A Mountain Enigma — Part One
A twisty-turny murder mystery plays out in the foothills of the French Alps
This is Part One in a two-part investigation. You can read Part Two here. If you are not signed up please make sure you sign-up to receive all the newsletters — as always, thanks for your support.
If you’ve ever seen an image of the postcard perfect idyllic mountains, streams and villages that dot the landscape of the French Alps, it’s easy to see why a family from the built-up suburbs of grey and drizzly England would want to holiday there. Snow glistens on the mountaintops, fresh air blasts through your lungs and nature’s happy creations enrapture like a dreamy painting.
So, when the small community of Chevaline’s peace was shattered by a brutal quadruple-murder — it was hard to see where a killer could have emerged from and why they would kill a whole innocent family & a cyclist.
The investigation would sweep over 15 countries, spark dozens of theories and rumours but ultimately lead to no conclusion.
The Holiday Ending in a Nightmare
The al-Hilli family were excited to take a Summer holiday to France, temporarily leaving their commuter-belt lifestyle in Claygate, Surrey, England behind to enjoy the countryside. It was getting toward the end of school holidays and summer in England was slowing down, so it was time to stretch out the last days they all had before the eldest child went back to school and the clock started on their normal lives again. Unfortunately, that normal life would never resume and the holiday ended in tragedy.
Saad al -Hilli, was a keen cyclist and loved the outdoors — a love he shared with the rest of his family — wife Iqbal, mother-in-law Suhaila-al-Allaf, and two young daughters, Zeena, 4 & Zainab, 7. The family often chose France because it was easy to pack their lives into the family BMW and beloved caravan — nicknamed by the girls as “Spotty”.
They would pile in excitedly, catch a ferry & drive through the country taking in beautiful countryside, stopping to camp along the way. At the end of August the al-Hilli’s were off in Spotty again and by the beginning of September they had made their adventure the area around Lake Annecy, well known for beauty spots and outdoor activities, including cycling.
On the 5th September, it was Zainab’s turn to decide what they would do, the little girl thought it was a beautiful day to explore the area and maybe enjoy some nature. After arranging themselves, just after 1pm, the family starts out from their camp ground, Le Solitare du Lac. They take their time enjoying the local country and charming surroundings. Stopping in Doussard, a cute little village, unable to resist its rustic beauty — they excitedly hop out of the car and grandma Suhalia takes some happy snaps of the family together before continuing their journey. Moving on, they head up into the mountains looking forward to exploring more of what the area has to offer. As they ascend the slightly bumpy hill, they pass several cyclists making the trek upward.
The family pull into a parking spot Le Martinet, designed to allow visitors to park up and take in more of the area by foot or bike. At this point, the sequence of events becomes factually unclear.
We know Saad and Zainab get out of the car, according to Zainab to “go for a walk”, they encounter Mollier, who has ridden his €5,000 top-of-the-range racing bicycle up the steep hill. An unknown assailant almost immediately appears from around the gentle bend beyond the lay-by and fires a 7.65mm automatic pistol at them. The murderer wastes no time in also shooting Mollier.
Whilst the attacker is distracted, Saad, not fatally injured, retreats to the car and tries to escape. The car is stuck and the gunman continues firing, eventually dispensing all of his bullets on the family. Seven-year-old Zainab, still outside and injured, is still alive, in an attempt to end her life, the killer brutally beats her with his pistol before making his escape. Meanwhile, little Zeena has taken cover under her now dead mother’s skirt — hiding from the ensuing chaos.
A second cyclist, former British Royal Air Force officer, Brett Martin, turns a corner up the hill toward the parking spot, he sees Sylvain Mollier’s bike in the middle of the road and then a stunned, injured Zainab stumbling into the road, she is moaning in pain and bleeding about the head and shoulder.
At this point, as most people would assume, Brett thinks there has been a traffic accident — he rushes to help Zainab. He moves her into a position clear of the road and places her in the recovery position. The little girl is going in and out of consciousness, Martin asks her gently to stay where she is while he goes for help. After a few minutes, Zainab becomes unconscious. Next, he turns his attention to Sylvain Mollier, the cyclist he recognises as having passed him a little while before on a racing bike. Finding him dead, he moves Mollier away from the back of the still revving, and trapped, car. Having a forces background, Brett becomes aware the victims have been shot, however his focus remains on assisting.
Going to the BMW, he sees Saab, Iqbal, and Suhaila very obviously dead. Breaking the window, Brett turns the car off to avoid further danger. Unable to get a signal on his phone he considers taking Zainab with him to safety, but — despite feeling torn — he decides the risk of injuring her further are too great. He rides urgently toward the village of Chevaline to call for help, stunned and confused at the scene he has just found.
