France - Five shot, four dead in French Alps, may have int'l ramifications #1

[Elley Mae]

On the face of it, it does seem strange. Then again, Danielle might just have wanted her five minutes of fame.

If the gun(s) weren't silenced then presumably BM would have heard shooting so why continue up to the lay-by. Human curiosity perhaps - wanting to help idk

I'm pretty sure the BBC BM interview was carefully considered and the questions asked were deliberately chosen. BM was never asked AFAIR if he had heard shots. He said right at the end of the full interview that he had consulted the french police before deciding to give the interview so possibly, he was asked not to mention certain information in case it compromised the investigation.

So he doesn't mention whether he heard shots nor does he mention whether the car doors were locked. Regarding the doors, he stumbles a bit then says he needed to break the window. One might therefore infer he needed to break the window because the doors were locked but he never actually says that.

Doesn't explain why Phillippe D and the builder made no mention of hearing the shots though.

bbm, very good point taken.

And now thinking back when he talked about how the events unfolded, step by step from thinking the 7 year old was playing he surely would have said he heard shots. jmo

If there was a silencer (suppressor) used then what shots did Danielle hear?

 

[rotterdam]

bbm, very good point taken.

And now thinking back when he talked about how the events unfolded, step by step from thinking the 7 year old was playing he surely would have said he heard shots. jmo

If there was a silencer (suppressor) used then what shots did Danielle hear?

Hard to tell. It did not say IIRC where how far she was away from the crime scene when she heard shots. Could have been a car backfire? Or may be a different rifle shot? Some kid with fire works?

 

[joe jones]

the family owned the caravan, they had been to France the previous year on a caravan holiday in it, I don't think Mr Al Hilli was on the run, there are far better places where they could have run to than caravan sites in France in the family car with British plates,

 

[joe jones]

a further question I wanted Martin to be asked was at what point as he rode towards scene did he hear the car engine, as it was a very quiet rural area with little to no traffic, sounds would surely have carried so as he rode up when did he become aware of the sound of a car engine noise

 

[jjenny]

Well, can not really say yet if it was poorly executed. So far , no person has been arrested. And there are only speculations galore so far.
Time will tell.

ITA. Nobody's been arrested, so it's not "poorly executed."

 

[rotterdam]

a further question I wanted Martin to be asked was at what point as he rode towards scene did he hear the car engine, as it was a very quiet rural area with little to no traffic, sounds would surely have carried so as he rode up when did he become aware of the sound of a car engine noise

It is a beemer. They are pretty quiet.:innocent:

 

[~n/t~]

the family owned the caravan, they had been to France the previous year on a caravan holiday in it, I don't think Mr Al Hilli was on the run, there are far better places where they could have run to than caravan sites in France in the family car with British plates,

He left without the caravan in tow. What is your opinion as to where they were headed?

 

[jjenny]

I agree with all your points.

I do not think SAH would willingly place his family in danger so why were they all there.
If it was a meeting to exchange information or to hand or receive something
why did he not go on his own,he had according to others on the camp site been out on his own on other days.

Also it appeared from witness accounts he had been seen pumping up the rear tyre on previous occasions -why had he not changed the tyre or else taken the car to the garage and had it repaired or bought a new one.

I agree. According to his friend he was a very devoted family man. He doesn't sound like someone who would bring his children to some dangerous mission.
This is such a puzzling case.

 

[Clio]

Just an observation. I'm wondering if Mr. al-Hilli was running from something. The family left their home at a somewhat odd time of year, given that the girls would have been expected to attend school. Prior years camping photos indicate the family seemed to have a penchant for bicycling, yet no bikes are seen with the camper this year, nor on the car at the crime scene. Was he out scouting the countryside numerous times each day to see if there was a safe place he could run with his family if he became alarmed about their safety?

Apparently they did have bikes with them. According to a lady at the campsite

Dutch woman Sandy Rombout, 39, said the Al-Hillis had arrived at the site on the shores of Lake Annecy at around 4pm on Monday in their dark-red BMW, which had a mountain bike on a roof rack.

'They had a small caravan and pitched a large tent to one side and a second tent at the back,' she said.

'They seemed like a normal nice family. The kids were playing outside the caravan and the dad came out and was showing the younger one how to ride her bike.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...d-Al-Hillis-brother-Zaid-inheritance-row.html

Also, there was a video showing the pink handlebars of one of the childrens bikes inside the tent beside the caravan.

So if they arrived with a mountain bike on the car roof, I wonder what happened to the roof rack because in the ariel photo shots of the car, the bike rack is clearly broken.

 

[Peace777]

I looked up Mollier names and 1 I found was a Pascal M right in Annecy area this may have been his old job but newer searches say he runs a taxicab business. Also I think Sylvain M's wife's name is Sabrina or Sabrine(french spelling probably) If Mr. Al Halli was looking for some financial backing might not Sylvain have put him in contact with Pascal if he knows Pascal?? Maybe way off but since the police have now said Msr. Mollier may have been the intended target must check out his side as well? JMO tho:blushing: http://www.photline.com/about/management/

 

[joe jones]

He left without the caravan in tow. What is your opinion as to where they were headed?

headed where, I think Mr Al Hilli and family did go on holiday to France, seems this was a regular type of family holiday they took, don't think he was headed anywhere but France then back to England,

but I do think on the day of the murder he went to that spot to meet somebody, whether this meeting was set up pre leaving England I don't know, and whether he willingly went to meeting or was pressured/lured to meeting I don't know,

I do feel he did not feel in any danger from whoever he was meeting as he did choose to take his family to meeting

 

[Saturn]

ITA. Nobody's been arrested, so it's not "poorly executed."

