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| French Alps shootings: hiker says he thought girl was dead | French Alps shootings: hiker says he thought girl was dead |
| (7 months later) | |
| A French hiker who was one of the first to reach the forest clearing where a British family was murdered has described how the seven-year-old girl, who was shot, badly beaten and left for dead at the scene, showed no signs of life. | A French hiker who was one of the first to reach the forest clearing where a British family was murdered has described how the seven-year-old girl, who was shot, badly beaten and left for dead at the scene, showed no signs of life. |
| The witness, Philippe Didierjean, 41, said: "She wasn't responding to our calls. I clapped my hands but she did not respond. I even spoke a few words in English, because I saw the car was registered in Great Britain, but there was nothing. To me, she was dead." | The witness, Philippe Didierjean, 41, said: "She wasn't responding to our calls. I clapped my hands but she did not respond. I even spoke a few words in English, because I saw the car was registered in Great Britain, but there was nothing. To me, she was dead." |
| He then went back down the hill leading to the Alpine beauty spot near Lake Annecy to call the emergency services. They discovered the Iraqi-born British engineer Saad al-Hilli, 50, his dentist wife, Iqbal, 47, and her 74-year-old mother dead from bullet wounds in the car. Each of the victims had been shot twice in the head. | He then went back down the hill leading to the Alpine beauty spot near Lake Annecy to call the emergency services. They discovered the Iraqi-born British engineer Saad al-Hilli, 50, his dentist wife, Iqbal, 47, and her 74-year-old mother dead from bullet wounds in the car. Each of the victims had been shot twice in the head. |
| The body of a French cyclist who had been shot seven times, twice in the head, was found nearby. | The body of a French cyclist who had been shot seven times, twice in the head, was found nearby. |
| The first person to discover the horror was a British former Royal Air Force pilot who was cycling up La Route de Combe d'Ire, near the village of Chevaline, last Wednesday. | The first person to discover the horror was a British former Royal Air Force pilot who was cycling up La Route de Combe d'Ire, near the village of Chevaline, last Wednesday. |
| The man, who has a house in the area, arrived at the car park at the top of the hill and saw a British-registered BMW with its windows shot out and the motor still running. The Hillis' eldest daughter, Zainab, staggered towards him, covered in blood, and collapsed at his feet. | The man, who has a house in the area, arrived at the car park at the top of the hill and saw a British-registered BMW with its windows shot out and the motor still running. The Hillis' eldest daughter, Zainab, staggered towards him, covered in blood, and collapsed at his feet. |
| Didierjean, 41, told Le Parisien newspaper he had been hiking up the Combe d'Ire with two friends when he noticed the British cyclist coming down at speed: "He was in a panic and was coming down the route. He explained to me with difficulty in bad French that there had been a drama a little higher up. He wanted to alert the emergency services. | Didierjean, 41, told Le Parisien newspaper he had been hiking up the Combe d'Ire with two friends when he noticed the British cyclist coming down at speed: "He was in a panic and was coming down the route. He explained to me with difficulty in bad French that there had been a drama a little higher up. He wanted to alert the emergency services. |
| "I wasn't sure whether he didn't have a mobile telephone or he couldn't get a signal up there." | "I wasn't sure whether he didn't have a mobile telephone or he couldn't get a signal up there." |
| Didierjean said he followed the British cyclist for a few metres before arriving at the car park. "I approached the car. I didn't touch anything, but I saw at once that there was nothing more to be done. There was no sign of life." He said he heard no shooting and "seen nobody passing … not a car or motorbike". | Didierjean said he followed the British cyclist for a few metres before arriving at the car park. "I approached the car. I didn't touch anything, but I saw at once that there was nothing more to be done. There was no sign of life." He said he heard no shooting and "seen nobody passing … not a car or motorbike". |
| Police took statements from all four – including the RAF officer – and took them back up the Combe d'Ire at the weekend to determine exactly where they were when the killers struck. | Police took statements from all four – including the RAF officer – and took them back up the Combe d'Ire at the weekend to determine exactly where they were when the killers struck. |
| Didierjean said: "A few minutes earlier and it could have been us in place of the murdered cyclist. We didn't know … if we were in danger or not – if those who had done all that were still there or not. It felt like we were taking a risk." | Didierjean said: "A few minutes earlier and it could have been us in place of the murdered cyclist. We didn't know … if we were in danger or not – if those who had done all that were still there or not. It felt like we were taking a risk." |
| It emerged on Tuesday that French investigators were looking at claims Saad al-Hilli unexpectedly moved his family from one campsite to another two days before the attack. | It emerged on Tuesday that French investigators were looking at claims Saad al-Hilli unexpectedly moved his family from one campsite to another two days before the attack. |
| A Dutch couple who had a neighbouring caravan said they believed the family had been planning to spend a week at the three-star Village Camping Europa site in Saint-Jorioz, but left after just two nights. | A Dutch couple who had a neighbouring caravan said they believed the family had been planning to spend a week at the three-star Village Camping Europa site in Saint-Jorioz, but left after just two nights. |
