TCK: Forum (public)

Update oct 20, 2018

Or maybe X5 was X. The ‘one bad man’. While MC2 (the Col de Cherel motorbiker) was the backup ‘sandwich’ man to catch SM if he would have advanced further up the hill towards Col de Cherel. In any case, the killing was imho about SM, and the gunman/men knew (by info from CS) that SM would be cycling up to Martinet and possibly beyond, so that is why both X5 (the 4×4 seen by WBM) and MC2 (the motorbiker seen by WBM) ended up being there. So maybe X5/Badman shot SM (and the SAH family) and drove down, as seen by WBM. A bit later MC2 coming down from Col de Cherel as backup/sandwich saw the massacre scene at Martinet, concluded it ‘was good’ (SM was dead) and also drove down, as seen by WBM. As to be read below, I have put forward that the brain behind this was CS. And maybe MC2 was in fact CS. … The main reason for this was to explain why LR phoned SM at 15h32. This call was ‘waved away’ as unimportant, yet to me it is the ‘key’ to explaining/understanding this murder … Just read more about this below:)

Update oct 19, 2018

Tonight I was going through some old pictures. Found this one and realized that there is an imprint of a car to be seen (arrow). The picture must have been made on the day of the murders, maybe only a few hours after the murders took place. Say 19h-20h. The imprint/shadow of the car is pretty much gone (wiped?) the next day. Anyway, this imprint imho indicates a car must have been parked there for a longer period, maybe even one hour or more, so it could induce this effect. We know WBM saw one car coming down. Which car? This car?

There are 3 cars to explain. ONF1, ONF2 and the notorious X5/X3 ONF1 saw driving up. If the imprint belongs to either ONF1 or ONF2, it would proof ONF1 and/or ONF2 are lying because afaik they never said they had parked there. Let’s assume both ONF1 and ONF2 speak the truth. Then the imprint belongs to the notorious X5. What goes up (X5) must come down. So the X5 went up, was seen by ONF1, parked at Martinet (arrow), stayed some time. The Lyon MC and ONF2 passed Martinet on their way down but probably had no recollection of seeing this X5 parked at Martinet. After that, X5 went down … WBM only saw the last of the 3 cars, namely X5. WBM later saw a motorbike coming down, this was not the Lyon MC. Nope this has to be the MC2 motorbiker seen crossing Col de Cherel (timestamp wrongly reported by Janin)

Why would X5 go to Martinet? He went there because SM was going to Martinet (doing his cycling tour). But why did X5 leave before SM was shot (and the other murders)? Because X5 was not the killer, he was a carrier. So, what did X5 carry? Not the killer as passenger, because ONF1 only reported seeing 1 person in the X5. No, X5 carried the Luger (plus the message that SM was arriving) for MC2. X5 handed the Luger to MC2. MC2 is the killer. MC2 knew SM was going to Martinet, so MC2 went to Martinet over Col de Cherel and ordered X5 to bring the Luger plus message ‘SM is on his way’ to Martinet. Why so difficult? Because there could be no mobile (traceable) communication. So, X5 handed over the gun to MC2 and went down himself. MC2 waited for SM to arrive, but messed up the killing because SAH and family disturbed the scene. Now they all had to die. In my view, MC2=CS=X (see my earlier posts on this)

martinet_sm3proc2

(orange arrow indicates the imprint of the notorious X5)

Update aug 24, 2017

Update jun 2, 2017

My definite final analyses of the Chevaline massacre. The girl did it.

#Chevaline LR babysitting. LR 15h32 call ‘Where is CS?’. CS was at Martinet, killing SM. LR realizes CS=X, covers 4 CS. WBM saw CS on motor.

Source: https://twitter.com/deadzone61/status/870056074409365505

Notes:

The notorius Lyon motorbiker is not X. I think there is another motorbiker. The one which the english biker saw coming down just before he arrived at the murder scene. This motorbiker was not our man from Lyon, but it was the girl.

Remember that there was a motorbiker seen on Col de Cherel? Ok, the said timing doesn’t fit. But maybe our farmer at the Col de Cherel got the times mixed up.

I think that motorbiker was the girl, coming from Grignon, going over Col de Cherel to Combe d’Ire/Martinet, counter clock wise so she would bump into Mollier.

Remember also that the girl, by her own admision, was not at home all day. She said ‘I went home so that Mollier could go biking’. In other words, the girl was outside. At Grignon maybe?

Of course, that is her story. That she came home so that Mollier could go biking. And that she stayed home with the baby. The baby becoming her rock solid alibi. Btw, was there any witness to this? That she came home at said time?

Now … remember the ex-wife’s 15h32 phonecall to Mollier. How strange. How utterly macabre that she phoned Mollier at the exact moment he was shot. And her explanation? ‘Oh, just nothing, just about the kids’

I don’t believe it. She phoned alright, but with another reason. She asked Mollier, ‘Where is the girl?’

Why? Why would she ask, ‘Where is the girl?’ … Because the ex-wife was babysitting for Mollier and was waiting for the girl to come back. But the girl was ‘delayed’. Delayed because … she was at Martinet, waiting for Mollier. To kill Mollier.

Of course we know things turned out bad. The al-Hilli’s arrived on the scene and became witnesses of the murder, and therefor had to be shot too. Which the girl did. After she finished off the al-Hilli’s she put some final bullets into Mollier (‘You bastard’).

Then she went home on her motorbike, but was seen by the english biker. Arriving home, the ex-wife must have guessed what had happened or maybe the girl told her. They ‘decided to team up’, very probably with money changing hands from the girl to the ex-wife. What other option did the girl have but to pay off the ex-wife?

Anyway, the ex-wife maintains her 15h32 story ‘About the kids’ and of course hides that she was babysitting. And with that the girl can maintain her rock solid ‘baby alibi’

What’s more to say? How can you crack this?

Maybe the Luger. Who knows. And did the ex-wife have an alibi for 14h-16h?

Cheers,
Max

My previous final analysis. Also good, but not as good as the final one above:)

Update nov 2, 2016

My final analyses of the Chevaline massacre. The ‘Granny’ did it.

I denote all actors with initials. I give my analyses in shorthand style, painting the key things with few words. Figure out the complete picture yourself. I’m not a novelist. I don’t want to write a 120 paged volume on the matter.

tck_granny2x

The ‘Granny’ did it

The ‘Granny’ (GSM) is the evil genius behind this thing, the ‘disposing of SM’. GSM organized the logistics, X was the friend in deed. Not supposed to be a massacre though. But Zainab and/or SAH disturbed X and SM (SM was already there! X held him at gunpoint) by the riverside. SM used this disturbance to try to escape from X, hence this is why he was shot in the back. Meanwhile SAH, on sensing the weird situation (SM and X) tried to escape, to no avail. The car got stuck and X terminated the SAH family because of being witnesses. SM’s ex, LR is in. She must be. She phoned SM at 15h32 when he already was at Martinet (held at gunpoint by X). LR knows, probably paid off by GSM.

GSM’s motive? SM simply was ‘unwanted’.

This is my final theory based on the facts as I know them. It maximizes the fit of pieces, while minimizing the left-overs (e.g. SAH visitor at the campsite).

PM, the legionnaire, probably is innocent, but his suicide shows how extreme the social pressure is. A force behind that social pressure probably is GSM. She saw in PM the perfect scapegoat. But she didn’t voice this directly though, that would alert the investigators.

More thoughts …

Anyway, Zainab said there was nobody when they arrived (iirc). This would be compatible with X and SM being near the river side, out of view. X wanted to kill-by-fake-accident SM, dump SM in the river, and throw the bike in the river later. If SM’s body would be found, maybe days later, who would think of a murder? Nobody, because nobody but X and the GSM party knew were SM was. Of course, when asked about the matter, GSM and X would state the didn’t know SM was biking around Combe d’Ire. He would be reported missing but nobody would find him until much later. That was the plan. The police would think of an fatal accident … nobody would come up with SM being murdered. Not your average gendarme anyway. The perfect crime.

