3 people shot dead in british registered car, near Lake Annecy in France

[RedBeret]

Unbelievable. such a beautiful and peaceful area.

here, so sad

My friend told me about this story and I wanted to cry when I heard about the four year old, can only imagine her mother shoving her down and telling her not to move truely hideous

I was in France two weeks ago and found it really racist/prejudiced, but can't imagine something like this being racially motivated, who can shoot people in front of their children?

This story is just absolutely crazy. My DH said it sounded like something out of a Bond film!

Poor girls! And poor cyclist's family too - seems like he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time!

I have two dds the same age. This is so upsetting and dreadful. DH also thought maybe the mother had hidden the little girl and told her to keep still-maybe told the other to run? There have been a lot of terrible news stories involvong children in the past few weeks but this has upset me the most- its the thought of that little girl under her dead mother for over 8 hours...horrific.

Absolutelly horrible story! Those poor girls.

Daily telegraph is hinting as some possible family dispute. I know we will probably never know what has happened, but is so scary to think something like this can happen for no reason.

The shots in the head with doors locked surely sounds like a professional job. But I do not understand then, how could the 7 year old be out of the car and beaten?

Maybe the 7 year old wasn't in the car? The eldest woman had a Swiss passport. So sad

One of the flaws in the 'family dispute' line of inquiry is that anyone connected with the family would presumably know how many children they had. Having gone to the extreme lengths they did to leave no witnesses, they would not have missed anyone.

Poor, poor cyclist and his family. I mean, really, what are the chances of stumbling across a murder in progress like that and becoming a victim yourself? Just so random and unlucky.

The Telegraph is hardly "hinting" - it's their front page headline, and I think in very poor taste as the French (who have a different rhythm of investigation, IYSWIM) have said so little so far about their theories and lines of investigation.

Cogito That's exactly what I said to my DH earlier. Maybe they thought they had killed the 7 year old? Not sure why the 4 year old would be spared if they would batter a 7 year old!! Shocking.

Poor cyclist too, just awful

There is quite a bit being reported now. Dad was watched by special branch for a while. And the little girl has been questioned already! Poor girl. Heard her sister is out of danger now

I saw that about him being watched by Special Branch - apparently they knocked on neighbours door and asked if they could park in his driveway - yeah right

shouldnt speculate i know but i think it is weird that they arrived in the campsite on saturday - when the school the children attended went back on wednesday. They wouldnt drive all the way to France for 3/4 days surely. Were they hiding out and planning to miss start of term?

Radio 2 also mentioning an issue with the brother of the man killed and a dispute regarding ownership of a house that belonged to their father that was sold. Apparently their father died leaving them both very wealthy.

All speculation until the court case comes in really, and yes, agree with others that if it was to do with the family they would know how many people they would be looking for.

What is Special Branch?

I was that the four year old has been questioned already. The little girl's experience really makes the heart ache doesn't it? Sitting there alone and quiet, for hours and hours, tired and hungry while the police circle outside the car, a helicopter flies overhead etc. She must have felt that as long as she stays close to her mother that she'll be safe.

It is all so strange and so scary!

Why were they all inside a locked car in a beauty spot and the 7 year old out?

Why shoy adults in the head and beat the child?

Did you noticed the position of the car, it doesn't seem parked (the back weel is deep in the terrain)?

I agree that is hard to believe in the "family feud" theory. a random family relative (no matter how angry) wouldn't know how to contract a professional across borders, would they?

However, if there is any truth to it - who do you get to support the children? Poor kids, I can't believe they are still without any family support!

Lots of strange details coming out most of it contradictory, names and ages varying slightly across sources which makes me wonder how accurate the info is. Apparently the neighbour let special branch use his driveaway as part of a surveilance op (but wasn't expected have to keep this info secret as part of the deal????)

I don't know what is worse, to think that this was part of a family dispute and family members arranged for the children to witness their parents and grandmother being murdered or it was a random attack by a stranger.

So awful for everyone involved, those poor girls and the poor cyclists family, presumerably if he was on parental leave he must have a reasonably young child

Strange and scary is right. Without knowing the order of events the police can't even be sure that the cyclist wasn't the intended victim and the family innocent bystanders, and that's even assuming it wasn't a case of mistaken identity. Inheritance/property disputes aren't uncommon but rarely result in mass murder. The Iraqi connection leads to all kinds of speculation but could mean nothing at all. I think the police are scratching their heads quite honestly and that's why they've had to question that poor little girl now before she forgets.

blisterpack Special Branch

We thought that about the car! Doesn't look right the angle it's at does it?

Dd thought ( this is grim) that the young girl who was shot in the shoulder, was perhaps hit with the actual weapon,hence her skull becoming fractured. Maybe she tried to stop the attack

I suppose she will have key information. Bless her heart, what an awful time she will have when she wakes. Maybe a teacher or someone who knows those children well, will travel over in the absence of family.

It's just horrendous - those poor little girls, how can anyone recover from such an horrific experience? And the youngest, hiding under her Mother's skirts for eight hours...

Apparently carjackings and attacks by armed robbers on tourists are not unknown in that area.

I don't necessarily see a problem with speaking to the 4 year old about what happened. Maybe questioning is too strong a word, I'm sure they are just asking her about what she can remember. I'm not a pyshcologist (sp) but a 4 yo doesn't think/process like an adult and may well be happy to talk about it.

I imagine that it might be possible to glean information about the crime without directly questioning her. Prehaps an experienced child pychologist can use play theraphy to help the little girl and to get information for the police.

The little girl may well be very keen to help the police catch the evil person who did this. Maybe the seven year old will be able to help the police if she remembers anything.

I hope that they are guarding the children very securely indeed, because if the elder one was attacked as she tried to run for help, for example, so that she would not be able to help the police, then the killer will still want to stop her helping them.

It is so awful.