In Bulgaria, police are investigating the mysterious deaths of six members of an NGO whose bodies were found in a burned-out house on the Petrohan Pass and in a camper van near Mount Okolchitsa. The investigation has determined that two of the deaths are likely murders and is currently examining several versions of what happened.
The Guardian writes about this.
According to law enforcement, in early February, the bodies of three men, ages 45, 49, and 51, were found in a burned-out house near the Petrokhan Pass, which connects the provinces of Sofia and Montana. Forensic scientists determined that they died from gunshot wounds to the head, either self-inflicted or at close range. The DNA of only the deceased was found on the recovered weapon.
The search for those possibly involved in the deaths at Petrokhan Pass led investigators to the peak of Mount Okolchitsa, about a hundred kilometers north of Sofia, where the bodies of three more people were found in a camper van — men aged 51 and 22, and a 15-year-old boy. The Bulgarian prosecutor's office, quoted by Agence France-Presse, said that according to the results of the examination, two of them were probably murdered, and the third committed suicide.
The investigation found that the five dead were members of the non-governmental organization “National Agency for Control of Protected Areas” (NAKZT), which deals with nature conservation. They used the house on the Petrokhan Pass as their headquarters, where they organized rural recreation camps for young people.
“Some sources described their members as 'forest rangers' who for years patrolled the territory near the Serbian border and assisted the border police,” the publication notes.
Law enforcement also suggests that the group's activities may have been linked to Tibetan Buddhism. According to a relative of one of the deceased, there was “exceptional psychological instability” within the team.
“Those close to the deceased said they were likely killed because they witnessed criminal activity near the Bulgarian-Serbian border, where people smuggling and illegal logging are not uncommon,” the publication notes.
At the same time, the mother of one of the deceased denied information about “psychological instability” in the group and added: “They obviously witnessed something, for me this is a professionally committed murder.”
Former Bulgarian President Rumen Radev, who resigned in January of this year, called the case “a political shock and a sign of the state of the country.”
“I will not comment on this tragedy, which should be investigated by the competent authorities. The reasons for these murders must be clarified as soon as possible, because the public expects answers,” Radev noted.
The head of Bulgaria's national police, Zachary Vaskov, called the deaths “a case without parallel in the country.” Prosecutor General Borislav Sarafov, in turn, compared the case to the 1990s American TV series “Twin Peaks,” noting: “Life has given us more shocking details here than in the TV series “Twin Peaks.”