Good plan, until SAH and Zainab stumbled on the scene going near the river side. SM, using the confusion, tried to escape from X. SM got to the road, then ran away over the parking. X also crawled up to the road, and shot the running SM in the back. SM fell on the ground, exactly in the trajectory of the reversing (reverse-break-reverse pattern) BMW of SAH. The BMW dragged SM to the other side of the parking where finally the BMW got stuck.  The rest is history.

So, it was the killer combo GSM-X. And who knows, once a killer, twice a killer? Maybe the GSM-X combo helped the other PM in 2007 by killing off CM. Team GSM-X was a team back in 2007 and again in 2012. Removing CM (danger to PM and thus GSM) and SM (danger to CS and thus GSM). The symmetry 2007=CM<–PM<=GSM=>CS–>SM=2012 is striking.

More thoughts …

The situation was this:

– SM arrived (before SAH) at parking Martinet
– X was already there (prepped for kill-by-fake-accident SM)
– X held SM at gunpoint with the ol’ Luger P06
– X wanted to ‘dump’ SM in the river (fake accident)
– X forces SM to the riverbed (behind barrier)
– Bike is at barrier (probably to be dumped in the river as well)

– SAH arrives
– Nobody to see (but the bike)
– SAH and Zainab get out
– Zainab wanders to side of the parking, near the river
– SAH goes to the barrier/bike
– SAH ‘disturbs’ X and SM

– SM takes the opportunity to try to escape
– SM ‘fights’ X
– SAH sees this (SM and X fighting, Luger P06 and all)
– SAH takes Zainab by the hand and runs to BMW

– SM manages to get to the parking, and tries to run away
– X also climbs up from the river bed to the parking (barrier)
– X, standing near the barrier, shoots SM in the back

– SAH meanwhile tries to escape in BMW (reversing)
– SAH runs over the, now downed, body of SM
– SAH drags SM, and gets stuck on the other side of the parking
– X kills witnessses

Main point is that SM was the target … but not to be shot, because a shot-dead SM would imply a ‘murder’, and this is not what GSM wanted. GSM wanted a ‘fatal accident’. A Luger sufficed to hold SM at gunpoint (explaining away the strange choice of weapon)

Plz do remember that CS, and thus GSM/TS, is/are instrumental in SM being at parking Martinet in the first place! This is fact. TS ‘adviced’ Martinet as a bike destination to SM (fact), and CS came back home early so that SM could go biking (fact). This was all ‘logistics’ planned stuff by GSM. Who knew the situation around Martinet? Answer: TS. GSM made sure X was already at Martinet. X being on foot. All prepped ‘logistics’. It makes sense. And the murder has the simplest of motives. It was a matter of GSM versus SM. The ‘disposing of’ SM.

The simplest explanations are often the best.

More thoughts …

I’m not saying SM was to be ‘drowned’, but more like ‘fallen into the riverbed, head on rock (Schumi) thingy’. If they would find SM, lying in the riverbed, with a head wound, who would think of murder? Nobody, unless there was to be a very paranoid gendarme. This gendarme would have to make the quantum leap ‘Hey this is not an accident but a murder case’ … but why would he do that?

GSM, TS, CS, etc had perfect alibi’s. Unless TS=X, which I think is the case. Then TS does not have an alibi other than the one provided by GSM.

Anyway, the situation took an unexpected and unwanted turn. The ‘massacre’. But GSM was lucky because even with SM shot, most eyes were on SAH. EM declaring, within 2 days that ‘the answer was to be found in the UK’.

Turn back to the kill-by-fake-accident plan. X would have make it to look like an accident. So, I think X wanted to dump the bike in the river next to SM. Of course, with the massacre at hand, X didn’t do that now, because a bike in the riverbed would be near proof (Columbo style) that SM was the target.

And who knows, maybe the bike was already near the riverbed(!) … But once SM escaped from X and was shot down by X and SAH was shot as well, X, to mask the ‘SM=Target’ thingy, had to pull the bike out of the riverbed and dump it on the parking, near the barrier.

This is what EM said, he said ‘It looked like the bike was thrown into a corner’

WBM stated ‘I saw the bike on the side’

The bike was ‘odd’. Yesterday night, I wondered about the pump. The airpump was lying on the ground somewhere. Where did this airpump come from. From SM’s pocket? Or was it attached to the bike?

~ Max

To continue discussing TCK in a public forum, I suggest CM. Just follow the link … CM public forum on TCK

4,749 thoughts on “TCK: Forum (public)

  1. Playing catch-up, I see Non-Elucidé has finally done a programme on the Christian Maréchal case:

  2. Shadwell, read backwards and you’ll see when it was broadcast and what happened in the ensuing hours that put the Al-Hillis top of the news again.

    Cynical, moi ?

  3. Just watched the short piece on the TF1 link Lars posted, the number of bullets has gone down again to 21 and the amount of money gone up !

    Oh for a journalist that would be able to get the truth out of this file – there are so many changes (press) that it isn’t any wonder that members of the public think there is a conspiracy.

    I’ll resist a sarcastic comment about the missing passports.

    I would like to know if they are still looking for the Motorcyclist, or is the matter dropped ?

  4. Lynda,
    We should be happy that these journalists are not running estate agencies or would any shack be worth millions of €. ;)
    (would of course be nice if you are selling and could get that money)

  5. @Lynda
    Oh. I thought I had read up to date but looks like I skipped a whole page. Another detective skills fail there… I was aware of the whole US diversion, but I didn’t realise how hot on the heels of the Non Élucidé broadcast it occurred.

    I say diversion since I remain of the opinion that the deaths of the al Hillis, SM & CM were the unintended consequences of France’s laws on funding of political parties.

  6. I share your views there Shadwell. I certainly think that the frauds around the funding of political parties in France could constitute a background for these murders. However as you then say, the unintended consequences. It would nicely wrap up the Marechal murder and the Chevaline murders in one parcel. As we know there are family links between these two affairs.

    The accusations around UMP and its finances are very much a still ongoing affair in France, see e.g. the Bygmalion affair. These affairs involves enormous amounts of money and also very powerful and influential people. This could well explain the wall-of-silence as well as the unwillingness of the French police to investigate all French connections in this case.

    However we still need to find the final link. Even if the massacre at Chevaline was unintented there must have been a (local) reason why the killer was there with his gun.

    There might also have been other (rugby-)players involved in the tragic events that day.

  7. By the way, I am almost sure that the reason for the Marechal murder really is these frauds.

  8. Shadwell, Lars posted a link to the 7 à 8 programme on TF1, initially aired on the 3rd August, whilst it doesn’t really have anything different to offer, apart from the bullets going back down to 21, and Khadims millions going up to 10, Eric D. was interviewed. A comment that stood out for me was that he said (whilst touching his beard) ‘elle est blanche, elle n’est pas noir’.

    You may recall that after his release from custody, he made comment that his eyes were green and not black, I wonder if he is somehow pointing out the colouring of the Portrait Robot, something the general public have not been aware of.

    The other comment of note was from Maillaud, he confirmed scientific analysis revealed that Mollier had indeed been run over by the BMW.

    Here is the link again:

    http://videos.tf1.fr/sept-a-huit/sept-a-huit-du-3-aout-2014-8460937.html

  9. Science confirmed he’d been run over….as in, other than what had made him look a bit mangled ?

    Thrown from a vehicle ? Crashed off his bike ? Hit by another/the other vehicle ?

  10. James, I’d need to hear the words again, I suppose it means there was trace of him or his clothes on the underside of the BMW…. the piece about Chevaline doesn’t start until 19 minutes into the programme and Maillaud statement was near the end of the 20 minute segment.

  11. Although I’m not going to officially defend my newest scenario, I’ll post it here in public for everyone to muse over:) It certainly has some benefits. Suppose it was about WBM and CS (and they managed to keep this secret, because of a ‘one night’ affair or something) … then it is obvious that no matter how hard anyone tries, you won’t find anything in the past of SAH or SM … simply because they are looking at the wrong people.

