David Hotyat was born on 23 October 1972 in Arras, France, to a working-class family. His father was a laborer and his mother a postal worker. Growing up in Biache-Saint-Vaast in Pas-de-Calais, David was reportedly distant from his mother but very close to his father. He adopted many of his father’s hobbies, including athletics—at one point holding a cadet record in the 3,000 meters—along with fishing and a love for nature.

School did not interest Hotyat, and after finishing his education, he joined the military, where he served as a peacekeeper in the former Yugoslavia. In 1999, he and his partner Alexandra Lefèvre moved from northern France to the Alps. They eventually settled in Le Grand-Bornand, a ski resort in Haute-Savoie, in late 2001. It was there that he met Xavier Flactif, a wealthy property developer who owned multiple rental chalets, including the one rented by Hotyat.

Although outwardly friendly, Hotyat and his partner were increasingly resentful of the Flactifs. They lived in close proximity and were constantly reminded of the Flactifs’ wealth and luxury lifestyle, which stood in sharp contrast to their own. This jealousy festered over time. Reports later revealed that the Hotyat couple had even set fire to one of Flactif’s chalets under construction a year before the murders. They were also involved in burglaries around the area, suggesting that David’s descent into criminality escalated long before the deadly attack.

On 11 April 2003, David Hotyat carried out one of the most shocking crimes in recent French history—the mass murder of the entire Flactif family. His victims included Xavier Flactif (41), his partner Graziella Ortolano (36), and their three children: Sarah (10), Lætitia (9), and Grégory (7).

David entered the Flactif chalet that afternoon under the pretense of having a conversation. Armed with a .25 caliber pistol, he reportedly shot Xavier Flactif in the head—initially claiming he hadn’t expected the gun to fire. He then bludgeoned and shot the rest of the family—Graziella and their three young children—to prevent any witnesses. After the murders, he placed the bodies into Xavier’s Toyota 4x4, drove them into the nearby woods of Thônes, and burned the corpses in an attempt to destroy the evidence.

The case initially baffled investigators. The Flactif family's disappearance on 12 April 2003 was first suspected to be a planned escape or linked to financial trouble. Xavier was already under scrutiny for past fraud, and their vehicle was found abandoned at Geneva Airport, which added to the speculation. But when blood traces, a baby tooth, and a cartridge casing were found in the Flactif home, authorities opened a criminal investigation.

Suspicion soon turned to David Hotyat, especially after forensic teams found traces of DNA, and tapped phone calls revealed hostility toward the Flactifs. His partner Alexandra, who had previously worked as a cleaner for the Flactifs, and their friends Stéphane and Isabelle Haremza, were also implicated. Arrested on 16–17 September 2003, all four were charged. Hotyat confessed, leading police to the site where he had burned the bodies.

Despite retracting his confession in October 2003 and concocting an implausible story involving unknown killers, the evidence and testimonies from his accomplices made the truth undeniable. A psychological evaluation described Hotyat as emotionally detached, manipulative, and narcissistic, with a dangerous tendency to suppress emotion through violent action.

On 30 June 2006, after a three-week trial in Sevrier, the Assize Court of Haute-Savoie sentenced David Hotyat to life imprisonment, with a minimum of 22 years before parole eligibility. His accomplices received significant sentences:
Stéphane Haremza: 15 years
Alexandra Lefevre: 10 years
Isabelle Haremza: 7 years
Mickael Hotyat (David's brother): 1 year suspended sentence (for hiding one of the weapons)

David Hotyat appealed but withdrew his appeal on the first day of retrial in December 2007, accepting the original sentence. As of now, he remains incarcerated, with parole eligibility reportedly possible in 2025.

The Flactif case—known in France as la tuerie du Grand-Bornand—shocked the nation, not only for the brutality of the crime, but for its motive: a toxic mix of envy, greed, and obsession with a life Hotyat could never have.