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| French Alps shootings: search continues at family home | French Alps shootings: search continues at family home |
| (25 days later) | |
| French and British police are conducting further searches at the home of Saad al-Hilli and his wife as detectives investigating the Alps killings prepare to interview the couple's relatives. | French and British police are conducting further searches at the home of Saad al-Hilli and his wife as detectives investigating the Alps killings prepare to interview the couple's relatives. |
| Officers began a detailed search of the family's mock-Tudor property on Saturday as they sought to establish a motive for the killings. | Officers began a detailed search of the family's mock-Tudor property on Saturday as they sought to establish a motive for the killings. |
| French investigators revealed on Saturday that each of the four victims was shot twice in the head, which seemed to support the theory that they were victims of an organised killing, probably by more than one person. | French investigators revealed on Saturday that each of the four victims was shot twice in the head, which seemed to support the theory that they were victims of an organised killing, probably by more than one person. |
| Iraqi-born aeronautical engineer Saad al-Hilli, 50, his wife, Iqbal, 47, their two daughters and a 77-year-old woman thought to be Iqbal's mother, were holidaying in the Alps near lake Annecy in the Haute-Savoie when they were attacked. The adults' bodies were found inside a British-registered maroon BMW at the end of a narrow track near the village of Chevaline. | Iraqi-born aeronautical engineer Saad al-Hilli, 50, his wife, Iqbal, 47, their two daughters and a 77-year-old woman thought to be Iqbal's mother, were holidaying in the Alps near lake Annecy in the Haute-Savoie when they were attacked. The adults' bodies were found inside a British-registered maroon BMW at the end of a narrow track near the village of Chevaline. |
| The couple's elder daughter, Zainab, aged seven, who had been shot in the shoulder and suffered serious injuries after being bludgeoned over the head, was found nearby. | The couple's elder daughter, Zainab, aged seven, who had been shot in the shoulder and suffered serious injuries after being bludgeoned over the head, was found nearby. |
| A second daughter, Zeena, aged four, was found cowering terrified in the footwell in the rear of the car under the skirt of her dead mother, where she had remained undetected for eight hours after French gendarmes sealed off the scene. A passing French cyclist, Sylvain Mollier, 45, was also gunned down. | A second daughter, Zeena, aged four, was found cowering terrified in the footwell in the rear of the car under the skirt of her dead mother, where she had remained undetected for eight hours after French gendarmes sealed off the scene. A passing French cyclist, Sylvain Mollier, 45, was also gunned down. |
| Two relatives of the orphans, who were not identified for "security reasons", have travelled to France with a British social worker. | Two relatives of the orphans, who were not identified for "security reasons", have travelled to France with a British social worker. |
| They are expected to visit the girls in the coming days, although it is unclear when they will be able to see Zainab, as she continues to be treated in hospital. Both youngsters are under police supervision. | They are expected to visit the girls in the coming days, although it is unclear when they will be able to see Zainab, as she continues to be treated in hospital. Both youngsters are under police supervision. |
| Surrey police also revealed they had sent family liaison officers to France. | Surrey police also revealed they had sent family liaison officers to France. |
| On Saturday, British and French detectives entered the family's home in Surrey. A tent was erected at the front of the address before scenes of crimes officers in full protective suits began combing through the family's belongings. | On Saturday, British and French detectives entered the family's home in Surrey. A tent was erected at the front of the address before scenes of crimes officers in full protective suits began combing through the family's belongings. |
| Police also examined the caravan in which the family had been staying at Le Solitaire du Lac campsite in Saint-Jorioz. | Police also examined the caravan in which the family had been staying at Le Solitaire du Lac campsite in Saint-Jorioz. |
| The French prosecutor leading the investigation said he had 40 officers working on the case. "The autopsies on the four people found dead found there were several bullets, but each one had received two bullets in the head," Eric Maillaud said. | The French prosecutor leading the investigation said he had 40 officers working on the case. "The autopsies on the four people found dead found there were several bullets, but each one had received two bullets in the head," Eric Maillaud said. |
| "I cannot say if the killer or killers were professional; all I can say is there was an absolute determination to kill. To put two bullets in the head of each person shows that whoever was responsible for the terrible drama was determined to kill." | "I cannot say if the killer or killers were professional; all I can say is there was an absolute determination to kill. To put two bullets in the head of each person shows that whoever was responsible for the terrible drama was determined to kill." |
| He added: "We don't know what the elder girl was hit with and we cannot say in what order the victims were shot. It seems the scene happened very rapidly." He added the postmortem and ballistic reports had pushed the idea of the victims being targeted by a lone gunman "further down the list of hypotheses". | He added: "We don't know what the elder girl was hit with and we cannot say in what order the victims were shot. It seems the scene happened very rapidly." He added the postmortem and ballistic reports had pushed the idea of the victims being targeted by a lone gunman "further down the list of hypotheses". |
| Maillaud said Zeena would soon be reunited with members of her family who had travelled to France to take her home. He said Zainab, whom he described as a "key witness", was still in hospital in an induced coma, to aid her recovery, but added that her life was no longer in danger. | Maillaud said Zeena would soon be reunited with members of her family who had travelled to France to take her home. He said Zainab, whom he described as a "key witness", was still in hospital in an induced coma, to aid her recovery, but added that her life was no longer in danger. |
| Surrey police assistant chief constable Rob Price said: "This is a French-led investigation. Surrey police will do all we can in the support of the effective investigation on behalf of our French colleagues." | Surrey police assistant chief constable Rob Price said: "This is a French-led investigation. Surrey police will do all we can in the support of the effective investigation on behalf of our French colleagues." |
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