    Of course WBM was scrutinized, I’m sure, but if he did it, he came prepped. The other holders of the secret would be CS, and probably LR.

    Is there a clue this scenario hold s some importance? Yes … because we DO have that strange LR to SM phone call. And we DO have SM at Martinet for no apparent reason. And we DO have WBM’s account (weird account, no signal, blood on hands, not hearing shots, nobody saw him, etc.).

    About the LR phone call the official view is:

    It is … ‘about the kids’

    But if it is not … and there is NO WAY we can know the contents of the call (we only know it was made!) … you have the very intriguing puzzle of WHY LR would call SM just minutes before he died.

    If EM is accepting the LR explanation, it means, per definition, EM is 100% trusting LR. So if LR holds a secret … nobody will uncover it!

    In my latest scenario this would mean that the person who knew what was going to happen at Martinet (LR knew SM was furious) is removed from the equation. As WBM’s defence seems to hold … we have only CS

    Remember that CS ‘raised the alarm at 17h00′ … it makes no sense unless she already feared something very bad had happened

    (but that is just me;)

    * reprinted from private forum

  12. @Lars

    Thanks for your suggestion of openvpn. I´m trying it, but it haven’t a french IP adress available.

  13. Bacchus,
    You don’t need a French IP adress. That’s the whole idea with VPN. They provide that. OpenVPN has a free trial period, essai gratuit (72 hours without paying): http://www.vpnvision.com/essai-gratuit/
    That’s enough to watch Sept-a-Huit.
    If you want to continue to use it you have to pay e.g. 2€ to use it in 2 weeks (sans engagement). I have tried it, it works fine.

  14. Hmm, I don’t know Lars. Because I tried it too (openvpn.net) and, as Bacchus, I couldn’t watch the french tv because there was no french ip available to choose. But in you last post you mention another website, which is france based and thus prolly provides a french entry:)

    I got it to work after your hint and googled to another openvpn hoster etc … So, in essence, your (open) vpn is correct. It is the way to go:)

  15. There are a large number of VPN-providers available. They list in which countries they have servers available. So which one you choose depends on in which country you need an IP-adress (and how much you want to pay after the trial period). I think vpnvision has at least three French servers. I think it is easy to use and affordable. But as said, there are many VPN-providers available.

  16. @Lynda

    Another indication that the portrait robot had been ‘de-colourised’ before public release. . .

    Le pencil-sketch, it is a strategy!

  17. James, you can comment here. I visit both. Most of my thoughts are not at all useful for public. They are just rubbish. But this WBM-CS-SM idea got me thinking. Especially because LR phoned SM … about what? The kids? Really? … or was it to warn/cooldown SM for something about to happen at Martinet?

    I like the idea: SM furious at WBM and wanting to teach him a lesson. But WBM, in some sort of self-protection/defence killing SM (and then SAH as witnesses)

    Ok, you have the problem of ‘who brought the gun’ and where is it now. But still, I like the idea. It is certainly a new angle to toy with:)

  18. Maybe Al Hilli went to find the “other” waterfall ?

    A massacre of tourists in a French forest will always make headline news.
    Whereas a local murder stays off the “world stage”. And is forgotten locally after a short time.
    A robbery ? A random killer ? Even a settling of old scores ?

    Local people would have known Mollier.
    There would have been rumours and speculation. Not for public consumption.

    So if it was a local murder. Why would the killer take so much ammunition ?
    How over cautious can one be !

    It was once speculated (by Eric no less) that the Al Hilli BMW was followed by the motorcycle.
    Eric had the relevant witness statements already. So “why” would Eric say this at all ?
    ONF1 had sighted the motorcyclist.
    ONF2 had spoken to the motorcyclist.
    WBM was passed by Al Hilli……and there was no motorcyclist behind.

    The only reason for making this statement would be to EITHER A. make it look as Al Hilli was followed and so was the main target OR B. publicly announce that the police did not suspect the murderers target was Mollier.

  19. James,
    But the latter we know from day one. When Maillaud opened his mouth the day after the murders he said that Mollier was a collateral victim, period. One of the most astonishing statements ever made in a criminal investigation of this kind.

    That only leaves your first option, that he wanted to make it look as Al Hilli was followed and so was the main target. It wouldn’t surprise me, since so much said seems to be more aimed at confusing the public than enlighten it.

  20. @Lars @James

    Just after the murder, EM has had to quickly find a story that is the opposite of the truth, for obvious strategic reasons. The manageress of Solitaire has never advised the family al hilli to martinet, the stepfather never advised the ride to SM, etc … Who does he cover?, Obviously BM.
    BM as a witness, murderer or target? that is the question!
    Back to BM, he is the master piece!

  21. Why so much ammo?

    (brainwave) Perhaps X bought the gun a few moments before, including the 3 clips

    Perhaps MC was there to sell the gun+ammo. X bought it and used it a few minutes later. Obviously MC would not like to come forward as provider of the gun which caused a massacre.

  22. Hmmm !

    Speculation of course.

    @Lars
    Confusion. Make Al hilli the target.
    Say Eric knew before 8am the next day that Mollier was the target then.
    What could he have found out by then ?

    @Max
    X bought the gun….and it came with 3 clips.
    Was the ammo specific to that weapon ? Hence sell it as a “job lot” (a one deal offering). The gun and this much ammo ?
    That’s like The Sale Rail. But one get three clips free.
    It doesn’t make sense.
    Either he needed the extra clips…or he didn’t (although he did in the end use them).

    Therefore….with regard the ammo amount, I think X possibly “just had them on him”.
    Otherwise…he was there to kill everybody (he just didn’t know how many “everybody” was).

    Hmmmm !

  23. @ Max
    @ James

    My understanding is that, when issued to Swiss armed forces, the pistol came in a kit with three magazines.

    My take is that he (or she) only had the three original issue magazines for that weapon.

    The key to understanding the use of such a collectors item is that it was probably the only reliable weapon available that they were absolutely sure was untraceable.

    How could they be so sure it was untraceable? Because when it came into their possesion it clearly had not been fired for several decades.

    Remember that the Gendarmes have been through every shooting club brass bin and shot trap to no avail. Probably thousands of man hours of effort!

    So it was either purchased for the purpose or pride and joy collectors item. Just maybe bit of both, a collectors item that they purposely kept forensically clean and never fired at a shooting range.

    We know nothing about the cartridges used, but I would hazard a guess that they too were untraceable and forensically clean.

    The thing that nags at the back of my mind is that the Gendarmes stated that they could not identify(*} the two women who had been shot from their passport photos because of the extent of their craniofacial injuries.

    To me this just does not add up. One or two shots to the head, even from behind thus exiting through the face, should not do that much damage. Not with 7.65 mm ball ammunition anyway.

    So were some kind of hollow point bullets used? If so it would make the bullets highly distinctive as a quick web search doesn’t return any such ammunition commercially available today.

    * Apparently they were actually identified by DNA samples sent from the UK – which in itself is pretty unsettling.

  24. Rashomon,
    There is also a third (and most likely) alternative, pointed out long ago on the MZT-blog, I think among others by Lynda, i.e. that the weapon has been lying around in someone’s possesion since WWII.

    That particular type of gun was widely used by the French resistance in Savoie during WWII. These guns passed many hands, they were stolen, and restolen. They were taken from dead resistance men. They were hidden in weapon stashes in the mountains, sometimes found and looted by others. These weapons are litterally untraceable and there are probably still many around.

  25. James,
    re: “What could he have found out by then ?”
    Nothing of course, but he could have been told not to search either.

  26. I’ll coin my latest (monday morning, now tuesday reprint) thoughts:)

    Starting with Luger + ammo + helmet (MC)

    This combo seems like belonging to some sort of (former) policeman who, out of habit, takes 3 mags with his gun. The helemet also was out of habit. Helmet, ammo, aiming etc are the same package. Luger indicates ‘older’ man.

    This man, X, was waiting at Martinet for SM. To kill him. The 3 mags is not important, it was ‘out of habit’.

