Hopes pinned on wounded girl as Alps shooting probe stalls

ANNECY, France (AFP) - Investigators into the murders of a British family in the French Alps were pinning their hopes on a seven-year-old girl wounded in the attack, as they struggled to make headway in the case.

Prosecutor Eric Maillaud said police hoped the girl, who remains in a medically induced coma after being shot and badly beaten in the attack, would be able to finally shed some light on the mysterious murders.

"She is a key witness," he said. "We hope that she will be able to tell us what she went through, provide us with descriptions of the murderer or murderers." Prosecutors are also investigating if a family feud over money could have been the motive for Wednesday's brutal slayings. The brother of the British man slain in the attack has denied any such dispute to British police.

French police have so far failed to make much progress in the investigation into the killings.