Pistol in a lake gives hope for French cold case

Fourteen years after the murder of a British family in France, a new lead has emerged that could shed light on this unsolved case. While investigating the killings of Saad al-Hilli, his wife and mother-in-law near Chevaline in September 2012, French police discovered a Luger pistol in Lake Annecy, close to the site where the family was staying.

The pistol, a model P06, matches the type used in the murders and was found two meters beneath the water's surface. British tourists initially believed it to be a toy, but upon handling it, they realized its true weight and caliber. Police have now handed the weapon over to forensic experts to determine if it is indeed a P06 model.

Despite extensive investigations in both France and the United Kingdom, no conclusive evidence has been found to identify the perpetrator or their motive. Saad al-Hilli, a British national of Iraqi descent, was on holiday with his family when he and his wife and mother-in-law were found dead in their car with a running engine. Al-Hilli's two daughters, aged four and seven, survived the attack – one was hit on the head with a pistol butt while the other was found under her mother's skirts.

The discovery of fragments from the pistol butt confirmed it as a Luger P06, which has more of an antique value than being a functional weapon.