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| Al-Hilli massacre: Man held was policeman at time of killings | Al-Hilli massacre: Man held was policeman at time of killings |
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| A second man has been detained over the killings of a British family in the Alps, according to a French prosecutor. | A second man has been detained over the killings of a British family in the Alps, according to a French prosecutor. |
| The local man arrested earlier for questioning about the Al-Hilli massacre was a policeman at the time of the killings, it has emerged. | The local man arrested earlier for questioning about the Al-Hilli massacre was a policeman at the time of the killings, it has emerged. |
| The 48-year-old man, identified by the French press as “Eric D.”, is a father of three and a gun-lover with a reputation for making racist remarks. He was dismissed from his job as a municipal policeman – a low level, unarmed officer – in a nearby town last June, nine months after the quadruple murder on a forest road above Lake Annecy. | The 48-year-old man, identified by the French press as “Eric D.”, is a father of three and a gun-lover with a reputation for making racist remarks. He was dismissed from his job as a municipal policeman – a low level, unarmed officer – in a nearby town last June, nine months after the quadruple murder on a forest road above Lake Annecy. |
| Sources in the investigation say that they are now concentrating on the likelihood that an “isolated, local” gunman was responsible for the brutal murder of three members of the British-Iraqi Al-Hilli family and a French cyclist on 5 September 2012. They admit, however, that they have no firm evidence against “Eric D”, who is regarded at this stage as a “key witness” rather than a formal “suspect”. | Sources in the investigation say that they are now concentrating on the likelihood that an “isolated, local” gunman was responsible for the brutal murder of three members of the British-Iraqi Al-Hilli family and a French cyclist on 5 September 2012. They admit, however, that they have no firm evidence against “Eric D”, who is regarded at this stage as a “key witness” rather than a formal “suspect”. |
| Neighbours told local journalists, however, that they had never seen “Eric D” riding a motorcycle. He has identified by gendarmerie detectives as a possible “witness” or “suspect” because of his physical resemblance to a beefy, bearded man seen riding a motorbike close to the forest lay-by where the murders happened. | Neighbours told local journalists, however, that they had never seen “Eric D” riding a motorcycle. He has identified by gendarmerie detectives as a possible “witness” or “suspect” because of his physical resemblance to a beefy, bearded man seen riding a motorbike close to the forest lay-by where the murders happened. |
| Neighbours and acquaintances painted a mixed portrait of Eric D. Alexis, a waiter in Menthon-Saint Bernard where he was once a policeman, described him as “very nice” and “always ready to listen”. After he was dismissed from the local force, he worked for a Swiss security firm and gained the nickname, in English, “Men in Black”. | Neighbours and acquaintances painted a mixed portrait of Eric D. Alexis, a waiter in Menthon-Saint Bernard where he was once a policeman, described him as “very nice” and “always ready to listen”. After he was dismissed from the local force, he worked for a Swiss security firm and gained the nickname, in English, “Men in Black”. |
| Other local people described him as a un unpleasant “aggressive” man, who loved to hand out parking tickets and was known for making “xenophobic” or “racist” remarks. | Other local people described him as a un unpleasant “aggressive” man, who loved to hand out parking tickets and was known for making “xenophobic” or “racist” remarks. |
| According to the regional newspaper, Le Dauphine Liberé, records of Eric D’s mobile phone show that he was close to the murder scene on 5 September but it is unclear how close. | |
| According to French press reports, at least seven other local people may be arrested for “acting as a criminal gang”. It is unclear whether they will be accused of involvement in the quadruple murder itself or whether they are thought to have conspired to cover the tracks of the murderer. | According to French press reports, at least seven other local people may be arrested for “acting as a criminal gang”. It is unclear whether they will be accused of involvement in the quadruple murder itself or whether they are thought to have conspired to cover the tracks of the murderer. |
