• Twins complicate investigation due to identical DNA
• Identifying the shooter relies solely on non-genetic evidence

A French court is struggling to determine which twin committed a double murder, after it was confirmed that they share the same DNA, local media report.

The 33-year-old brothers are among five defendants on trial near Paris, accused of a double killing and several attempted murders in 2020.

Both are suspected of plotting the double murder together, but DNA found on the gun used in one of the later shootings could not identify which brother fired it.

A court police officer said forensic experts were unable to conclusively link either twin to the weapon.

“One only their mother can tell them apart,” one investigator told the court in Bobigny, north of Paris.

Local media reported a tense atmosphere in the courtroom, with the twins expelled after refusing to stand when the session began.

Investigators believe the twins exploited their resemblance to cover their tracks. A senior officer noted that they often swapped clothes, phones, and ID cards.

Identical twins develop from a single fertilized egg that splits during pregnancy, giving them the exact same DNA, which makes forensic identification extremely difficult.

Since genetic data could not distinguish between them, investigators relied on phone records, surveillance footage, wiretaps, and verifying their movements and whereabouts, according to the reports.

However, the key question of who fired the recovered weapon remains unanswered.

The trial continues, with a verdict expected in late February.