In brief
Police officials revealed that a Luger pistol recovered from two metres below Lake Annecy’s surface matches the weapon used to kill Saad al‑Hilli, his wife and mother‑in‑law in 2012. The find was made by British tourists who misidentified it as a water gun before realizing its weight. The pistol, known as a P06, was the same model that killed a passing cyclist at the scene. Forensic teams will examine the water‑damaged firearm to confirm its authenticity and trace any links to the perpetrator. The discovery revives the cold case investigation, prompting authorities to re‑evaluate possible motives ranging from family disputes to random violence.
New find in Lake Annecy fuels 12‑year investigation
Police officials in France disclosed last week that a Luger pistol, a firearm used in 2012 to murder a British family, was recovered from two metres beneath Lake Annecy’s surface.
Saad al‑Hilli, his wife and mother‑in‑law were shot dead in a caravan near Chevaline, with a cyclist also killed in the same drive‑by. The victims were shot through the skull by a Luger P06, a British‑made gun used by the Swiss army until the 1960s.
The weapon was found by a group of British tourists on 20 August, who initially mistook it for a water pistol before realizing its weight.
After the murder, British and French investigations failed to identify a suspect. No motive was confirmed and the case sat dormant for years.
Now forensic scientists will examine the submerged pistol to determine whether it indeed matches the Luger P06 used in the killings. If it does, the search for the perpetrator may finally resume.
Authorities are reviewing possible motives, ranging from financial disputes to random vengeance as the cold case receives a critical new clue.