Maybe just poorly investigated, as I said in a much earlier thread, I hoped British Police would be in control, but sadly not as it took place on French soil.

Unfortunately, any crimes against a British person of French soil seems to have been bodged big time.

 

[Skigh]

Maybe just poorly investigated, as I said in a much earlier thread, I hoped British Police would be in control, but sadly not as it took place on French soil.

Unfortunately, any crimes against a British person of French soil seems to have been bodged big time.

There was also a frenchman killed about whom very little is known.

 

[Skigh]

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2012/09/17/article-2204459-150EAE8D000005DC-798_634x351.jpg


A picture of the car on a previous holiday.

 

[Indy Anna]

Regarding the herd of cows in one picture here:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...d-Al-Hillis-brother-Zaid-inheritance-row.html

They're walking past the murder scene. I wonder how often cows were herded down that road, which isn't very wide. The gunmen would have to know that road well and the schedule of all who traveled it regularly. Had the road been blocked by a herd of cows after the massacre, the gunmen would not have been able to quickly escape the scene. They needed to act and get away quickly because traffic on the road, while not heavy, seemed fairly steady -- they were interrupted by one cyclist at the scene and passed another cyclist and a car. IIRC, someone pointed out a few posts back that this was not the most isolated spot to carry out a hit. It supports the idea that the family was meeting someone there to make some sort of exchange. Maybe the other vehicles had been following the family around and this was the gunmen's last chance to make the hit to prevent the exchange from taking place.

 

[Indy Anna]

It's not unusual for business people to make business connections while vacationing internationally. I worked for a family that opened international offices that way, including one in France. Perhaps Mr. Al Hilli's individual trips from the campground were meetings he had with business prospects, and perhaps he was also scouting an office location. The reason for the family's re-location to another campground may be that it was just more conveniently located or had more amenities. It's possible that Al Hilli suspected nothing amiss. It does appear he was meeting with someone since the car was pulled to the side of the road. As someone suggested earlier, Mollier could have been a prospective business partner and Al Hilli had agreed to meet him along the road he was traveling on so that the two could sign some documents.

If that's the case, did someone know about the business prospect and want to prevent it? It would have to be someone close to Al Hilli, who also knew where he was vacationing. It's less likely the intended target was Mollier. He would have been an easy enough target for a drive-by shooting. But, someone wanted Al Hilli and his entire family dead, and likely killed Mollier only because he was a witness.

I sure hope this case is solved soon. I can't imagine the terror those little girls faced. I can't imagine them having to go through life fearing that someone might come after them to finish the deed.

 

[Elley Mae]

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/sep/06/french-alps-shooting-live

French prosecutor's press conference

The public prosecutor, Eric Maillaud, begins by describing the events as "traumatic".

The phone call received by the emergency services was made by a British cyclist at 3.48pm, he says.

bbm Was it ever reported what time they left the campsite?

 

[Snoopster]

http://www.ledauphine.com/isere-sud/2012/09/18/procureur-et-communicant

This article (in french) from the local paper discusses the pressure Eric Maillaud is under. It talks about the "tightrope" that, as head investigator, he must walk -- keeping the media satiated while maintaining the integrity of the investigation. The reporter points out the 24/7 unrelenting pressure on Maillaud by the media.

Apparently, beginning back in 2003, the judiciary and prosecutors must take a media training course to help them deal with situations like this.

 

[Elley Mae]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wor...oting-Police-probing-possible-family-row.html


Jack Saltman, 67, said: “He did say something to me which gave me cause to worry a little bit. Before he left he came round and saw me and asked if I would keep an eye on his house.

“It may be totally irrelevant if this was to be a terrible murderous killing.

“But I have told the police and if it is relevant they will have it and if it is not relevant then no one will ever know.”

Mr Saltman refused to elaborate further, but said Mr Hilli’s fears were “definitely not political”.

I wonder if this information was any help?

 

[Peace777]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/wor...oting-Police-probing-possible-family-row.html


Jack Saltman, 67, said: “He did say something to me which gave me cause to worry a little bit. Before he left he came round and saw me and asked if I would keep an eye on his house.

“It may be totally irrelevant if this was to be a terrible murderous killing.

“But I have told the police and if it is relevant they will have it and if it is not relevant then no one will ever know.”

Mr Saltman refused to elaborate further, but said Mr Hilli’s fears were “definitely not political”.

I wonder if this information was any help?

Is this the same man who said he was asked by some officials to use his driveway to watch Mr.Alhilli's house? But he didn't tell Mr.Alhilli about it!? So how trustworthy would he be? And what was he to be watching for and what was he to do about it IF he seen anything suspicious going on?:what: Is the guy just a nosy neighbor?? 1 never knows what goes on behind closed doors I'd be careful saying to much to the media if I were him anyways just talk to the police and leave it at that JMO