motorcyclist on the road leading to the murder scene.
The artist's impression shows him wearing a goatee and a rare type of helmet that opens from the side.

Saad al-Hilli, his wife Iqbal and her mother Suhaila al-Allaf were shot along with cyclist Sylvain Mollier on a remote forest road in Chevaline.
The family's two young daughters survived the attack, one by hiding under her dead mother's skirt.

Police say the helmet the motorcyclist was wearing is of particular interest as only 8,000 were made in the black or dark colour described by witnesses.
It is a full-face model that opens from the side to allow for conversations, without the rider having to remove the helmet.
"The only helmet on the market that matches this description is the ISR-type GPA helmet," police said in a statement.
Despite checking with distributors, police have been unable to trace the owner.

The BBC's Christian Fraser in Paris says witnesses gave a description of the motorcyclist to police in the early stages of their investigation, but the artist's impression was not released for fear the suspect would go into hiding.
"This is someone who was close to the scene during a time period that interests us," a spokesman for the investigation said.
Brett Martin, a British cyclist who discovered the attack, told the BBC's Panorama programme he saw a motorcyclist leaving the scene of the shooting.
"He was going at a very slow, abnormally slow speed, and at the time it seemed odd," he said.

A forestry worker coming down from a nearby mountain just minutes before the shooting also spoke to the programme.
He said: "When I arrived, there was a motorbike pulling in to the parking area. I passed the parking and the motorbike was on the left here.
"I remember it well, it was white, white and black, with panniers on either side.
"The rider was all in black [and] his visor was completely closed."

Police say the motorcyclist they want to speak to was on the Combre d'Ire road in Chevaline, near Annecy, between 15:15 and 15:40 local time (13:15 and 13:40 GMT) on the day of the killings.

They are also looking for a right-hand drive BMW 4x4 that was spotted close to the scene.

Mr al-Hilli's brother Zaid was arrested by British police in June on suspicion of planning the killings. He has protested his innocence but admits the pair had fallen out over their father's inheritance.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-24809613
 
Carers of Alps al-Hilli sisters seek residency
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-surrey-24995565

Saad al-Hilli

Mr al-Hilli's two daughters survived the attack on a remote mountain road near Annecy in the Alps

A couple caring for two sisters whose parents and grandmother were shot dead in the French Alps have applied to be allowed to live permanently in the UK.

Saad al-Hilli and his wife Iqbal, from Claygate in Surrey, her mother Suhaila al-Allaf and French cyclist Sylvain Mollier, were shot on 5 September 2012.

Zainab, then seven, was badly hurt and Zeena, four, escaped without injury.

A High Court judge said it would be in their best interests to stay in Britain with their carers, who are relatives.

Mr Justice Baker was giving brief detail of the couple's residency application in a written ruling after analysing issues surrounding the girls' welfare at hearings in the Family Division of the court.

"I emphasise that this is not a matter for me but, rather for the immigration authorities," he said.

'Special guardians'
Mr al-Hilli was an Iraqi-born British citizen. His wife held an Iraqi passport and her mother was a Swedish national.

Mr Justice Baker said he had made orders appointing the couple the girls' "special guardians".

He went on to praise the couple for the "dedication" they had shown, adding: "I commend them for all that they have done, and all that they are going to do in future, for the benefit of the girls."

The judge also said he wanted to acknowledge the "very great care and skill" shown by social workers, lawyers and police involved in the girls' case.

He concluded: "I send my very best wishes to the girls."
Click to expand...
 
Alps murders: No further action against Zaid al-Hilli
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-surrey-25741344

Zaid al-Hilli

Zaid al-Hilli was arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder

A man held in connection with the murders of four people, including his brother, in the French Alps has been freed from bail.

Surrey Police said there was not enough evidence to charge Zaid al-Hilli, 54, from Chessington.

French Police, however, said Mr al-Hilli was still their main suspect.

His brother Saad al-Hilli, 50, was shot with his wife Iqbal, 47, his mother-in-law Suhaila al-Allaf and French cyclist Sylvain Mollier on 5 September 2012.

Daughters Zainab, seven, and Zeena, four, survived the attack near Annecy.

Saad al-Hilli
Saad al-Hilli and his family were on holiday when they were attacked
Zaid al-Hilli was arrested on 24 June on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder.

A Surrey Police spokesman said: "At this stage there is insufficient evidence to charge him with any criminal offence and no further police action is being taken at this time.

"This remains a French-led investigation and officers from the Surrey and Sussex Major Crime Team continue to work closely with the French authorities."

