By . Peter Allen . Witness: British cyclist Brett Martin has told police he passed a motorbike driving away from the scene a few minutes before he arrived at the layby . A mystery motorcyclist seen around the Alpine beauty spot where four people were blasted to death is now the prime suspect for the murders, it emerged today. The breakthrough in the baffling case came thanks to Brett Martin, a British cyclist who discovered the bodies close to Lake Annecy, in eastern France. The 53-year-old ex RAF serviceman has told French police that he passed a motorbike driving away from the isolated lay-by where the slaughter took place on September 5th last year. Between three and five minutes later he discovered a BMW containing the bodies of Surrey engineer Saad al-Hilli, 50, his wife Iqbal, 47, and her mother Suhaila al-Allaf, 74. Lying next to the car was the murdered French cyclist Sylvain Mollier, 45, while the al-Hilli’s daughter, seven-year-old Zainab, was stumbling around outside having been shot in the shoulder and pistol whipped. French police today confirmed that - despite numerous appeals - neither the motorcycle nor its rider has been traced. 'It passed me three, four or five minutes’ before Mr Martin arrived, the Englishman told detectives during a number of meetings. Mr . Martin said the rider was wearing a full-face helmet, possibly white, . and black clothing, and that the motorbike’s engine may have been white . with a top case on the back. The . description is similar to that of a motorbike seen around the time of . the murders on a stretch of private road at Col de Cherel, four miles . further up the mountain. A dairy farmer recalled seeing a white motorcycle with a top case and possibly with saddlebags. 'The farmer thought he [the motorcyclist] was acting suspiciously and looked lost as he stopped to check his route,’ a police source told the Sunday Times. Baffling: Police are still trying the solve the murder of Saad al-Hilli and his family in the French Alps . The source confirmed that the motorcyclist seen by Mr Martin was the 'prime suspect’ for the killings. Neither the farmer nor Martin could identify the make or model of the motorbike, nor provide further details about its rider. Murdered: Saad al-Hilli, was found dead alongside three others, including his wife and mother . Eric Maillaud, the prosecutor in the case, confirmed his appeal to the motorcyclist to 'make himself known as soon as possible’. Mr Martin had been riding his mountain bike up a steep road above the French village of Chevaline when he arrived at Le Martinet car park at about 3.30pm. As he turned the corner, he saw the small, frail figure of Zainab collapse face down in front of him and wrongly thought she was 'pranking around'. He put Zainab in the recovery position - a move which may well have saved her life - and then switched the BMW’s engine off. Mr Martin did not spot the Al-Hilli’s second daughter, four year old Zeena, who had escaped the killer by hiding under her mother’s clothing and was not found by French police until around eight hours later. Unable to get a phone signal, Martin began to cycle back down the road and met a car carrying three hitchhikers who alerted the authorities. As a routine part of their inquiry, police examined Mr Martin’s own background but found nothing to arouse suspicion. While the rider of the motorbike has been firmly established as the prime suspect, the motive for the massacre remains a mystery. Speculation has ranged from a feud within the al-Hilli family or a random shooting by a psychopath to the suggestion that Mollier was the intended target. Speculation: The rider of the motorbike has been firmly established as the prime suspect .
Biker seen driving away from the scene minutes before bodies were found .
Neither the motorcycle or rider have been traced by the French police .
The mystery rider was wearing a full-face helmet and black clothing .
By . Peter Allen . Witness: British cyclist Brett Martin has told police he passed a motorbike driving away from the scene a few minutes before he arrived at the layby . A mystery motorcyclist seen around the Alpine beauty spot where four people were blasted to death is now the prime suspect for the murders, it emerged today. The breakthrough in the baffling case came thanks to Brett Martin, a British cyclist who discovered the bodies close to Lake Annecy, in eastern France. The 53-year-old ex RAF serviceman has told French police that he passed a motorbike driving away from the isolated lay-by where the slaughter took place on September 5th last year. Between three and five minutes later he discovered a BMW containing the bodies of Surrey engineer Saad al-Hilli, 50, his wife Iqbal, 47, and her mother Suhaila al-Allaf, 74. Lying next to the car was the murdered French cyclist Sylvain Mollier, 45, while the al-Hilli’s daughter, seven-year-old Zainab, was stumbling around outside having been shot in the shoulder and pistol whipped. French police today confirmed that - despite numerous appeals - neither the motorcycle nor its rider has been traced. 'It passed me three, four or five minutes’ before Mr Martin arrived, the Englishman told detectives during a number of meetings. Mr . Martin said the rider was wearing a full-face helmet, possibly white, . and black clothing, and that the motorbike’s engine may have been white . with a top case on the back. The . description is similar to that of a motorbike seen around the time of . the murders on a stretch of private road at Col de Cherel, four miles . further up the mountain. A dairy farmer recalled seeing a white motorcycle with a top case and possibly with saddlebags. 'The farmer thought he [the motorcyclist] was acting suspiciously and looked lost as he stopped to check his route,’ a police source told the Sunday Times. Baffling: Police are still trying the solve the murder of Saad al-Hilli and his family in the French Alps . The source confirmed that the motorcyclist seen by Mr Martin was the 'prime suspect’ for the killings. Neither the farmer nor Martin could identify the make or model of the motorbike, nor provide further details about its rider. Murdered: Saad al-Hilli, was found dead alongside three others, including his wife and mother . Eric Maillaud, the prosecutor in the case, confirmed his appeal to the motorcyclist to 'make himself known as soon as possible’. Mr Martin had been riding his mountain bike up a steep road above the French village of Chevaline when he arrived at Le Martinet car park at about 3.30pm. As he turned the corner, he saw the small, frail figure of Zainab collapse face down in front of him and wrongly thought she was 'pranking around'. He put Zainab in the recovery position - a move which may well have saved her life - and then switched the BMW’s engine off. Mr Martin did not spot the Al-Hilli’s second daughter, four year old Zeena, who had escaped the killer by hiding under her mother’s clothing and was not found by French police until around eight hours later. Unable to get a phone signal, Martin began to cycle back down the road and met a car carrying three hitchhikers who alerted the authorities. As a routine part of their inquiry, police examined Mr Martin’s own background but found nothing to arouse suspicion. While the rider of the motorbike has been firmly established as the prime suspect, the motive for the massacre remains a mystery. Speculation has ranged from a feud within the al-Hilli family or a random shooting by a psychopath to the suggestion that Mollier was the intended target. Speculation: The rider of the motorbike has been firmly established as the prime suspect .
driving away from the scene a few minutes before motorcycle nor its rider has been traced. 'It rider was wearing a full-face helmet, possibly white, . and black clothing, and that the mother’s clothing and was not found by French