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| French Alps shooting: photographs taken minutes before murders | French Alps shooting: photographs taken minutes before murders |
| (8 days later) | |
| At La Place du Martinet at the very top of the Combe d'Ire, a handful of wilted flowers give the only clue to the mysterious events at this Alpine beauty spot just over a month ago, when a British family and a French cyclist were gunned down. | At La Place du Martinet at the very top of the Combe d'Ire, a handful of wilted flowers give the only clue to the mysterious events at this Alpine beauty spot just over a month ago, when a British family and a French cyclist were gunned down. |
| Police barriers blocking the winding, unmade road have been removed and the local amateur cyclists who puff their way up the challenging climb have returned. | Police barriers blocking the winding, unmade road have been removed and the local amateur cyclists who puff their way up the challenging climb have returned. |
| The Combe d'Ire has become an endurance test for all, not least the French and British investigators who are still baffled by the shooting of Surrey-based engineer Saad al-Hilli, 50, his dentist wife, Iqbal, 47, and her mother, Suhaila al-Allaf, as well as local cyclist Sylvain Mollier. | The Combe d'Ire has become an endurance test for all, not least the French and British investigators who are still baffled by the shooting of Surrey-based engineer Saad al-Hilli, 50, his dentist wife, Iqbal, 47, and her mother, Suhaila al-Allaf, as well as local cyclist Sylvain Mollier. |
| Newly discovered photographs of the Hillis with their daughters Zainab, seven, and Zeena, four, who survived the attack, only add to the mystery. The holiday snaps, which have not been released, were taken by Mr Hilli and show his wife, mother and daughters smiling outside a picture-postcard local house, decked with flowers, close to the nearby village of Doussard, half a mile from where the attack happened. | Newly discovered photographs of the Hillis with their daughters Zainab, seven, and Zeena, four, who survived the attack, only add to the mystery. The holiday snaps, which have not been released, were taken by Mr Hilli and show his wife, mother and daughters smiling outside a picture-postcard local house, decked with flowers, close to the nearby village of Doussard, half a mile from where the attack happened. |
| Detectives believe that minutes after the pictures were taken, the family were killed. Officers believe the snaps go some way to discrediting claims that the 50-year-old had driven his family up the Combe d'Ire for a prearranged "secret" meeting, but admit they are sure of nothing. | Detectives believe that minutes after the pictures were taken, the family were killed. Officers believe the snaps go some way to discrediting claims that the 50-year-old had driven his family up the Combe d'Ire for a prearranged "secret" meeting, but admit they are sure of nothing. |
| "Every lead is still being investigated. But looking at the photos, it's clear these were people who had no idea what was waiting for them," said a source close to the inquiry. "It was just before they were killed, but they don't look in the slightest bit worried. They are all smiling. It's a normal, happy holiday photograph." | "Every lead is still being investigated. But looking at the photos, it's clear these were people who had no idea what was waiting for them," said a source close to the inquiry. "It was just before they were killed, but they don't look in the slightest bit worried. They are all smiling. It's a normal, happy holiday photograph." |
| The investigating judge has refused to release the pictures, deeming them too morbid. | The investigating judge has refused to release the pictures, deeming them too morbid. |
| The three adults in the family's BMW estate were shot in the head twice. Mollier, the French cyclist who appears to have been in the wrong place at the wrong time, was shot with at least five bullets. Police found a total of 25 bullet casings at the scene. Some of the shells were found inside the car, which was still running when the murder victims were discovered, suggesting some shots were fired at close range. | The three adults in the family's BMW estate were shot in the head twice. Mollier, the French cyclist who appears to have been in the wrong place at the wrong time, was shot with at least five bullets. Police found a total of 25 bullet casings at the scene. Some of the shells were found inside the car, which was still running when the murder victims were discovered, suggesting some shots were fired at close range. |
| Zainab was pistol-whipped and left for dead, while Zeena cowered terrified under her dead mother's legs for eight hours before being discovered by police, who had sealed off the scene to avoid having evidence contaminated until the arrival of a specialist forensic science team. | Zainab was pistol-whipped and left for dead, while Zeena cowered terrified under her dead mother's legs for eight hours before being discovered by police, who had sealed off the scene to avoid having evidence contaminated until the arrival of a specialist forensic science team. |
| Police reopened the Place du Martinet and the Combe d'Ire shortly after the killings, then closed it, fearing "murder tourism" and an invasion of journalists. Last week, alongside the dessicating flowers, police also found the ashes of a recent campfire. | Police reopened the Place du Martinet and the Combe d'Ire shortly after the killings, then closed it, fearing "murder tourism" and an invasion of journalists. Last week, alongside the dessicating flowers, police also found the ashes of a recent campfire. |
| Last week a public prosecutor, Eric Maillaud, appealed for witnesses who may have seen the Hillis' car. According to sources, police are struggling under a weight of evidence including documents relating to Iraqi-born Mr Hilli's affairs in Spanish, Arabic and English, which need to be translated. Sources say police are "optimistic" but not confident of solving the case rapidly. "They are exploring every lead, every person, every bit of paper, without really knowing what they are looking for," said one local journalist close to the inquiry. "Nobody in the case appears to be normal and straightforward." | Last week a public prosecutor, Eric Maillaud, appealed for witnesses who may have seen the Hillis' car. According to sources, police are struggling under a weight of evidence including documents relating to Iraqi-born Mr Hilli's affairs in Spanish, Arabic and English, which need to be translated. Sources say police are "optimistic" but not confident of solving the case rapidly. "They are exploring every lead, every person, every bit of paper, without really knowing what they are looking for," said one local journalist close to the inquiry. "Nobody in the case appears to be normal and straightforward." |
| In the past five weeks, 650 people have been interviewed by detectives, but few pieces of the jigsaw have come together, hence a new hotline and the request for witnesses. "Any witness having complementary information about the events of 5 September 2012 at Doussard, on the route de la Combe d'Ire and on the al-Hilli family's stay in France … all those who may have had contact with this British family, as well as those present in the Chevaline and Doussard area the afternoon of the incident are asked to contact the gendarmerie," the appeal read. | In the past five weeks, 650 people have been interviewed by detectives, but few pieces of the jigsaw have come together, hence a new hotline and the request for witnesses. "Any witness having complementary information about the events of 5 September 2012 at Doussard, on the route de la Combe d'Ire and on the al-Hilli family's stay in France … all those who may have had contact with this British family, as well as those present in the Chevaline and Doussard area the afternoon of the incident are asked to contact the gendarmerie," the appeal read. |
| Last week, it was claimed the family had a Swiss bank account and that Mr Hilli had been in Geneva shortly before his death. An illegal Taser gun was found in the family's Surrey home. | Last week, it was claimed the family had a Swiss bank account and that Mr Hilli had been in Geneva shortly before his death. An illegal Taser gun was found in the family's Surrey home. |
| Police are unconvinced by suggestions the real target may have been Mollier, a local father of three said to have worked for the French nuclear giant Areva. Mollier, they say, worked as a welder in a workshop at a subsidiary of Areva. "He doesn't appear to have been exposed to nuclear secrets," said a source. | Police are unconvinced by suggestions the real target may have been Mollier, a local father of three said to have worked for the French nuclear giant Areva. Mollier, they say, worked as a welder in a workshop at a subsidiary of Areva. "He doesn't appear to have been exposed to nuclear secrets," said a source. |
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