| Eric D was under questioning for a second day today at the regional gendarmerie headquarters in Chambéry. He can be held for up to four days before a judge has to decide whether or not he should be released. | Eric D was under questioning for a second day today at the regional gendarmerie headquarters in Chambéry. He can be held for up to four days before a judge has to decide whether or not he should be released. |
| Eric D had been under surveillance for several weeks before he was arrested on Tuesday. A number of local people had tipped off gendarmes about his resemblance to an e-fit sketch released in November last year of the biker seen close to the massacre.. | Eric D had been under surveillance for several weeks before he was arrested on Tuesday. A number of local people had tipped off gendarmes about his resemblance to an e-fit sketch released in November last year of the biker seen close to the massacre.. |
| Forestry workers told gendarmes at the time that they had seen a beefy man with a beard on a private road in the mountains just above the crime scene. He was wearing a rare type of motorcycle helmet with a sideways opening at the mouth and jaw. | Forestry workers told gendarmes at the time that they had seen a beefy man with a beard on a private road in the mountains just above the crime scene. He was wearing a rare type of motorcycle helmet with a sideways opening at the mouth and jaw. |
| Just after he was seen, a gunman attacked the Iraqi-British Al-Hilli family in their maroon-coloured BNW estate car in a lay-by at the end of a steeply winding forest road near the village of Chevaline. Saad al-Hilli, 50, a satellite engineer from Surrey, his wife, Iqbal, 47, and her mother Suhaila al-Allaf, 74, were shot repeatedly. A local cyclist, Sylvain Mollier, 45, was found lying dead beside their car, shot several times in the head and body. | Just after he was seen, a gunman attacked the Iraqi-British Al-Hilli family in their maroon-coloured BNW estate car in a lay-by at the end of a steeply winding forest road near the village of Chevaline. Saad al-Hilli, 50, a satellite engineer from Surrey, his wife, Iqbal, 47, and her mother Suhaila al-Allaf, 74, were shot repeatedly. A local cyclist, Sylvain Mollier, 45, was found lying dead beside their car, shot several times in the head and body. |
| September 2012: Police guard the road to the spot where Saad al-Hilli and his family were killed Seven-year-old Zainab al-Hilli was found alive outside the car, beaten savagely about the head and face and wounded by a gunshot in her shoulder. Her sister, Zeena, aged 4, was found eight hours after the killings,, unharmed but terrified, hiding under her dead mother’s legs. | September 2012: Police guard the road to the spot where Saad al-Hilli and his family were killed Seven-year-old Zainab al-Hilli was found alive outside the car, beaten savagely about the head and face and wounded by a gunshot in her shoulder. Her sister, Zeena, aged 4, was found eight hours after the killings,, unharmed but terrified, hiding under her dead mother’s legs. |
| The murders have generated several official lines of inquiry – and a host of wild speculations – but their motive has never been clear. The only other person arrested during an 18 months long, joint French-British investigation was Mr Al-Hilli’s older brother, Zaid. | The murders have generated several official lines of inquiry – and a host of wild speculations – but their motive has never been clear. The only other person arrested during an 18 months long, joint French-British investigation was Mr Al-Hilli’s older brother, Zaid. |
| He was questioned by Surrey police last year about a quarrel with his brother over their father’s Pounds 800,000 will but was released without charge. Surrey police said last month that there was no evidence to link him with the killings. | He was questioned by Surrey police last year about a quarrel with his brother over their father’s Pounds 800,000 will but was released without charge. Surrey police said last month that there was no evidence to link him with the killings. |
| The Annecy prosecutor, Mr Maillaud, said last September, on the anniversary of the massacre, that the investigation team was also looking at the possibility of connections with Iraqi politics or “ industrial espionnage” linked to Mr Al-Hill’s work as a satellite engineer. | |
| Mr Maillaud played down the possibility that the killings were the work of a lone psychopath. He also dismissed the possibility that the local cyclist, Sylvain Moller was the real target. | Mr Maillaud played down the possibility that the killings were the work of a lone psychopath. He also dismissed the possibility that the local cyclist, Sylvain Moller was the real target. |