'Cover up'
The bodies of the couple, from Claygate, Surrey, Ms al-Allaf and Mr Mollier were found on a remote forest road in Chevaline near Lake Annecy.

The two young girls survived the attack, one by hiding under her dead mother's skirt.

Continue reading the main story
Lake Annecy shootings

The shootings took place in a forest car park
Saad al-Hilli was an Iraqi-born British citizen. His wife held an Iraqi passport and her mother was a Swedish national
Cyclist Sylvain Mollier was a 45-year-old father of three who worked in the area
Several witnesses saw a car speeding away from the scene
Police were instructed not to disturb the bodies - which was why the al-Hillis' daughter Zeena was not found for eight hours
The family were on holiday by Lake Annecy when they were attacked.

Zaid al-Hilli was arrested amid claims he doctored documents to ensure he inherited the family estate following the death of his father.

He denied arranging the killings and said the accusations were "ridiculous".

He accused French police of "covering up" the real target of the killings and also offered to take a lie-detector test.

The al-Hilli brothers were said to have been locked in an inheritance dispute centred on the £825,000 home in Claygate where Saad and his family lived after their mother died from a heart attack in 2003.

Zaid, who inherited half the property, claimed that in 2011 his brother began to demand his share of the house "there and then" and pinned him down during a row.

The two men never spoke again, except through lawyers.

In November, French investigators said they were looking for a mystery motorcyclist who was seen near the crime scene.

One lead in tracing the man was that he was wearing an unusual helmet, only a few thousand of which had been made.
Click to expand...
 
Al-Hilli murders: Man arrested in Alps probe
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-26240055

Identikit picture of motorcyclist wanted

The arrest followed the release of this identikit image of a motorcyclist

French police investigating the killing of a British family in the Alps in 2012 have arrested a 48-year-old man.

The man, from the Haute-Savoie region, has been placed in formal custody.

Prosecutors told AFP news agency the man bore a strong resemblance to an identikit image of a motorcyclist seen near the scene of the murders.

Saad al-Hilli, 50, an Iraqi-born British citizen, had been found dead in his BMW car; his wife Iqbal, her mother and a French cyclist were also killed.

Mr and Mrs al-Hilli's two young daughters, aged seven and four at the time, survived the attack, which took place in a car park near Lake Annecy.

The older daughter, Zainab, was shot and beaten. Her sister, Zeena, was found traumatised but physically unscathed after hiding under bodies in the car.

The body of the cyclist, Sylvain Mollier, was found nearby.

Scene of Saad al-Hilli's murder
Mr al-Hilli's car was found in an isolated forest car park
The identikit image of the motorcyclist was issued last November after French police said they wanted to speak to a man seen riding in the area between 3.15pm and 3.40pm shortly before the murders took place.

The man's helmet was said by prosecutors to be "very particular", one of only a few thousand such models worldwide.

Annecy prosecutor Eric Maillaud was quoted by AFP as saying the arrest was the result of witness statements that came in after the image was released.

He said there was no "direct link" apparent between the man and the victims.

Under French law, police can hold suspects in criminal cases for up to 48 hours without charge.

Hundreds interviewed
Mr al-Hilli and his family lived in Claygate, Surrey and were on holiday at the time of the attack, along with Mrs al-Hilli's mother, Suhaila al-Allaf, who lived in Sweden.

Zaid al-Hilli
Police freed Mr al-Hilli's brother Zaid from bail last month
More than 100 police officers in France and the UK have been involved in investigating the case and about 800 people have been interviewed.

Surrey Police said the arrest was prompted by a line of inquiry in France and was not as a result of the investigation carried out in the UK.

French prosecutors previously said the "reasons and causes" for the killings had their "origins" in the UK and they investigated an alleged feud between Mr al-Hilli and his brother Zaid over inheritance.

Zaid al-Hilli, 54 and also from Surrey, denied involvement in the murders and accused French police of "covering up" the real target of the killings.

He was released from bail last month after being arrested last year on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder.

Surrey police said there was not enough evidence to charge him.

The motive for the shootings has remained elusive.

Speculation has focused on possible links to Iraq or Mr al-Hilli's work as a satellite engineer.
Click to expand...
 
Alps killings police find 'no link so far' to held man
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-26261010

Police use metal detectors to search a garden

French police used metal detectors to search a garden in the town of Talloires, near the murder scene

French police investigating the killing of a British family in the Alps in 2012 say they so far have nothing to link a man in custody with the crime.

A number of guns have been confiscated from the home of the detained 48-year-old former policeman.

Annecy prosecutor Eric Maillaud also confirmed a second man was being held.