    What happened was that SAH walked in the way. SAH’s double visit (no X5) explains this.

    As follows:

    – MC is waiting at Martinet for SM
    – SAH (ONF1’s X5) arrived just after MC (should be around 14h50, according to Fillon)

    (Tsss, tuesday thought … that MC and SAH were so close, could indicate that they did cross each other earlier, further down on route Forestiere. Perhaps MC wanted to overtake the big BMW of SAH and there was some trouble … hence the ‘seed’ for a future road rage incident)

    – At Martinet. Perhaps SAH and MC had an argument. Anyway, it was not pleasant
    – SAH decides to turn around and come back a bit later
    – SAH goes to Doussard/Arnand to take pictures (last picture 15h17)

    – MC lingers around Martinet, waiting for SM, but is directed away by ONF2
    – MC returns to Martinet, hides

    – SAH took last picture and goes back to Martinet (in the hope the unpleasant MC is gone)
    – SAH arrives at Martinet. SAH and Zainab get out. Nobody around. SAH and Zainab now check what there is to see (sign)

    – SM arrives
    – MC, who was in hiding, comes forward. Kills SM (target).
    – MC kills ‘those stupid UK/Iraqi tourists’ (road rage kill)

    – MC drives away. Down hill, as seen by WBM

  27. Rashomon / Lars

    Interesting take on the origins of the weapon.

    I tend to go down the Rashomon route here rather than conclude/assume this weapon was stolen/re-stolen over the years.
    The reason for this is that it would appear it is complete untraceable (a stolen/restolen weapon may have been traded and/or used at some point over the years in a previous crime…although possibly not fired).

    Max points out that the “extra” magazine may have been carried “out of habit”.
    I’m not sure I would go along with that logic BUT that does throw up a possibility of something else previously discussed.
    That being….was the weapon to be sold on that day ?

    We have an old untraceable firearm.
    We have the full complement of magazines (Original kit. One weapon. Three magazines).
    we have all the magazines full of bullets.

    And that’s where the “idea” fails !
    If you’re going to “sell” this weapon, why the hell use it ????

  28. Just to add a further point to my above unlikely scenario….

    The MC was seen by both ONF vehicles. He wasn’t fearful of them. Why ?
    Possibly because no crime was to be committed that day (as in mass murder).

    The weapon is shown to “what the MC thinks” is the buyer (maybe to SM).
    A “W.T.F is going on here” moment then follows from SM to the MC…..and the shooting begins ?

  29. James, you arrive at the same (and my last BUT) idea, even in a more comapct form

    because no shooting was to be committed that day

    My but was: How did X think of getting away with shooting SM and nobody asking questions?

    The answer is: He didn’t intend to shoot. He intended to FAKE AN ACCIDENT (e.g. drop SM in the river) with the gun as pressure.

    Because his intention was to FAKE AN ACCIDENT he was not at all worried about being seen prior to the shooting. The plan was that SM would be found days, perhaps even weeks later. Remember that the route SM took is being mystified!

    The make SM disappear plan turned into a chevaline massacre (not at all what X and his friends had in mind)

  30. James,
    I was talking about events during WWII in the area, since then the weapon has probably been lying around in a drawer, and sometimes taken out and ‘polished’, a memory from bygone glorious days.
    The resistance wasn’t a regular army. They couldn’t keep that kind of control over their weapons, and exactly who had them at a certain time, not that regular armies always can that either. So the weapon was never used in any peace time crimes or handled by any post-war criminals. After the war it was safely locked away by the man who used it 70 years ago.

  31. @ Lars

    You posted:- “So the weapon was never used in any peace time crimes or handled by any post-war criminals. After the war it was safely locked away by the man who used it 70 years ago.”

    Ok Lars, lets see where this leads.

    Since we are not looking for an octogenarian shooter, how did this weapon get out of the locked drawer and into the hand of the ‘trained marksman’?

    The most obvious answer would be ‘by inheritance’. The shooter may have also ‘inherited’ the family tradition of army or police service.

    Another answer could be that the original owner died and his widow asked the friendly local cop to dispose of it. Being a friendly helpful chap he agreed – no need for awkward questions about legality.

    There need not be a direct personal link, it could be house-clearance or renovation. A builder may have found the loose brick behind which it was hidden.

    Lars, how do you think it happened?

  32. @ Max
    @ James

    I tend to agree that the mass murder that occured was not what was planned to happen, whatever that was!

    James wrote “The MC was seen by both ONF vehicles. He wasn’t fearful of them. Why ?”

    In addition to “because no shooting was to be committed that day” – which I consider the most likely answer, there are a range of more sinister answers;

    He had no fear because he was a psychopath.
    Because he was well trained.
    Because he was on official business and thus knew he was ‘protected’.

  33. @Rashomon,
    I think all your alternatives, how the gun ended up in the hands of the killer, are good.
    Perhaps are the ‘inherited’ alternative a little bit better, since I believe there is an element of revenge involved in the murder of Mollier. A motive that could also partly been ‘inherited’.

  34. Lars, I wonder if there is a family vendetta, you know a Capulet and Montaigu or Sharks and Jets sort of thing that as you say goes back to a previous generation ?

    Likely to be nothing to do with the Schutz family, a clash of local ‘clans’.

  35. Lynda, I think it could very well be a part of it. And it could even go back to WWII. The Mollier family has been living in Ugine for generations. Then could a recent event ignited old animosity between families or different groups in the society.

  36. Guys (and girls)…. all good stuff here.

    Concerning the MC with the old weapon and full complement of ammo in his possession .
    Here I was thinking that the MC was a “collector” of sorts (….remember he wore an “old” police helmet). On that day he was there to meet either “a man in a BMW” OR “a man on a bike”. He just met the wrong party that day.

    The reasoning behind that is, there “appears” to have been two men on cycles and two men in BMW’s.
    Is this “fact” significant ? (putting aside that one of the BMW’s completely disappeared ! Was it ever there !).

    Touching on the scenario of Mollier and an “unfortunate” accident (re Max).
    Some “out of the box” thinking once made me consider IF Mollier had actually died at the scene OR had been transported to the scene in an already deceased state. (Perhaps in the 4×4 BMW….that may or may not have been there !).

    There are several “issues” that make this impossible. WBM after all had sighted him in (or around) Chevaline.
    And of course there are other “impossible” issues to consider, such as what sort of accident would place Mollier at The Martinet ? A road traffic incident !?!?
    BUT on the other hand Mollier did make that climb rather quickly ? Was Mollier sighted by ONF1 or ONF2 ?
    ….as a footnote to that, we still don’t know if WBM was passed by ONF1 or ONF2 or both.

  37. Just to add some other “odd” points that maybe worth discussion.

    Why did a “hitman” carry so much ammunition. And why did he leave carrying the empty weapon and empty clips.
    If he had ran into a road block / border crossing (and was searched), he’d have been caught “red handed”.
    It didn’t happen…. but was still a massive risk to take.

    The MC would have been “motivated” not to leave the weapon (and clips) behind. But why ?
    Could he then have been traced ? Was it still of value ? Was it a trophy ?

    Was the shooting “pre planned” (or “semi pre planned”) ?
    If not, then it was a spur of the moment thing. So what was the cause/catalyst that led to that decision.

    Rashomon touched on some points above.
    ” Because he was on official business and thus knew he was ‘protected’ ”

    The people or person protecting the MC would need to be assured that his capture would not (ever) take place.
    That would take considerable “trust” (or either the killer (or protector) is already dead).
    And if such a protection was needed, this would indicate that this event was “unplanned”.

    More musing to follow.

  38. Mollier could, at least in theory, been killed somewhere else, and transported to Martinet. He could e.g. been killed somewhere else along that road. I don’t think Brett Martin, or for that matter the police could really determine exactly where Mollier died. Maybe some of his injuries after being hit by the Al-Hilli car could be of help (injuries before and after death resp. appear differently). But to be absolutely certain is anyhow difficult even for the forensics experts (we ‘know’ that he couldn’t have been dead for many hours). And we don’t know how involved Brett Martin is.
    There is also the problem with Mollier’s bike, the killer must then have taken the trouble to transport the bike as well.

