Justin Tallis/AFP/Getty
World News
07.09.14
Alps Murder Twist: Iraqi Wife Had Secret American Ex-Husband Who Died on the Same Day
Coincidence
or foul play? In a shocking twist to the triple murder that left two
Iraqi girls orphaned, French investigators have revealed a suspicious
death that may provide new leads.
On September 5, 2012, Iqbal Al-Hilli, 47, her husband Saad, 50, her mother Suhaila al-Allaf, 74, and French cyclist Sylvain Mollier, 45, were all killed with multiple gunshot wounds, including two finishing shots —a classic double tap —into each person’s forehead. The Al-Hilli family were all shot while they were inside their idling BMW station wagon, which was parked in a clearing along a lonely mining road. Mollier was shot outside the car by the driver’s side door. The family’s seven-year-old daughter, Zaeinab, was found alive outside the car, having been pistol-whipped and shot in the shoulder. Their other daughter, four-year-old Zeena, was found eight hours after the murder, hiding under her dead mother’s corpse in the backseat. Meanwhile, in Mississippi, James Thompson, 60 —who had previously been married to Iqbal —died of an apparent heart attack just hours after the French quadruple murders.
The case has perplexed investigators from day one. British and French detectives have chased multiple leads including whether Mr. Al-Hilli was an Iraqi money smuggler for Sadaam Hussein, or whether Mollier’s work as a zirconium specialist at a nuclear fuel-development company played a role in the quadruple homicide.
Three arrests have been made, including Mr. Al-Hilli’s brother, who was thought to be in an inheritance dispute with the dead man, but all suspects were released due to lack of evidence. Witnesses also reported seeing a man on a motorcycle with a rare helmet in the area shortly before the bodies were discovered. A man fitting the description was detained, but later let go. There were also reports that a strangely dressed man visited the Al-Hilli family at their campground the day before they were murdered, and that Mr. Al-Hilli took a trip to Geneva, Switzerland, apparently to check on a secret Swiss bank account. None of the leads have been fruitful.Investigators are focused on the so-called secret life of Iqbal Al-Hilli, who apparently kept her first marriage hidden from her second husband.
Now investigators are focused on the so-called secret life of Iqbal Al-Hilli, who apparently kept her first marriage hidden from her second husband. According to police records, Thompson, an American Harley Davidson enthusiast and dentist, married Iqbal when she was a dental student in the United States in 1999 so she could obtain a green card to stay and work in the United States. The two reportedly shared a home, but not a bedroom, and Iqbal used the name Kelly among their freinds, according to media reports. After the minimum required time, they divorced and Iqbal moved to the United Kingdom. She met Saad a few years later and the two were married in 2003 after a three-month courtship.
The head of the French investigative team, Lieutenant-Colonel Benoit Vinnemann, told reporters in France that they were now focusing on Iqbal and her very secret life. “We have found out some surprising things about Iqbal al-Hilli and we still have received no explanation on certain questions,” he said.
In the United States, the FBI apparently requested to have Thompson’s body exhumed in early 2013 to verify his cause of death. At the time, his family, who had harbored the secret of the marriage of convenience, declined, stating that they didn’t want to get involved. Now, Thompson’s family said they may concede and allow the body to be exhumed to see if he really did die of a heart attack. Thompson’s daughter, Joy Martinolich, told The Daily Mail that her family always secretly suspected foul play. “If you wanted to kill somebody and get away with it you would do something that people would accept like a heart attack,” Martinolich told the British paper. “They would accept he was a bit overweight, that he had stress issues, he was pushing 60. It’s possible.”
Meanwhile back in France, investigators are hoping the latest lead points them in the right direction to finally find out just who killed the Al-Hill family and the French cyclist, and, more importantly, why.
How we can stop children from sexually abusing other children
The list grows longer daily. Priests and
politicians, childhood idols and television stars. Child abusers. Today,
there was further evidence that there is no stereotype abuser, no easy
e-fit to signal the danger to children – because today we are reminded
that children sexually abuse children too.
8,000 children under the age of 18 have been accused of sexually
abusing another child over the past two years, offences including
serious sexual assault and rape.
The figures come as no surprise to Evelyn, a grandmother from the north west (we’re not using her real name). Her granddaughter was abused from the age of two for two years – her abuser, just a child himself, a boy known to the family who was just 13 years old.
Softly spoken and clearly keen to remain composed , Evelyn’s account of her granddaughter’s abuse is painfully graphic. The consequences have been immense not just for the little girl but for her whole family, something she wishes the abuser, whatever his young age, should understand.
“He’s got to learn that what happens to the child he’s abused doesn’t mean he’s just abused a body, he’s totally destroyed a mind, a family.”