| The campers said Saad al-Hilli had acted "strangely" during the stay, going off and leaving his family alone several times a day. There were also reports of an "eastern European looking man" wearing a smart jacket visiting the Hillis. | The campers said Saad al-Hilli had acted "strangely" during the stay, going off and leaving his family alone several times a day. There were also reports of an "eastern European looking man" wearing a smart jacket visiting the Hillis. |
| The family moved to Le Solitaire du Lac campsite, on the banks of Lake Annecy, where investigators said they had stayed in previous years. | The family moved to Le Solitaire du Lac campsite, on the banks of Lake Annecy, where investigators said they had stayed in previous years. |
| A member of staff at Village Camping Europe denied the family had left suddenly. She said: "They came to stay with us on Saturday evening and left on Monday. That was pre-planned." | A member of staff at Village Camping Europe denied the family had left suddenly. She said: "They came to stay with us on Saturday evening and left on Monday. That was pre-planned." |
| She dismissed suggestions that Hilli behaved oddly during his stay: "There was nothing strange. All families leave the campsite at all sorts of times to run errands, go to the shop, organise activities, that sort of thing." | She dismissed suggestions that Hilli behaved oddly during his stay: "There was nothing strange. All families leave the campsite at all sorts of times to run errands, go to the shop, organise activities, that sort of thing." |
| She said comments about a mysterious man described as appearing "to come from the Balkans" were "ridiculous". She said: "That was an Italian man who was here. He left and got on his plane, as was planned." | She said comments about a mysterious man described as appearing "to come from the Balkans" were "ridiculous". She said: "That was an Italian man who was here. He left and got on his plane, as was planned." |
| Zainab al-Hilli, who was shot and so brutally beaten that doctors placed her in a medically induced coma, is conscious but heavily sedated. | Zainab al-Hilli, who was shot and so brutally beaten that doctors placed her in a medically induced coma, is conscious but heavily sedated. |
| She is said to have indicated to relatives at her bedside that she is aware of what happened, but she has not yet been questioned by French investigators, who are waiting for doctors to declare her well enough to speak of her ordeal. She is under armed guard as a key witness. | She is said to have indicated to relatives at her bedside that she is aware of what happened, but she has not yet been questioned by French investigators, who are waiting for doctors to declare her well enough to speak of her ordeal. She is under armed guard as a key witness. |
| Her four-year-old sister, Zeena, escaped unhurt by huddling in the footwell of the rear of the car under her dead mother's legs, where she lay terrified for eight hours before being discovered. | Her four-year-old sister, Zeena, escaped unhurt by huddling in the footwell of the rear of the car under her dead mother's legs, where she lay terrified for eight hours before being discovered. |
| French police are examining two mobile phones found in the car and are understood to be examining the hard disk of a laptop. | French police are examining two mobile phones found in the car and are understood to be examining the hard disk of a laptop. |
| British police are working with French officers to try to unravel the mystery surrounding the four deaths. The public prosecutor at Annecy, Eric Maillaud, has announced a press conference for 5pm on Wednesday (4pm BST). | British police are working with French officers to try to unravel the mystery surrounding the four deaths. The public prosecutor at Annecy, Eric Maillaud, has announced a press conference for 5pm on Wednesday (4pm BST). |
| Afterwards, Maillaud and one of the investigating judges appointed to oversee the inquiry will travel to London to meet the four gendarmes working with British police to find clues. | Afterwards, Maillaud and one of the investigating judges appointed to oversee the inquiry will travel to London to meet the four gendarmes working with British police to find clues. |
| Doctors at Grenoble University Hospital have said it will be several days before Zainab can be interviewed. | Doctors at Grenoble University Hospital have said it will be several days before Zainab can be interviewed. |
| French law requires that any questioning of Zainab is filmed, but the interview will be carried out by gendarmes who are specialists in dealing with children. | French law requires that any questioning of Zainab is filmed, but the interview will be carried out by gendarmes who are specialists in dealing with children. |
| Maillaud explained to French journalists: "The idea is to bring the child to say things without asking them too many questions. | Maillaud explained to French journalists: "The idea is to bring the child to say things without asking them too many questions. |
| "Too often, a child wants to please and has a tendency to say 'yes' because they think it will please if they say 'yes'. That's not good for the investigation." | "Too often, a child wants to please and has a tendency to say 'yes' because they think it will please if they say 'yes'. That's not good for the investigation." |
| • This article was amended on Tuesday 11 September to call Didierjean a hiker rather than cyclist in the headline and story. | • This article was amended on Tuesday 11 September to call Didierjean a hiker rather than cyclist in the headline and story. |
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