  39. Taking the 3 mags was a ‘habit’

    He had 1 mag in the gun, and 2 in his pocket. Those in the pocket were not planned to be used, but there out of habit.

    You could argue why X had 1 mag with live ammo in the gun if he didn’t intend to actually use the gun but only had the gun to wave in front of SM to force him into the river (faked accident). Otoh, X, wouldn’t bring an empty gun to do this … because if he really had to force SM, he could pull the trigger to scare SM, etc.

    Anyway, X had 1 mag in the Luger, that is for sure.

    And 2 mags in his pocket.

    Now … SAH (prior road rage) was there and SM (target) arrives. Things go pear shaped from the start. And X actually uses the gun and pulls the trigger, and kills SM (target).

    SAH gets away! SAH actually gets away, so scared that it seems he leaves Zainab behind!

    X, who had taken 2 extra mags out of habit, is now changing the mags. This takes time.

    Remember the Luger fragment found. Perhaps X dropped the gun while changing the mags! (location of fragment is consistent with the first change mag 1 -> mag 2)

    This explains why SAH was able to perform the backward turn to escape. Also note that X doesn’t blindly fire into the BMW (no bullet holes in the bodywork of BMW)

    However … SAH gets stuck!!!! And X now has a second full mag at the ready.

    It is time for road rage. X goes over to the stuck BMW and kills SAH and the women. Through the window, nice and clean.

    While he is busy he takes his last mag (ammo enough) and uses this on SM.

    He doesn’t use all ammo, or perhaps he did. Latest count is 21. This could be 3×7 or 3×8 (3 left), or even 3×7 + 1 (1 left_ or 3×8 + 1 (4 left).

    Anyway, he beats down Zainab (no rage kill, but rage beat up) and leaves the scene.

  40. So … WHY did X take 3 mags?

    Suppose X had this Luger and 3 mags (just bought or from long ago, whatever). X would have realized that, in case he actually used the gun to kill SM, he also should get rid of the gun. Get rid of the gun AND the 3 mags. Because leaving 2 mags at home could directly point at X, in case the mags were found.

    So X took all the mags he had (3) … and planned to drop the Luger AND all the mags (3) in some river/lake after he had used them.

    That is why he took the 3 mags!

  41. I decided to write a novel, to see if I become as rich as Marilyn. It is still in a draft stage and I have not yet found a title

    I leave you a little snippet for appreciation …

    SAH partait tous les jours à Genève pour y déposer l’argent. Il avait trouvé plus sûr de faire plusieurs fois le voyage avec de petites sommes, plutôt que de faire un seul et gros dépôt. Il y a souvent des braquages pour ce motif, mais rarement ils apparaissent dans la presse, vu que la victime ne porte pas souvent plainte, puisque elle-même commet un acte illicite. SAH le sait et il est prudent…

    Tomorrow I’ll post another excerpt. thank you.

    P.S. : Speaking about Geneva, I’ve never understood why during the World War II, Germany did not invade Switzerland?.
    If someone has a valid answer, I thank him. But atention, the answer must be convincing!.

  42. Good luck Bacchus, though I think that Marylin will claim that it is not so easy to get rich on writing. But it might be rewarding in other ways.

    I am certainly no expert on Swiss history, but I think that Germany was occupied with much bigger enemies like Russia, Great Britain and France. Switzerland didn’t create any problems for the germans at the time so was left in peace for the time being. Had the germans however won the battles on other fronts Switzerland would probably have been invaded too.

  43. @ James

    Already dead or given a one-way ticket to Reunion. . .

    It seems all very semi doesn’t it? James asks if it was “semi pre planned” and someone else a while ago said “semi professional”.

  44. @Bacchus

    Your Swiss question.
    Remember that through an independent monetary policy (sovereign credit) and a the public works program, the Third Reich was able to turn a bankrupt Germany into the strongest economy in Europe within four years…..and this was BEFORE any armament spending began.

    Then we have the “enviable” position of the Bank for International Settlements (Basel). In place to facilitate German reparation payments…..BUT in the end assisted (allegedly) in the “acquisition” of assets from “occupied countries”.
    (Well, you have to do something after you’re no longer facilitating reparation payments…especially when your board of directors included some very prominent Nazi Party elite !).

    Also handy if you hold immunity in all contracting states ( inc Belgium, France, United Kingdom, Italy & U.S.).
    I guess if the Swiss were invaded (and so “at war”), the BIS would lose it’s immunity.

    Clearly there’s “more to it” than that. But I recall a NASA Avionics chap once “re quoting” his favourite mantra.
    “No bucks. No Buck Rogers”.

    I guess it’s the same in “war”.
    “No bucks. No bangs”.

    It’s all about the economy !

  45. But Max (re the three mags)….. why get rid of them (the excess) that day ? Why not the next day ? Or before ?
    That’s “another task” to take care of that day.

    It could be argued that he feared he was a terrible shot….and so take the excess along “just in case”.
    Then get rid of the used clip(s), the unused clip(s) and the weapon “in one sitting”.

    Another indication of a “semi” again ?
    A “semi good/bad shooter” ?

    Alas I still am struggling with this “three clip” thing.
    Was he selling this “kit” ?
    Was he set to use all the clips ?
    Did he bring the other two clips along “just in case” ?

    Then there’s the other option….. Had he just bought/acquired the “kit” ?

  46. James,

    A variant could be.

    – Y directed SM to Martinet
    – Y planted X at Martinet
    – Y arranged that MC provided a gun + ammo for X (just prior to the planned killing)
    – MC had Luger + 3 mags ammo on offer (the ‘bundle’ was ok for Y)

    (perhaps Y = X, but only if he was in the position to know exactly what SM was going to do and when. Otherwise He would wait in vain)

    I like the fragment detail. X was perhaps clumsy enough to drop the gun while changing the first mag, when he entered the rage state against SAH.

    If this happened than the ammo count at the high (barrier) end of the parking can not exceed 9 (mag of 8 + 1 in gun). Probably it is down to 8.

    So it would be: Mag 1 – Drop gun (fragment) – Mag 2 – Mag 3

  47. @Max

    “– Y arranged that MC provided a gun + ammo for X (just prior to the planned killing)”

    Interesting indeed. And may be the answer.
    Bought as a “kit”. And supplied/planted as a “kit”…..to be removed as a “kit” (regardless if only partial was unused).

    Throws up the question “who was the target…with so much ammo”.
    A. It was need (Al Hilli).
    B. It was how it came, so planted that way (Mollier).

    Problem. How did the shooter know the gun worked ? Or how it worked ?

  48. A further point on a possible planted weapon.
    It would be of great importance to the shooter that the gun was “untraceable” AND “destroyed” after he used it.
    So important…..he would indeed take it with him.

  49. @James,

    Y trusted MC to provide the untraceable (requested by Y) gun + ammo
    MC said ‘I have got the package, gun + 3 mags’
    Y said ‘OK, bring it to Martinet, it will be picked up by X’

    The target was SM
    The idea was to kill him (directly or fake accident under force of said gun)

    SAH was ‘in the way’, road rage or witness

    X, handled the gun nicely with the first mag, killing SM. SMwas driven over by SAH. Very dead
    As X had enough ammo AND SAH got stuck (by freak coincidence), X used the second mag to kill the SAH’s
    X used the remaining third mag to shoot SM again

    (probably X had 24 – 21 = 3 bullets left)

    MC didn’t care to much about being seen. MC probably wasn’t aware the gun would be used pretty much the second after he had provided the gun to X

    MC can’t come forward. He provided the gun. Illegal AND the cause of the massacre. But if MC is caught, it will lead to X and Y.