The Investigation
Once local police were on the scene they cordoned off the area, however, since they were not used to dealing with such a large crime scene, a special police unit was called in to assist. The unit arrived at the scene around midnight and began to piece together what little clues there were. It was at this time four-year-old Zeena was finally discovered hiding under the two dead matriarchs. Zainab, severely injured but still alive, had been taken by helicopter to Grenoble hospital. Surgeons were fighting to save her life, and she was placed into an induced coma.
Back at the scene, around 60 gendarmes searched in and around the area for any evidence or clues that might lead them to answers as to who had committed this horrific crime.
Initially, robbery was thrown around as a motive — gangs had recently been attacking foreign cars in popular tourist spots but nothing had happened as close to that area, and nothing appeared to have been taken, although the families passports were not found initially.
It became very clear early on, the French investigators were focused heavily on victimology, understanding who the victims were and why they might have been targeted — this brought up a myriad of theories, which we will explore later.
Once the police learned of an inheritance feud Saad had with his brother, they honed in on the potential of a contract killing. Again, a theory we will look at.
The police investigation has been a long and arduous one, with inquiries spanning the globe, several arrests, random witnesses, fraud, multiple searches and many odd twists and turns.
“An English family and a French cyclist are killed by a precision shooter, and the first person on the scene is a former English military man with a home in France? What are the odds?” — Sean Flynn, How To Get Away With (the Perfect) Murder, GQ, September 2015.
Eric Maillaud
Eric Maillaud is the French State Prosecutor who was tasked with dealing with the case. Normally, I would not dedicate a section to a member of the investigation team but in this case I think Maillaud has made himself a key character. He has been extremely vocal about various theories, not typical. In fact, it seemed Maillaud was not willing to dispel any of the wild theories. On occasion, it appeared Maillaud would throw weight behind something, only for it to peter out later on.
However, there is a certain level of confusion in the way the French police handle the media, once an investigation is handed to an examining magistrate, it is covered by “le secret d’instruction” (the secrecy of the inquiry). Even basic facts are not supposed to be divulged to the public. This also means ‘leaked’ information is often not officially confirmed or denied — leading to any and all theories being allowed to live and perpetuate unabated. This could have potentially damaged the credibility of the investigation and has definitely led to many wild and disparate theories taking hold.
Maillaud has been removed from the case and Véronique Denizot is now the prosecutor.
What We Know
Victims
One set of British victims, by all accounts, completely unconnected to the singular French victim. Victimology has played a huge part in the theories swirling around the case — so let’s look at each victim individually.
The al -Hilli Family;
Saad al-Hilli, 50
Saad was born in Iraq, his family came from the Karrada district of Baghdad. Saad’s father Kadim al-Hilli was a successful businessman, who owned several businesses in Iraq before they left. It has been reported by members of the British Iraqi community that some extended members of the al-Hilli family were involved in politics, but this hasn’t been officially confirmed.
Kadim moved the family to the UK in 1971, when Saad was a young boy. They fled Iraq in fear of Saddam Hussein’s regime after his uncle was kidnapped and tortured by secret police.
Kadim returned to Iraq in 1974 where his businesses were still running and continued to run until 1982, when Kadim retired to the UK.
Saad had allegedly recently returned from a trip to Iraq where he tried to reclaim the family’s engineering plant, and properties which had been taken over by Hussain’s regime.
Saad was a trained engineer and worked at the internationally-renowned Rutherford Appleton research centre in the 1980s.
Saad and his family lived in Claygate, Surrey, a reasonably nice area in the commuter belt — not too far from London. Previously Saad had lived in the Pimlico area of London. His elderly parents had also lived in the Claygate home until they passed away.
Saad had a brother, Zaid. At the time of his death Saad was in a dispute with his brother over the inheritance of their father’s estate, which allegedly included €800K+ in a Swiss bank account, properties in the UK, Spain and other assets. The two had not spoken, except through lawyers, in almost a year.
The Claygate home was part of the inheritance and until their falling out, Zaid had also lived at the property.
Saad had planned to drive to Geneva in Switzerland, around forty minutes from Annecy to investigate his father’s Swiss bank account and uncover if there were any more accounts he didn’t know about. Some reports claim Swiss authorities confirmed Saad had already managed to make it to the bank, other reports say he never made it.
Saad kept meticulous recordings of his telephone calls with his brother. The feud was obviously bothering him, and he had spoken and written to several friends about it. He also supposedly changed the locks in the Claygate house before the holiday.
He loved caravanning and cycling. Neighbours have said he was a loving family man who adored his kids.
Iqbal al-Hilli, 47
Like her husband, Iqbal was born in Iraq. Her family had also left the troubled middle-eastern country and settled in Sweden, where Iqbal grew up.
