Police say the British family murdered in the French Alps five years ago were the victims of a random unplanned attack by a local person.
Authorities admit, however, they have no leads on the identity of the person who killed engineer Saad al-Hilli, who was shot alongside his wife Iqbal and her mother Suhaila al-Allaf while on holiday in Chevaline in September 2012.
A 45-year-old French cyclist – Sylvain Mollier – was also found dead close to the car but the couple’s two daughters, aged four and seven at the time, both miraculously survived the attack.
Police say the British family murdered in the French Alps five years ago were the victims of a random unplanned attack by a local person. Pictured, the car at the murder scene (left) and victim Saad al-Hilli (right)
State Prosecutor Veronique Dizot now says they were the victims of an ‘unfortunate encounter,’ according to The Times.
‘Why not consider the theory that they met someone who for some reason did not want their activities known, and whose personality led them to eliminate all the witnesses?’ she said.
She added: ‘After five years, we are a bit discouraged and worried. Time is working against us.’
The victims were found in the family’s BMW estate in a remote layby close to Lake Annecy in eastern France, where the family were on a camping holiday.
Pictured, the home of murdered aeronautical engineer Saad Al Hilli, in Claygate, Surrey
Pictured, French Gendarmes continue their search along the road to La Combe d’Ire, the scene of the Al-Hilli killings (File photo)
The family originally came from Iraq, and one theory was that their links to the regime of former dictator Saddam Hussein may be a reason for their murders.
There have also been claims that Mr Al-Hilli was involved in a dispute over a family inheritance with his brother Zaid Al-Hilli, 54, of Chessington, Surrey.
He was arrested under suspicion of conspiracy to murder in 2013 but then released because of a complete lack of evidence.
At one stage, detectives believed the family had been shot by a serial killer with a hatred of tourists.
The family originally came from Iraq, and one theory was that their links to the regime of former dictator Saddam Hussein may be a reason for their murders (File photo)
The caravan and tent used by Saad al-Hilli and his family while on holiday at the Le Solitaire du Lac campsite on Lake Annecy (File photo)
Police said they had linked the murders with the mysterious death of another tourist in July 2012.
Other theories have speculated that the cyclist Mr Mollier, a 45-year-old nuclear industry worker, was the primary target.
There have also been claims that a mystery motorcyclist seen around the Alpine beauty spot could have carried out the killings.