French authorities are investigating whether a firearm discovered in Lake Annecy may be connected to a 14-year-old homicide case involving a British family. Prosecutor Marie-Céline Lawrysz confirmed that tourists recovered a pistol believed to be a Luger from the lake on August 20 at a depth of approximately five feet. The weapon has been transferred to ballistics experts for analysis in relation to the unsolved deaths.
The victims in the Alpine killings included Saad al-Hilli, his wife Ikbal, and her mother Suhaila al-Allaf, all of whom were fatally shot near Annecy in September 2012. A passing cyclist, Sylvain Mollier, was also killed during the incident. The al-Hillis’ two daughters, who were young children at the time, survived the attack. During the original investigation, fragments from the murder weapon—a vintage Luger P06-29 pistol used by the Swiss military in the 1930s—were discovered near the family’s vehicle, though the gun’s owner was never identified.
The case has remained open despite numerous investigative leads. Detectives previously dismissed the possibility of a contract killing, reasoning that a professional would be unlikely to use such an antiquated weapon. Several individuals have been questioned or arrested over the years, including an Iraqi prisoner and the victim’s brother, though insufficient evidence prevented prosecution in those instances. In 2022, another suspect was questioned and released without charge. Investigators ordered DNA analysis on victim clothing, weapon fragments, and cigarette butts recovered at the scene, though those tests did not result in arrests.
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