    What would be the sentence for MC in years? If he provided the gun, but not do the killing? I’m no specialist, but I guess it must be in the 10+, even 20+ years?? MC has a lot to loose

    Perhaps that is why EM is time and time again saying that they want to speak to MC as an important witness, but not as the killer perse … because perhaps EM already expects MC to be the gun dealer (and not the killer) … why? Because, as said MC didn’t care much about being seen, even talk/beard

  50. @ James

    You posted “It could be argued that he feared he was a terrible shot….and so take the excess along “just in case”.”

    So, why would he fear that? After all, he was an excellent shot

    There is one sense in which you could just be correct about his ‘fear’. Shooting ability ‘decays’ (like other skills) and the decay rate of ‘combat handgun’ ability is particularly rapid apparently.

    So, given that he could not practice using that particular weapon, he may have had a concern.

  51. Which Sign?

    I read somewhere quite recently that SAH and his daughter were standing near a sign (presumably reading it) when it all kicked off. SAH then grabbed his daughter by the arm to pull her back to the car.

    Now, I had always assumed that this was the sign at the top of the parking place i.e. the one immediately next to where the car was originally parked.

    It struck me that one would not need to pull her from that sign to the car, the distance is minimal!

    However there are another two signs on the corner of the first hairpin. The distance to them is such that it would make it worthwhile to ‘hurry’ a child to safety by the arm.

    Any views on this?

  52. I have always assumed that it was the sign at the top of the parking place, as you say.
    The lay-by is pretty deep. At least so deep that a car can have its back well above that sign. It is also possible to see on Max’s tyre track reconstructions, I think.
    So even if they didn’t have to run for long, it was at least somewhat more than the car’s length.

  53. 1. MC was seen at Martinet (ONF)
    2. MC was seen at 2-hairpins-up (ONF2)
    3. MC was redirected down and ONF2 lost sight of him, after Martinet (so MC was below Martinet)
    4. MC was seen coming from Martinet (WBM)

    If all is true, then MC RETURNED to Martinet!

    – But not to shoot SM, because he could have shot SM anywhere on route Forestiere (simply waiting alongside the road until SM arrives)
    – MC had bumped into SAH before (first of double visit, my scenario) so MC was not there to shoot SAH
    – MC left around the time of the shooting (WBM)

    Taken together this means that MC was at Martinet for another reason, which probably has something to do with the shooting, but not with MC as killer (unless MC was there to double kill SAH and SM … highly unlikely me thinks)

    So, MC didn’t pull the trigger. The shooter is X … X is unknown, but MC doesn’t come forward either. MC knows X!

    In a variant which I do not support, X could be the X5 … but why did the X5 leave uphill, while MC went downhill?
    In another variant X could be WBM. In that case WBM uses MC as an alibi (whether MC likes this or not)

    As I think SM was the target, I need an X linked with Y. Y is the guy who directed SM to Martinet.

    Is WBM = X?

    In a strange dream I saw WBM having a secret affair with CS. WBM got CS pregnant. WBM needed to keep this secret. CS needed to keep this secret for SM. GSM found out and told TS. TS was not approving of SM anyway. He made WBM an offer he couldn’t refuse. ‘Kill SM, and we keep the secret’. TS directed SM to Martinet. TS and/or WBM organized MC to bring an untraceable gun to Martinet. Upon arrival of SM at Martinet, WBM shot him down, and killed SAH’s as witnesses. CS knows, but does not rebel against TS. LR perhaps knows but in that case is paid off to keep the secret.

    :)

  54. Lars and James, thank you for your answers. But do not take it wrong, they do not satisfy me, sorry I am looking for an answer that is consistent with my thoughts, just to see if there is someone who thinks like me. No problem, it’s only a parenthesis.

    Now my novel …

    Ed est un homme comme tout le monde, il a ses faiblesses. Après vingt ans de loyaux e reconnus services, on ne lui pardonnera pas d’avoir utilisé, pour son propre compte, les deniers des contribuables. Un petit écart qui lui couta très chère. Mais l’honnêteté ne tolère pas le gris, avec elle s’est noir ou blanc.

    Vu sa longue expérience, il trouve facilement du travail dans une agence de sécurité privée, comme il en existe beaucoup en Suisse. À se titrer il participe au sommet de Davos. C’est là qu’il fait la connaissance de membres de services secrets, ou plutôt, qu’ils entrent en contact avec lui.

    Les dés sont jetés …

    Tomorrow I will try to find enough inspiration to offer a new extract.

  55. @Max

    @Max

    “3. MC was redirected down and ONF2 lost sight of him, after Martinet (so MC was below Martinet)”

    To me I always assumed that ONF2 had 1). Spoken to the MC and “moved him on” from the hairpin.
    And then 2). ONF2 lost sight of the MC as they had continued down the track towards Chevaline and the MC pulled in to/stopped at the Martinet car park, which is situated lower down .

    However this whole assumption requires confirmation.
    1. WBM needs to actually say that the vehicle which passed him coming down the hill was indeed a forestry vehicle.
    And 2. ONF2 needs to say they passed WBM on their way down/his way up the route

    NOTE. If “what the butler saw” was released (i.e. ONF2 sighting WBM on the track) then there would be a great deal of other information which could be “questioned” / “released” / “confirmed”.

    That being……
    The relative locations of the Al Hilli BMW to the car park (or indeed in it)
    AND the relative location of Mollier to the car park (or indeed in it).

    This information is crucial…..and has been cloaked by “the police” from the media/general release.

    FURTHER NOTE. There has been (to my mind) only ONE released statement by the police which pertains to this situation.
    The AH daughter is said to have told the police that when the family arrived at the Martinet, there was nobody there.

    Did she mean their first arrival ? Was this their only arrival ? Or is this just a “red herring” ?
    (Then there is the picture and the builders sighting….on two different access roads to the Combe D’Ire).

    We “know” that at some stage the ONF2 vehicle passed through the car park (?).
    It is assumed that the ONF2 vehicle was with the MC (following or ahead of them) ?
    And that Mollier (at some point) also was at/arrived at the car park.

    Further, ONF1 confirms he passed through the car park (only the MC there….it is claimed).
    And that he saw (claims to have seen) a BMW 4×4 heading towards that place (unseen/not confirmed by anyone else).

    With this information we have all tried to piece together a coherent “time line” of “who was where, when”.
    And all of us have failed to achieve a straight forward, logical, balanced result.
    (Even the media reconstructions have failed to achieve this goal).

    The assumption therefore is we either have individuals that are not telling the truth and/or substantial key facts that are purposely being withheld. Whilst this information may not “point to the killer”, I believe it would give a strong a decisive indication as to the “targeted victim”. And that would be a huge leap forward.

  56. To add.
    The interpretation of the events given by the police is….

    The MC arrived at the car park.
    ONF1 passes the parked MC
    A BMW 4×4 heading up passes ONF1 further down the route.

    The MC moves from the car park to the upper hairpin.
    ONF2 moves MC from the hairpin back to the car park… then ONF2 continues down the Combe D’Ire.
    The MC once again moves from the car park (“the killer came from the woods”).
    SAH arrived at the car park (“there was nobody at the car park when they arrived”).
    The MC approached on foot and the shooting began.
    Mollier arrived and was shot.
    WBM was passed by ONF2 and then by the MC.
    Finally WBM arrives at the car park.

    That MC is making more moves than a chess piece !
    Also the “curious” time gap of ONF1 (was he there “just before” or “30 mins before” He thinks both).

  57. James,

    I agree on all except one thing … WBM was passed by ONF2

    (and of course in my scenario the 4×4 seen by ONF1 is SAH on his first visit … but that’s me:)

    We have discussed this ad infinitum … the main point is … WBM can say whatever he likes, but afaik there is NOBODY who saw WBM going up Combe d’Ire. Take note that WBM doesn’t mention this 4×4 coming down in Panorama, yet he does mention a car going up (SAH) and a MC coming down. Of course if WBM did see the ONF2, then this ONF2 should have seen SAH. As ONF2 (by EM) doesn’t mention anything SAH, I concluded that ONF2 did not see SAH and thus that WBM can NOT have seen ONF2.

