Pistol found in French lake may hold clue to murder mystery of British-Iraqi family

French investigators are currently examining a pistol discovered submerged in Lake Annecy, in the French Alps, as they seek to unravel one of France's most enduring cold cases – the 2012 murder of a British-Iraqi family. The weapon believed to be the Luger P06, the same type used to kill the Al Hilli family, remains the last lead in the investigation.

The pistol was found on August 20, two metres deep in Lake Annecy, near the Solitaire du Lac campsite where the Al Hilli family had been residing prior to their deaths. Authorities have expressed optimism about the potential significance of this discovery for the ongoing investigation.

Investigating judge Sabine Kheris, who has been handling the case for four years, has requested updates on any additional instances involving a Luger P06, a weapon commonly utilized by the Swiss army at the turn of the 20th century and widely owned by German citizens. The analysis of the pistol retrieved from the lake is expected to be a challenging endeavor due to the considerable time it was submerged.

The Al Hilli family, known for their affluence, were originally from Iraq and had fled Saddam Hussein's regime to the UK in the 1970s. The patriarch, Saad Al Hilli, worked in satellite technology, while his wife, Iqbal, and his mother-in-law, Suhaila al-Allaf, were also Iraqi nationals. The motive behind their murders remains unconfirmed, despite extensive investigations exploring various possibilities such as a family feud or a connection to the murdered cyclist, Sylvain Mollier.