It should have been a normal family holiday, but it ended in tragedy. Saad al-Hilli caravanned with his family in France in September 2012. They had spent the summer there the year before and had a wonderful time.
Their eldest daughter, Zainab, should have been at school, but like many families, they believed the time away would be beneficial, and it was only a week.
On 29th August, Saad drove his car onto the ferry and the fun began; it was the last time many of them would see the British coastline.
Camping
The family spent time in several locations. Upon arriving at Village Camping Europa, the family met Sandy Rambout, who would later become a key witness to the events that unfolded.
While staying at the campsite, Sandy observed a man dressed in a suit hanging around Saad’s caravan. She saw the two arguing, and the stranger then stormed over to the family’s BMW and banged on the bonnet.
Shortly after this incident, Saad left with his family, staying in several locations before arriving at the Solitaire Du Lac campsite on the edge of Lake Annecy.
Saad al-Hilli
Saad, born to a wealthy Baghdad family, fled his homeland with his father and brothers during Saddam Hussein’s rule. The reasons for his sudden departure remain unclear.
The family settled in London initially before moving to Surrey, where they bought a huge house. The house was then given to Saad as his family home when he had a young family—a fact that caused a great dispute between him and his brother when his father died.
Saad worked for various companies before securing a long-term contract with Surrey Satellite Technology Limited.
On 23rd August 2003, Saad married Iqbal, who was already married despite claiming to be single. The divorce papers were filed after her second marriage, adding to the mystery surrounding the couple.
In 2005, Zainab was born, followed three years later by Zeena. The two sisters were said to be inseparable.
Mountain Pass
At 14:30, Saad drove his car out of the campsite and headed towards the lake. Zainab sat up front with her father because she suffered from car sickness. Iqbal, her mother Suhaila, and her younger sister Zeena sat in the back.
The family’s possessions showed photos were taken at 15:15; thirty-three minutes later, the bodies would be found in a bullet-riddled car.
Witnesses recall seeing the car depart Chevaline and turn onto a winding, dead-end track. Did they make a mistake, or was there a reason for their choice of road?
Brett Martin was an ex-RAF pilot who decided to take his bike out for a ride. While riding out from the campsite, he was overtaken by a faster cyclist, forty-five-year-old Sylvain Mollier. As Brett crossed a bridge a few hundred metres from a lay-by, he heard gunshots. The running water drowned out much of the sound, and Brett continued on his way. He came around the bend and saw a car with the wheels spinning in reverse and a biker lying on the ground in front of the car.
He slowed down and went to help the biker; that was when Zainab staggered out in front of him, covered in blood. Having moved both the biker and Zainab to safety, Brett went back to turn the car off, but the doors were locked. He pushed the glass, and that is when he saw the massacre within the car.
