Suspect gunman arrested in 2012 French Alps murders

  • 10 years ago
Originally published on February 19, 2014

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On Tuesday (February 18), French police arrested a 48-year-old suspect in the case of the murder of four in the French Alps in September 2012.

In the 2012 murder case, a motorcyclist first open fired on Saad al-Hilli, his 7-year-old daughter and a local cyclist while they were standing near the family's car. Already injured, al-Hilli made for the car with his daughter. While trying to escape, al-Hilli backed his car into a steep forest side, jamming the vehicle.

The gunman approached the vehicle and shot the occupants dead before killing the cyclist who lay wounded on the ground. Al-Hilli, his wife, his mother in-law and the cyclist were all killed with at least two bullets to the head. His two daughters survived the attack.

The murders were discovered by another cyclist, former pilot Brett Martin, who reported seeing a motorcyclist riding away from the scene. The motorcyclist was also spotted by forestry workers near the murder scene.

An identikit of the gunman, who was said to have been wearing a rare French police helmet, was produced soon after the incident. A 48-year-old suspect was arrested from the Chevaline area near the French Alps on February 18.

"This arrest, which may not be the only one, was the result of witness statements after the broadcast of a photo-fit image on November 4, 2013 of a biker seen near the scene of the crime and actively sought by investigators," Eric Maillaud, the local prosecutor in charge of the case, said in a Telegraph report.

Al-Hilli's brother Zaid was arrested last year but was released from bail last month when British police determined that there was insufficient evidence to charge him.

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