Saad al-Hilli, 50, an Iraqi-born British citizen, was found dead in his BMW car; his wife Iqbal, her mother and a French cyclist were also killed.

The 48-year-old man from the Haute-Savoie region, who was arrested on Tuesday, has been described in reports as a gun enthusiast, a bit of a loner and somewhat difficult.

Police found a Luger pistol during a search of his home in Talloires, about 10 km from the murder scene, but it was not the same model as the Luger used in the shooting.

Mr Maillaud said: "There is no direct link at the moment."

Mr al-Hilli and his family lived in Claygate, Surrey, and were on holiday at the time of the attack, along with Mrs al-Hilli's mother, Suhaila al-Allaf, who lived in Sweden.

Mr and Mrs al-Hilli's two young daughters, aged seven and four at the time, survived the attack, which took place in a car park near Lake Annecy.

The older daughter, Zainab, was shot and beaten. Her sister, Zeena, was found traumatised but physically unscathed after hiding under bodies in the car.

The body of the cyclist, Sylvain Mollier, was found nearby.

'Resembles' description
On Wednesday, Mr Maillaud said the ex-policeman's arrest did not mean the case was solved.

The man was described as having a strong resemblance to an identikit image of a motorcyclist seen near the murder scene.

Identikit picture of motorcyclist wanted
The first arrest followed the release of this identikit image of a motorcyclist
"We are talking about one person who resembles the description of another man who was near the scene at the time," Mr Maillaud said.

"We do not know what he was doing there. As I speak to you, that person is still in detention but we have nothing that would link him to the crimes so far."

Mr Maillaud said the second man in custody was a friend of the ex-policeman.

The prosecutor said police "discovered a great number of munitions, explosives and detonators" during their search.

He said they believed the pair may have been involved with the trafficking of firearms.

Mr Maillaud said the Luger pistol recovered "is not the same arm" as the actual gun used in the shooting.

"It is not the same calibre, which is absolutely essential to note," he said.

Investigators have stressed that the presumption of innocence must prevail.

A 4x4 that police have been looking for since the shooting has still not been found.

Meanwhile, the UK side of the investigation continues.

More than 100 police officers in France and the UK have been involved in investigating the case and about 800 people have been interviewed.

French prosecutors previously said the "reasons and causes" for the killings had their "origins" in the UK and they investigated an alleged feud between Mr al-Hilli and his brother Zaid over inheritance.

Zaid al-Hilli, 54 and also from Surrey, denied involvement in the murders and accused French police of "covering up" the real target of the killings.

He was released from bail last month after being arrested last year on suspicion of conspiracy to commit murder.

Surrey Police said there was not enough evidence to charge him.

The motive for the shootings has remained elusive.

Speculation has focused on possible links to Iraq or Saad al-Hilli's work as a satellite engineer.
Click to expand...
 
Alps murders: No charges for al-Hilli arrest man
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-26290147

A French gendarme blocks a road leading to the scene of the shootings in 2012

Saad al-Hilli and members of his family were murdered in the French Alps in September 2012

No charges will be brought against a man arrested in connection with the killing of a British engineer and his family, French prosecutors have said.

Saad al-Hilli and his wife Iqbal, from Claygate in Surrey, and her mother Suhaila al-Allaf were shot dead on a remote forest road in the Alps in 2012.

The 48-year-old man has been released from police custody in relation to the killings near Lake Annecy.

But he is still being investigated for alleged arms trafficking involvement.

French police arrested the man, believed to be a former policeman from the Haute-Savoie region, on Tuesday.

Prosecutor Eric Maillaud said he was released from police custody after investigators found "no direct link" between him and the events of September 2012 which also saw local cyclist, Sylvain Mollier, murdered.

The weapon used in the crime has not been found; neither has the helmet featured in an e-fit of a motorcyclist spotted near the scene nor the motorbike.

Mr Maillaud said the investigation into the murders was continuing.

"The searches and interviews of the last three days have not enabled us to establish a direct link between the events of 5 September 2012 and this man, a war weapons enthusiast, who looked very like the e-fit released on 4 November 2013 and who was near to the place where the incident took place when it happened," he said.

"However, the man will be taken into custody, overseen by the public prosecutor's office in Annecy, in connection with illicit trading in wartime weapons and ammunition found during searches by investigators, this illicit activity being carried out as part of an organised gang."
Click to expand...
 
so did this chap have an alibi for the time in question ?

the fact they didnt find an helmet and the gun and the bullets.... well thats no surprise !!!


they said his phone was in the area at the time
he had the right type of bike
he collects old guns illegally
and he was dodgy
ex police

his state of mind at the times is also called into question.
 
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