In Bulgaria, an investigation is ongoing into a series of mysterious deaths of six people from a non-governmental organization. The bodies were found in a burned-out house at the Petrohan Pass and in a camper near Mount Okolchitsa. Law enforcement is considering several scenarios, including the possibility that the deaths were murders and several alternative theories about what happened. According to international media, these events have drawn significant attention to the case.
At the beginning of February, in a burned-out house near the Petrohan Pass, which connects Sofia and Montana provinces, the bodies of three men aged 45, 49 and 51 were found. Forensic experts established that they died from gunshot wounds to the head, possibly by themselves or from close range. DNA on the weapon was found to belong only to the deceased.
The search for possible suspects led investigators to the peak of Okolchitsa Mountain, about a hundred kilometers north of Sofia, where in a camper the bodies of three more people – a 51-year-old man, a 22-year-old man and a 15-year-old boy – were found. The Bulgarian Prosecutor’s Office said that according to the results of the examination, two of them were probably murdered and the third committed suicide.
The investigation found that five of the deceased were members of the non-governmental organization “National Agency for the Protection of Protected Areas” (NAKZT), which deals with protecting nature. They used the Petrohan Pass house as their headquarters, where they organized rural youth recreation camps.
“Some sources described their members as ‘forest rangers’ who patrolled the area near the Serbian border for years and helped the border police,” notes a local publication.
Authorities also suspect that the group’s activities could be linked to Tibetan Buddhism. According to a relative of one of the deceased, there was “exceptional psychological instability” within the team.
“Close relatives of the deceased said they were probably killed because they witnessed criminal activity near the Bulgarian-Serbian border, where human trafficking and illegal logging are not uncommon,” the publication adds.
The mother of one of the deceased rejected the information about “psychological instability” in the group and added: “they were obviously witnesses to something; for me this was a professionally carried-out murder.”
Former Bulgarian President Rumen Radev, who resigned in January this year, called the case a “political shock and a sign of the country’s state.”
“I will not comment on this tragedy, which must be investigated by competent authorities. The causes of these murders must be determined as quickly as possible, because the public expects answers”
– Rumen Radev
The head of the Bulgarian national police Zahari Vaskov called these deaths “an unprecedented case in the country.” General Prosecutor Borislav Sarafov compared the case to the American 1990s TV series “Twin Peaks,” noting:
“Life has given us here more shocking details than in the Twin Peaks series”
– Borislav Sarafov
Current status of the investigation
The investigation continues: investigators are examining possible links between the group and illicit activity near the border, and also considering the influence of worldview and cultural factors on the participants’ actions. State authorities continue to gather evidence and question witnesses, and international attention to this case remains.