Iqbal had never told her family about a US visit between February 1999 and December 2000, in which she married James Thompson, who was 13 years her senior.
Her first marriage lasted under a year, it was apparently one of convenience, in order for Iqbal to gain a U.S Green Card. However, once Iqbal realised she was not able to transfer her dentistry skills, she was unhappy with staying in the US.
The divorce was amicable and according to Thompson’s family members, the two occasionally kept in contact via email.
Once Iqbal left the USA, she moved to Dubai, where she worked as a dental nurse. It was in Dubai that she met Saad when he visited around 2002. They were married in August 2003.
In either a crazy coincidence or an indication of something far deeper & nefarious, her ex-husband James Thompson slumped over and died while driving in an apparent heart attack on the same day the al-Hilli’s were slaughtered. There has been some speculation it could have been a poisoning, although it was known Thompson had numerous health issues.
During her time in the US she was known as “Kelly”.
Iqbal had a sister Fadwa Al-Saffar, a pharmacist.
Iqbal had trained as a dentist and was working to transfer her qualifications to British standards.
Suhaila-al-Allaf, 74
Little has been shared publicly regarding Iqbal’s mother, but she had dual citizenship in Iraq & Sweden.
She apparently lived in Reading, England at the time of her death.
According to a report by the British newspaper The Independent, Zeena said she barely knew Suhalia. Which, if true, indicates the pensioner had not spent a huge amount of time with the family.
It has been speculated Suhalia had chosen to leave her worldly goods to the al-Hilli family as opposed to whomever she had been living with previously in Sweden and this could also have caused a rift. However, no more public information has been given around this theory.
Zainab al-Hilli, 7
Zainab was attending a local primary school at the time of the attacks and was due to go back after the holiday in France.
She was shot once in the shoulder and then beaten by the attacker but amazingly survived.
She was in a coma following the attack for nearly a week.
It is believed her maternal Aunt took custody of Zainab and her sister after they lost their parents.
Zeena al-Hilli, 4
Zeena was about to start school for the first time.
Zeena spent 8 hours hiding beneath her mother and grandmother’s skirts after the attack, police eventually found her after going through evidence.
Sylvain Mollier, 45
Sylvain Mollier was a local man. He was divorced and had three children, two with his ex-wife and one, an infant daughter, with his live-in girlfriend.
Mollier had at least two brothers, and a sister but it appears he was not particularly close to his family. In fact, one brother claimed to not have spoken to him in a number of years.
Like Saad, Sylvain was a keen cyclist. Unusually he was riding a racing bike the day he died, not suited for the hilly terrain he was traversing.
Mollier, until recently, had been employed as a welder at a factory in Ugine, a little city a few miles Southeast of Lake Annecy.
The factory where he had previously worked made components for nuclear reactors. However, Mollier had taken an extended leave of absence and was not working there when he died. Being merely a welder, he had no access to nuclear secrets.
No record of any prior contact between Mollier & any members of the al-Hilli family was found and no links established.
It was reported that Mollier had been something of a ladies man in his day. Although he had been with his girlfriend Claire for two years at the time of the murders.
His girlfriend’s family, the Schultz’s, were not Mollier’s biggest fans, according to Sunday Times report.
The route Mollier had taken that day was suggested by Claire Shultz’s father.
Before he ascended the hill, Claire had called Mollier. He was out of breath, and told her he had to get to the top, he’d call her back.
Mollier was shot five times, more than any other victim.
How Were They Killed?
Each victim was shot with an antique 7.65-millimeter Luger P06 issued by the Swiss army from the 1920’s, they had been phased out by 1949 in favour of a newer model according to Historical Firearms. A semi-automatic, it was traditionally used in fairly close combat.
Reports vary between 21-25 shell cases left on the ground. This assumes 3 magazines and the shooter would have to reload twice. The choice of weapon has been the source of much speculation as it is not the type of weapon a trained assassin would use, in fact, it is considered a collectible. Given its age, it would not have been very reliable.
Sylvain Mollier was shot five times, Saad & Iqbal al-Hilli were shot four times with at least two shots to the head. Saad was also shot once in back, presumably as he tried to escape. Suhaila-al-Allaf was shot three times, twice in the head.
Zainab al-Hilli was shot in the shoulder once and then beaten with the gun. It is believed the perpetrator ran out of bullets, again showing a lack of “professionalism”.
Where Were They killed?
Sylvain Mollier was shot outside. Saad al-Hilli was apparently first shot outside the car and then again when he re-entered the car trying to escape. Zainab was shot outside the car. The two adult females Iqbal & Suhaila were shot inside the car.
Lake Annecy is the third largest lake in France and is known as Europe’s Cleanest Lake, it’s only about an hour from the Swiss border. It is popular with cyclists and walkers/hikers.