    I believe my own scenario. And that scenario leaves plenty of follow up questions. One of which I pointed out above. And I repeat: Did WBM really see the MC? This is essential as it can proof WBM innocent. Problem is, we need MC for this. We know MC exists, and we know MC did not come forward. So, we know that MC has something to hide. MC is implicated, but he, once caught, could reveal that WBM is implicated too. MC is WBM’s alibi (all other alibi’s are dead people, SM and SAH)

  58. James, regarding this:
    “ONF2 moves MC from the hairpin back to the car park… then ONF2 continues down the Combe D’Ire.
    The MC once again moves from the car park (“the killer came from the woods”).”

    ONF2 say they lost sight of the MC, therefore it couldn’t have parked in Le Martinet.

  59. I agree with Lynda. That is what I have understood. MC went down beyond Martinet and ONF2 (going downhill too) lost sight of MC.

  60. @Lynda
    They lost sight of him….could mean a couple of things.
    They moved away from him (he stopped).
    He moved way ahead of them (both parties moving, one faster than the other).
    Depends what is meant by (or how you take) “they lost sight of him”.

    @Max
    And this is the crux of the matter. That being “no one is telling us the complete story of what is known”.

    In WBM’s first interview he “eluded” to the fact that he was passed by one vehicle that was going up hill and one vehicle that was going down the hill. That interview was “cleverly phrased” in order to be ambiguous.

    Later it was established (should that be “made clearer” ) by WBM that he was past by the Al Hilli BMW which was going up the Combe D’Ire as he was climbing it.

    In this “conversation” he was not quizzed on the identification of the vehicle he saw coming down the hill. WBM merely says he was past by a vehicle coming down and then later by a motorcycle.

    Maybe he had previously been asked not to state the fact that there had been an ONF vehicle in or around the car park moments before (or at the time of/or previous to even !) the shooting. No idea why. After all the MC had been “identified” by ONF2…..and the MC would have known this !

  61. Just to reiterate this point.
    It is “eluded to” that ONF2 moved the MC on “to the allotted/allowed area for vehicles” from the “prohibited area”.
    To me that reads as “from the hairpin to the car park”.

    They (ONF2) lost sight of him.
    To me that reads as the MC halted at the allotted/allowed area (the car park) and the ONF vehicle proceeded on it’s journey.
    Thus passing WBM.

    Taken with the initial police release, that being the Al Hilli daughter did not see anyone else in the car park WHEN THEY ARRIVED….means that Al Hilli was in the car park when the MC and ONF2 vehicle approached from the hairpin.

    What that means (could mean) is that hearing Al Hilli approaching, the MC moved from the car park upwards and encountered ONF2. Where upon he was directed BACK TO the car park.

    If that is so….. the the MC’s target is “more likely” not to have been Al Hilli at all.
    The MC was armed….and the Al Hilli family contained within their motor car. An easier (contained) target.

  62. James,

    There are perhaps things which are not clear, which confuse. But 1 thing is practically certain and that is:

    – There was an MC, and this MC has not come foward (unless ONF1/2 and WBM in sync invented this MC … highly unlikely)

    If everything else fails, finding/catching MC will solve everything. MC will confirm or not the role of ONF1, ONF2, WBM and by explaining what he, MC, himself was doing around Martinet, shed light on the killing. Was he X or was he connected to X or what.

    With the ED arrest I think (and ED says this in 7-a-8) that the police really was convinced they had the guy, MC. They way they barged in and all. A mysterious episode, that ED business. Suppose ED = MC … how would the police proof this? (no helmet, no motorbike, no Luger)

  63. In my mind there are two “factors” that if are removed, places the intended victim as Mollier.
    They are…

    1. The amount of bullets fired.
    2. The UK plated BMW 4×4

    If there is a “reason” for the amount of bullets held by the gunman (i.e. If the weapon was supplied/purchased/whatever as a complete kit that day/hour) then the “target” moves from being Al Hilli.

    ONF1 already throws this into doubt on his own story.
    He stated “he was there moments before the shooting”. This (by his own admission) is untrue.
    His call to the ONF2 with regard the MC (it’s in his interview).

    So whether there was a BMW 4×4 becomes irrelevant (to a point).
    It may well have been there. But not “at the time Al Hilli was arriving”.
    Possibly a 30 minutes to an hour BEFORE any of the “leading parties” were on the Combe D’Ire.

    Meaning…..
    Mollier’s route was known/became known.
    The MC was likely to have been supplied the kit “that hour”.
    The MC heard/saw the Al Hill BMW approach….and he moved away.
    When Mollier arrived the shooting began.
    The MC moved slowly down the route as he knew the ONF2 was ahead of him.

  64. Final point !

    Q. Why were the Al Hilli family killed ?
    A Not because they would become key eyewitnesses.
    But because they could have caught up with ONF2.
    It’s a single track road. One exit (known to the killer…which he would eventually use to escape).

  65. lol@Lars

    But … seriously … the police barged in at ED, and thought ‘they had got the guy’. How did they arrive at that conclusion? Because they had no gun, no helmet and no motorbike.

    Iirc there were 4 leads to arrest ED:

    – The portrait
    – The fact he was around (phone)

    I forgot the other 2.

    – He collected guns?
    – He drives a motorbike?

    Anyway, even with those 4 things in place. Can you barge in thinking you have nailed the guy??

    Improbable I think. So to me there has to be a bit more to this.

    Perhaps he phoned. Contacted X around 15h00, from 2-hairpins-up (signal). Of course X is not Y (TS). X is seemingly not connected to the killing and ED is seemingly not connected to the killing. But … they found a 15h00 phone call from ED to some guy. Who knows, perhaps that ‘some guy’ is our suicide man in Ugine (X). And ED (the gun bringer) was phoning X ‘where are you?’ … I know, that would be stupid, but otoh, ED was not aware that X would use the gun to kill SM and massacre SAH. ED was as careless with his phone as he was being seen by 3 witnesses (ONF1/2, WBM)

    So … the police indeed got ED/MC … but couldn’t proof it, neither break him. As said, no motorbike, no helmet, no gun … the police DID try to find all those things, they turned ED’s whole house and garden upside down. They were sure:)

  66. Max,
    I think someone, probably a gendarme or a police municipale, grassed on Eric. Someone who were trustworthy enough. They could hardly find him among the population of Savoie just with that e-fit and phone lists.

  67. After all are musings and logic and so forth….
    Key is ONF2.

    They (and what they did) corroborate and provide information on so much of this.

    Where ONF1 (were they working in the forest together ?).
    Where the Al Hilli BMW was (en route. At the car park)
    Where Mollier was.
    Where WBM was.
    What the MC did.

    In fact everyone “involved” depends on ONF2’s version of events.
    I wonder what protection they were afforded ?

    @Lars
    Did the French documentary (the latest one) touch on ONF2 ?

  68. James,

    Maybe in your scenario, but not in mine. in my scenario, ONF2 exactly reported what they had seen, and that was 1 thing being there (MC) and 1 thing not being there (cadavres at Martinet)

    ONF2 chased away MC (roughly around 15h00), lost sight of him, didn’t see anybody else, and were off the Combe d’Ire 20-30 minutes before the shooting (roughly around 15h10)

  69. @Max

    I believe ONF2 reported totally what they saw.

    They spoke to MC and moved him on…. to the car park.
    They have no need (or authority) to “chase him off” anywhere. Only to that area.

    They lost sight of him ….as ONF2 continued on their way down the Combe D’Ire.
    A route they were about to take anyway (with or without a motorcyclist in their way).

    It is as straight forward as that.

  70. @James
    I guess you mean Les faits Karl Zero. I haven’t been able to see it. It is still not on YouTube or Daily Motion. The only one I know who was able to watch it (live) is Marilyn (MZT). She said it contained no new information.

    @Max
    One of the many problems we have is that we have no information when ONF2 met the MC. It could have been 14:30 as well as 15:00, or almost any time that afternoon. If the French police were to release the information they got we might get a totally different picture of what happened.

