Chevaline killings: Investigation launched after gun found at bottom of Lake Annecy

A Luger pistol pulled from the bottom of Lake Annecy by British tourists is now being examined for a possible connection to one of France’s most notorious unsolved killings.

The tourists recovered the weapon on Aug. 20 while swimming in the lake. It reportedly resembles the gun used 14 years ago in the Chevaline massacre, prompting investigators to carry out further tests.

The Nanterre prosecutor’s office confirmed that investigations are under way. The case has been handled since September 2022 by the office’s unit for serial and unsolved crimes.

The 2012 attack left Saad al-Hilli, a 50-year-old British man of Iraqi origin, dead alongside his 47-year-old wife and 74-year-old mother-in-law. They were found in their car on a country road near Chevaline, not far from Lake Annecy, after suffering multiple gunshot wounds to the head.

Sylvain Mollier, a 45-year-old cyclist from the area, was also shot dead. One of the couple’s daughters, aged 7, suffered serious injuries. Her 4-year-old sister survived physically unharmed after sheltering beneath her mother’s legs. Authorities are now working to establish whether the newly found firearm has any link to the quadruple homicide.