The scene of the crime, Le Martinet, up a winding road 2,200 feet above Lake Annecy was not busy, with the press remarking it was odd the family had chosen to make their way up the road. However, the spot isn’t as remote as many made it seem, with ramblers, cyclists and cars passing through somewhat regularly. The Independent reported: “Le Martinet is an isolated spot, but not truly a remote spot.” The fact the murder was discovered only a few moments after it was committed illustrates that while not in the open, the spot certainly has visitors passing through.
Although the area is considered quiet, it is of course not without crime, though nothing quite on this scale.
Witnesses
Brett Martin — Martin is the British man & fellow cyclist who came upon the scene and raised the alarm for help. He had served in the British Armed Forces as part of the RAF. He had seen all the victims on the way up the hill. The al-Hilli’s BMW passed him and a few minutes later Mollier passed him on his bicycle. Martin remarked he thought Mollier’s bicycle choice was an odd one for this particular outing. Martin had also seen a green truck and motorcycle coming down the road from the murder scene. The truck is now known to have belonged to the forestry commission and contained the two forestry workers. The motorcyclist was identified and ruled out, see Suspects.
Campsite Owner — The owner of the campsite reportedly told Saad what route he should take that day, but has since refused to state publicly if where he told them to go was in fact where they ended up.
Two sets of Forestry Workers — Two sets of local forestry workers gave differing accounts. Both had seen the motorcyclist (who was later ruled out — see Suspects) in the lay-by where the family were killed before the crime. But only the forestry worker who was working alone claimed to have seen a 4x4 vehicle with UK number plates heading towards the crime scene around the time of the killings. “The car was a BMW 4x4, X5, grey metallic, in good condition, clean, it looked pretty new,” the forestry worker said.
Zainab & Zeena al-Hilli — The two children may hold vital information. However, we know they were both severely traumatised by the incident, so it could mean they have repressed some of their most vital memories. However, the older child is said to have retained at least some memories of the incident. Her first words upon waking from the coma were apparently: “I was so scared. What has happened?”. Originally Zainab was able to give some details around what led the family to be heading the direction where they were killed as well as how some of the incident unfolded. Crucially, she was also able to share there was only ‘one bad man’ involved in the killings. Both girls, now aged 15 & 12 have been, or are set to be, re-interviewed according to a report in September, 2020.
Unnamed “English witness” — A claim was made by an unnamed source that the al-Hilli family was targeted by a mercenary from the Balkans who was paid the equivalent of £1,680.
Philippe Didierjean (and two unnamed friends) — Didierjean was the second person to come upon the scene, as Brett Martin raced down the hill to contact emergency services he passed Didierjean, who was hiking up the hill. Martin hastily told Didierjean what awaited him before continuing. Didierjean said it appeared that Zainab was already dead, as he could detect no signs of life. Terrified, the trio headed back down the hill.
Unnamed Dutch Couple: A Dutch couple who had been staying at the same campsite as the al-Hilli’s prior to their stop at Le Solitaire du Lac. The couple, who parked next to the al-Hilli’s in the Village Camping Europa site in Saint-Jorioz, claimed Saad al-Hilli had acted “strangely” during the stay, going off and leaving his family alone several times a day. They also claimed the family left that campsite earlier than planned, in a hurry. However, a staff member rubbished their claims, stating the family stayed the amount of time that had been pre-planned in their booking.
Forensic Material/Evidence
21-25 (depending on which report you read) Shell casings left at the scene.
Small shard of the gun left from the pistol-whipping given to seven-year-old victim — this led to identification of the specific weapon. Efforts are still under way to find the owner of the murder weapon, a vintage Swiss Army 7.65mm P06 Luger. The team are trying to find the gun’s last owner and are focused on Switzerland.
DNA found on a fragment of a shell cartridge was discovered to be of a police forensics team member who had handled the evidence without gloves.
Saad allegedly had ID papers relating to his father’s estate in his possession at the time of his death.
Studies of the shoes of the victims suggest that Mr al-Hilli was outside the car when the killer first appeared.
The family’s BMW was reversed at an odd angle and still running when it was found. There was a flat tire and gunshots through the window. It was thoroughly examined.
Unknown DNA found under a car mat & on the front of the car — investigators now think it is highly unlikely this DNA is connected to the crime.
Photographs found in Suhalia al-Allaf’s camera show the al-Hilli family happily smiling in the next village an hour before the murders. They did not appear to be worried or behaving as if they were on their way to a pre-arranged meeting in the mountains.
Read Part Two: We delve into the colourful cast of characters that make up the suspects, explore theories from the wild to the plausible, look at where the investigation is now, a timeline of events and build the evidence board.
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