After gun found in lake, French police probe link to 2012 Iraqi family murder

The recent discovery of a gun in a lake in eastern France could help solve the mysterious murder of an Iraqi-British family after nearly 15 years, according to French authorities. 

The case of the al-Hilli family has confounded investigators for years, and no perpetrator has been identified in the 2012 killings. 

What happened: British tourists discovered a Luger, a type of German pistol, while swimming in Lake Annecy in the French Alps on Aug. 20, the French magazine Marianne first reported on Monday. French police are now examining the firearm, which they say bears similarities to the weapon they believe was used in the 2012 murder, Agence France-Presse reported. 

Iraqi-born British engineer Saad al-Hilli; his wife, Iqbal al-Hilli; Iqbal’s mother, Suhaila al-Allaf; and French cyclist Sylvain Mollier were found dead on a mountain road in 2012 near the Alpine town of Chevaline in eastern France, located just south of Lake Annecy. Mollier was believed to have been riding in the vicinity of the crime and the family was found in their vehicle. All four were shot in the head.