  71. Like in any good Columbo, X (and Y) was sure of his alibi. Must be. If you kill SM, you better have an alibi at the ready, because the next minute the police will knock on your door to ask ‘Where were you on wednesday sept 5th 2012 around 15h40?’

    X (and Y) must have a very solid alibi otherwise they would never attempt to murder SM. The untraceable Luger is only a part in this. The weapon is untraceable, but the motive is also untraceable.

    We heard that Zaid has an alibi (location) … but what about all those local people? Was everything checked? I guess so, but we never heard anything about this. CS, LR, TS, even GSM, and her brother PM … all those people with a possible motive to kill SM. Were they checked?

  72. @Lars,

    But I use the Fillon 14h40, SAH=X5 and the ’10 minutes later’ (ONF1 about ONF2) to conclude that ONF2 must have seen MC around 14h55-15h05

    As such, my scenario ‘predicts’ this time. It is a narrow time window. If ONF2 would say ‘Nope, it was around 14h30’ then my scenario breaks down.

  73. Max, problem is ONF1 says ONF2 saw the MC ten minutes after him, and the official publication of the Portrait Robot says it was seen circulating along the Combe d’Ire between 15:15 and 15:40 ……

    That places the 10 minutes later at 15:25 ! First reports in Liberation said that the sighting above Le Martinet was at 15:15, this is before Panorama revealed a further sole ONF driver saw the MC at Le Martinet.

    http://www.gendarmerie.interieur.gouv.fr/eng/Sites/Gendarmerie/Actualites/2013/Novembre/Appel-a-temoins

    James, I’m going to check, I think the mention of ONF2 directing the MC back to the authorised route, they followed and lost sight of him, was from Maillaud at a Press Conference where he also responded to a question from the Press about what ONF2 saw, it is the no ‘cadavres’ quote that Max uses.

    Without the actual quote, which was in French it is easy to see why you draw a different conclusion to me and Max, I’ll come back to you when I find the context.

  74. Lynda,

    I don’t go for that 15h15-15h40 time for MC. Because, to me, it is impossible.

    As you say, it would mean ONF2 saw MC around 15h25.

    It would mean that ONF2 was off the route forestiere at 15h35 (I know you will argue the parallel route, but I hesitate to think that ONF2 took that road)

    15h35 implies that they bumped into WBM. And yes, you would argue that this exactly happened. As WBM said he saw an 4×4 coming down. But …

    1. ONF2 doesn’t remember a biker
    2. ONF2 should have seen no less than 2(!) bikers (SM and WBM)
    3. ONF2 should have seen SAH

    Now, the ‘no cadavers’ remark also implies that ONF2 in fact saw NOTHING. Otherwise EM simply could have replied to the question with ‘ONF2 saw SAH and SM alive and kicking on route foerestiere’

    But EM didn’t. Now you could say ‘I do not believe EM’ … well, errr, yes.

    To me, and I’m stubborn on this, they (EM) are plain wrong!!

    If EM still holds on to the 15h15 – 15h40 time for MC, then this is the proof that they haven’t thought of the double visit of SAH, the SAH=X5 scenario

    In my eyes … they are wrong! They haven’t discovered the ‘SAH double visit’ solution

    They are still hunting for an non-existent X5, they still ignore Fillon’s 14h40 unless they adopt your turn-left-at-hairpin theory

    Btw, Lynda, I have discovered a flaw in that theory! As follows:

    – You argue that the X5 followed SAH but, due to losing sight, went up the Combe d’Ire. Correct?
    – As Fillon saw SAH at 14h40, the X5 would have passed at say 14h45
    – The X5 would have arrived 14h55 at Martinet
    – MC, preceding the X5 would have been at 14h50 at Martinet

    You probably see the problem/flaw now … the official MC time window is 15h15 – 15h40!

    So … you have to choose. Stick by your theory means dropping the 15h15 – 15h40 MC time window:)

    In other words, taking Fillon’s 14h40 as base means that the 15h15 – 15h40 MC time window is no longer valid (in both my scenario and your scenario)!!

    Do you trust Fillon? I do, and I use 14h40 as a important building block (because it is coming from an independent unpolluted very early source)

  75. @Lars

    .if. ED=MC .and. E=MC² .than. M=ED/C .and. E=EDC ,than. DC=1 (.true.)

    @Max

    I like your dreams with Brett and CS, most interesting that mine.

    Max, can you answer this question:
    – Can you tell us what is the frequentation of your blog? have you statistics that you could provide?

    Thank you Big Max.

  76. @Max

    Great, very nice.

    What is the significant of “views” vs “visitors”

    What do you think about no iraquis visitors ?

  77. @Bacchus LOL
    You know depending on what units you choose you can have C=1 (often used in books on relativity), that means, since CD=1, that also D=1, and if we use your logic interpretation that D is true. If we then look at Max’s comment above that is a sensational prediction. D is our man!
    I don’t think even Max’s oracle could do better than that. ;)

    @Max
    I see that Sweden and France are particularily red on your map. ;)

  78. Eric’s “no cadavers” remark is a bit bizarre !

    Does he mean “there were no bodies there”. Or “there was nobody there”.

    About the MC. The witness on the Col says it was a road bike with panniers. And it was 4pm.

    If he’s right with the time, was this a failed escape route ? Or another bike ?
    If he’s wrong with the time, why was the MC (assuming this is the same MC) so far from the Martinet ?

  79. James, I also found the ‘cadavres’ comment odd, it could be argued that it implied the people were there and alive, although it was more referring to the MC going through there, they followed and there were no dead, either way it isn’t clear is it ?

    Much of this depends on when WBM was overtaken by SAH (Panorama), it has to be before he says he saw the MC passing him in a downhill direction, otherwise there can be no question that the MC is JUST a witness. I’m leaning towards this being the case, the gunman was on foot.

    Cadavres = corpses/dead bodies, I’m sure you know that, good play on words though ! Nobody = personne.

    As far as I recall, none of the ONF claim to have seen SAH or WBM, I don’t think we’ve ever been told if they saw SM.

    Problem with the MC at the Col de Cherel, Maillaud has insisted that they have traced all vehicles except the MC seen around Le Martinet and the X3/X5 (dark 4×4). You need to look back at Janin’s comments about the MC he saw, listen carefully and he says he saw it go up and return.

    So, I guess two different MC, not connected, although the ‘oui, mais’ theory comes into play again.

    Max, timings aside, I just can’t envisage a reliable witness and car buff mixing up a BWM Estate and an X3/X5, the only car in the series that is lower is the X1, but much shorter than the Estate, of course he could be making it up ! He says maybe it left over the mountains to Italy, Bossy says maybe the killer escaped via Moulin, either way these people claim not to have seen a car come past them downwards.

    Something I would agree about the possibility of a double visit is that SAH had a meeting and wanted to check out where it was to take place and how long it took to get there, he then went for a drive about, taking happy snaps and returned, that scenario puts SAH firmly in line for being the target.

    I do see a possible, the X3/X5 was driven by the man who had remonstrated with Saad at Le Solitaire the day before, after his visit SAH made a burst of calls to Switzerland and SPAIN !

  80. Lynda

    Re WBM. He says he was pasted by a vehicle (I assume the ONF2) and then a little later by the motorcyclist.

    I can only assume (that word again) that this vehicle was ONF2. Although we have seen many surprises in this case AND many of the interviewers given have been “candid” to say the least.

    I would love to hear/read an account from the two chaps in the ONF2 vehicle. That would be most enlightening.

  81. @ Lynda

    I was aware of calls to Switzerland and Spain but cannot recall them being linked (as a burst) to the ‘animated discussion’ at the campsite.

    Were the calls made that evening, immediately after the discussion was over or the following morning?

    And Spain, SPAIN, rightfully capitalised!

  82. One of Saad’s friends or neighbours talked about Saad having alluded to having ‘made one mistake’. Unfortunately they did not say what that apparent mistake was.

    Does anybody have any clue as to what the mistake was?

  83. To continue to write my novel, I need to know if after the murders, BWM returned home by bicycle?

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