Evelyn says her granddaughter became almost mute , then at turns angry and aggressive. For years she’s been plagued by nightmares, soiling herself in the street if she’d see someone who reminded her of the abuser.
But while Evelyn has raged against the boy and his family, she is desperate that he gets help.
“I got really angry – more angry that they tried to hide it and nothing’s been done for the boy as far as we know,” she told me. “He’s going to go on doing it because he’s not learnt that it’s wrong. ”
But she says there is hope – and the earlier the intervention, the better the chance that children can change course.
Of course that means children being referred to such a project in the first place – and that only happens if they’re caught or a parent or carer is brave enough to pick up the phone and seek help for their child.
Evelyn says she prays people will take that first step if they have any doubts about their child’s behaviour. Preventing other children becoming a victim like her granddaughter, depends on it.
Follow @JackieLongc4 on Twitter
The figures come as no surprise to Evelyn, a grandmother from the north west (we’re not using her real name). Her granddaughter was abused from the age of two for two years – her abuser, just a child himself, a boy known to the family who was just 13 years old.
Softly spoken and clearly keen to remain composed , Evelyn’s account of her granddaughter’s abuse is painfully graphic. The consequences have been immense not just for the little girl but for her whole family, something she wishes the abuser, whatever his young age, should understand.
“He’s got to learn that what happens to the child he’s abused doesn’t mean he’s just abused a body, he’s totally destroyed a mind, a family.”
Evelyn says her granddaughter became almost mute , then at turns angry and aggressive. For years she’s been plagued by nightmares, soiling herself in the street if she’d see someone who reminded her of the abuser.
But while Evelyn has raged against the boy and his family, she is desperate that he gets help.
“I got really angry – more angry that they tried to hide it and nothing’s been done for the boy as far as we know,” she told me. “He’s going to go on doing it because he’s not learnt that it’s wrong. ”
But she says there is hope – and the earlier the intervention, the better the chance that children can change course.
Of course that means children being referred to such a project in the first place – and that only happens if they’re caught or a parent or carer is brave enough to pick up the phone and seek help for their child.
Evelyn says she prays people will take that first step if they have any doubts about their child’s behaviour. Preventing other children becoming a victim like her granddaughter, depends on it.
Follow @JackieLongc4 on Twitter
How we can stop children from sexually abusing other children
The list grows longer daily. Priests and
politicians, childhood idols and television stars. Child abusers. Today,
there was further evidence that there is no stereotype abuser, no easy
e-fit to signal the danger to children – because today we are reminded
that children sexually abuse children too.
- See more at:
http://blogs.channel4.com/jackie-long-on-social-affairs/stop-children-sexually-abuse-children/1276#sthash.r3QtZrsl.dpuf
8,000
children under the age of 18 have been accused of sexually abusing
another child over the past two years, offences including serious sexual
assault and rape.
The figures come as no surprise to Evelyn, a grandmother from the north west (we’re not using her real name). Her granddaughter was abused from the age of two for two years – her abuser, just a child himself, a boy known to the family who was just 13 years old.
Softly spoken and clearly keen to remain composed , Evelyn’s account of her granddaughter’s abuse is painfully graphic. The consequences have been immense not just for the little girl but for her whole family, something she wishes the abuser, whatever his young age, should understand.
“He’s got to learn that what happens to the child he’s abused doesn’t mean he’s just abused a body, he’s totally destroyed a mind, a family.”
Evelyn says her granddaughter became almost mute , then at turns angry and aggressive. For years she’s been plagued by nightmares, soiling herself in the street if she’d see someone who reminded her of the abuser.
But while Evelyn has raged against the boy and his family, she is desperate that he gets help.
“I got really angry – more angry that they tried to hide it and nothing’s been done for the boy as far as we know,” she told me. “He’s going to go on doing it because he’s not learnt that it’s wrong. ”
But she says there is hope – and the earlier the intervention, the better the chance that children can change course.
Of course that means children being referred to such a project in the first place – and that only happens if they’re caught or a parent or carer is brave enough to pick up the phone and seek help for their child.
Evelyn says she prays people will take that first step if they have any doubts about their child’s behaviour. Preventing other children becoming a victim like her granddaughter, depends on it.
Follow @JackieLongc4 on Twitter
- See more at: http://blogs.channel4.com/jackie-long-on-social-affairs/stop-children-sexually-abuse-children/1276#sthash.r3QtZrsl.dpuf
The figures come as no surprise to Evelyn, a grandmother from the north west (we’re not using her real name). Her granddaughter was abused from the age of two for two years – her abuser, just a child himself, a boy known to the family who was just 13 years old.
