The unsolved quadruple murder of a British family in the French Alps could have been committed randomly during a “psychotic attack,” perhaps by an ex-military member living alone, a British psychologist concludes.
Businessman Saad al-Hilli, 50, wife Iqbal, 47, and his mother-in-law Suhaila al-Allaf, 74, were all executed at close range in a horrific attack in their car on September 5, 2012.
French cyclist Sylvain Mollier, a 45-year-old father of three, was also found dead next to the family car.
The family’s two children, Zainab, who was seven at the time, and Zeena, who was four, both survived the attack.
Zainab suffered a gunshot wound to the shoulder and serious head injuries.
Her sister Zeena survived by hiding under her mother’s legs and remaining motionless in the back of the car for eight hours before police found her alive.
Now, a new series of articles from Le Parisien has revealed new facts about the mystery that has baffled French and British authorities for nearly a decade.
Saad al-Hilli, 50 (left), and wife Iqbal, 47 (right), with their daughter Zainab, who was seven at the time of the attack in 2012
The murders have baffled authorities on both sides of the channel for nearly a decade, with multiple documentaries speculating on what the motive behind the killings may have been.
The murder scene in the middle of a forest near Chevaline and Lake Annecy in the French Alps
French cyclist Sylvain Mollier, a 45-year-old father of three, was also found dead next to the family car
Le Parisien not only stated that the surviving sisters were being questioned again about their memories of the day in June, but also reported that a British psychology expert had been consulted about the matter in July 2020.
The unnamed expert concluded that the murders were completely random and the result of a ‘psychotic’ episode – and the killer was most likely a local man between the ages of 30 and 40.
“I foresee the theory that the perpetrator of the Chevaline attacks acted on his own motives, wholly independent of the victims in this case,” the report said.
It adds that the killer was most likely unemployed or unskilled, living alone, and could have had a military background. La Depeche reports.
The psychologist concluded that the killer may have had mental health issues, such as paranoia, and may have been motivated by “hatred” toward a particular community.
Zainab recently aided the investigation by gleaning new details about what happened the day of the attack.
She told how the family was on vacation and enjoyed a drive through the mountainous countryside near the village of Chevaline.
They came to the ‘edge of a potholed road’ and Zainab got out of the car with her father.
She remembered seeing cyclist Sylvian Mollier, and shots rang out as other members of the family got out of the car.
Zainab was ordered back into the car by her parents, but then the gunman grabbed the girl from behind.
Four-year-old Zeena was later found hiding under her mother’s legs, unharmed in the back of the family car
Family and friends were heartbroken by the attack and left touching floral tributes at the family home in Surrey
The caravan and tent that Saad al-Hilli and his family used during their holidays at the Le Solitaire du Lac campsite on Lake Annecy in the Haute-Savoie region of southeastern France
“She thought it was her father at first, but then she saw the white skin and bare hands of her attacker and realized it couldn’t be him.
Zainab struggled but couldn’t get out of the grip. She said the killer was wearing long trousers and a leather jacket.”
Zainab was then beaten with a gun and blacked out after sustaining multiple facial injuries. She later made a full recovery and returned to the UK where she now lives.
Brett Martin, a former RAF officer who is now 63 years old, was the first to discover Zainab on September 5, 2012 while waddling around a BMW car in a remote rural setting near Lake Annecy, to the east. from France.
Dead inside was her father, mother grandmother.
All had been shot, along with French cyclist Sylvain Mollier, a 45-year-old father of three, whose body was next to the car.
Zainab’s four-year-old sister, Zeena Al-Halli, was later found alive and well hidden in the back of the BMW.
French investigators told Le Parisien that Zainab had offered “a testimony of unique precision about the drama” in June.
The family had been on holiday near Lake Annecy in early September 2012, pictured in the photo
Mr Martin, who owned a holiday home in the Annecy area, first thought he had encountered a traffic accident but then saw bullet holes and casings on the floor.
Describing the scene of the murder, Martin said: ‘First I saw a bicycle on the ground and then I saw a child coming from behind a bush.
“Zainab walked out onto the road and fell on her face. I didn’t see Mollier until I got much closer because he was lying on the ground in front of the vehicle.
“The BMW’s engine was on full blast with the wheels spinning. I was not shocked. With my aviation and military background, I just took the necessary actions.
“My first thought was to get Zainab away from the car in case he lurched forward. Her eyes rolled and she went in and out of consciousness. Her head was badly injured.
‘Then I got Mollier away from the vehicle. I felt his pulse and there was nothing. I walked to the car and wanted to turn off the ignition, but the door was locked and I had to break the window. That’s when I saw a bullet hole.
“Then I changed my mind from ‘This is a car accident’ to ‘Oh s**t, this is something worse.’ ‘
Cell phone reception was poor, so he had to cycle off to alert the police after placing Zainab in the recovery position.
In an extensive interview last year, Mr Martin said: ‘In retrospect, I realize I could have been the fifth victim.
“About 200 or 300 yards from the crime scene, a motorcycle passed me very slowly. It was a black-clad motorcyclist with a full-face helmet and a Trans Alpine bike. I couldn’t see their faces and couldn’t even tell if they were male or female.
“When they slowed down I thought they would stop to talk to me, but then they seemed to change their mind.
“If you think about it, you think, that’s interesting, because at least he or she would have passed the scene of the murder.
“I call it my luckiest unlucky day.” I think if the shooter had a few more ammunition, I wouldn’t be here.’
In the years after the attack, various theories were investigated by the police.
Original investigations focused on a financial dispute in the UK between Saad, of Claygate, Surrey, and his accountant brother Zaid, who was arrested in 2013 for conspiracy to commit murder before being released without charge.
Zaid has always said he is innocent of any wrongdoing.
Police later ruled that Iraqi-born Saad had been murdered for ties to ousted tyrant Saddam Hussein and arrested a suspected Iraqi hit man.
But they were also released and this line of inquiry would have been scrapped.