Softly spoken and clearly keen to remain composed , Evelyn’s account of her granddaughter’s abuse is painfully graphic. The consequences have been immense not just for the little girl but for her whole family, something she wishes the abuser, whatever his young age, should understand.
“He’s got to learn that what happens to the child he’s abused doesn’t mean he’s just abused a body, he’s totally destroyed a mind, a family.”
Evelyn says her granddaughter became almost mute , then at turns angry and aggressive. For years she’s been plagued by nightmares, soiling herself in the street if she’d see someone who reminded her of the abuser.
But while Evelyn has raged against the boy and his family, she is desperate that he gets help.
“I got really angry – more angry that they tried to hide it and nothing’s been done for the boy as far as we know,” she told me. “He’s going to go on doing it because he’s not learnt that it’s wrong. ”
But she says there is hope – and the earlier the intervention, the better the chance that children can change course.
Of course that means children being referred to such a project in the first place – and that only happens if they’re caught or a parent or carer is brave enough to pick up the phone and seek help for their child.
Evelyn says she prays people will take that first step if they have any doubts about their child’s behaviour. Preventing other children becoming a victim like her granddaughter, depends on it.
Follow @JackieLongc4 on Twitter
- See more at: http://blogs.channel4.com/jackie-long-on-social-affairs/stop-children-sexually-abuse-children/1276#sthash.r3QtZrsl.dpuf
How we can stop children from sexually abusing other children
The list grows longer daily. Priests and
politicians, childhood idols and television stars. Child abusers. Today,
there was further evidence that there is no stereotype abuser, no easy
e-fit to signal the danger to children – because today we are reminded
that children sexually abuse children too.
8,000 children under the age of 18 have been accused of sexually
abusing another child over the past two years, offences including
serious sexual assault and rape.
The figures come as no surprise to Evelyn, a grandmother from the north west (we’re not using her real name). Her granddaughter was abused from the age of two for two years – her abuser, just a child himself, a boy known to the family who was just 13 years old.
Softly spoken and clearly keen to remain composed , Evelyn’s account of her granddaughter’s abuse is painfully graphic. The consequences have been immense not just for the little girl but for her whole family, something she wishes the abuser, whatever his young age, should understand.
“He’s got to learn that what happens to the child he’s abused doesn’t mean he’s just abused a body, he’s totally destroyed a mind, a family.”
Evelyn says her granddaughter became almost mute , then at turns angry and aggressive. For years she’s been plagued by nightmares, soiling herself in the street if she’d see someone who reminded her of the abuser.
But while Evelyn has raged against the boy and his family, she is desperate that he gets help.
“I got really angry – more angry that they tried to hide it and nothing’s been done for the boy as far as we know,” she told me. “He’s going to go on doing it because he’s not learnt that it’s wrong. ”
But she says there is hope – and the earlier the intervention, the better the chance that children can change course.
Of course that means children being referred to such a project in the first place – and that only happens if they’re caught or a parent or carer is brave enough to pick up the phone and seek help for their child.
Evelyn says she prays people will take that first step if they have any doubts about their child’s behaviour. Preventing other children becoming a victim like her granddaughter, depends on it.
Follow @JackieLongc4 on Twitter
The figures come as no surprise to Evelyn, a grandmother from the north west (we’re not using her real name). Her granddaughter was abused from the age of two for two years – her abuser, just a child himself, a boy known to the family who was just 13 years old.
Softly spoken and clearly keen to remain composed , Evelyn’s account of her granddaughter’s abuse is painfully graphic. The consequences have been immense not just for the little girl but for her whole family, something she wishes the abuser, whatever his young age, should understand.
“He’s got to learn that what happens to the child he’s abused doesn’t mean he’s just abused a body, he’s totally destroyed a mind, a family.”
Evelyn says her granddaughter became almost mute , then at turns angry and aggressive. For years she’s been plagued by nightmares, soiling herself in the street if she’d see someone who reminded her of the abuser.
But while Evelyn has raged against the boy and his family, she is desperate that he gets help.
“I got really angry – more angry that they tried to hide it and nothing’s been done for the boy as far as we know,” she told me. “He’s going to go on doing it because he’s not learnt that it’s wrong. ”
But she says there is hope – and the earlier the intervention, the better the chance that children can change course.
Of course that means children being referred to such a project in the first place – and that only happens if they’re caught or a parent or carer is brave enough to pick up the phone and seek help for their child.
Evelyn says she prays people will take that first step if they have any doubts about their child’s behaviour. Preventing other children becoming a victim like her granddaughter, depends on it.
Follow @JackieLongc4 on Twitter
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