site.btaInterior Ministry, Prosecution Service Hold Press Conference on Petrohan Murder Case

Four cartridge cases have been seized, fired from the weapons found with the deceased near Petrohan Lodge, said National Institute of Criminalistics Director Kremena Ilieva at a joint press conference with representatives of the Interior Ministry and the prosecution service on Monday. DNA traces found on the weapons belong only to the deceased individuals, one of whom had two gunshot wounds. “We have carried out 11 forensic examinations - comprehensive, ballistic, DNA, examinations of electrical devices, and others,” Ilieva said.

Three men were found shot dead in a privately owned lodge near Petrohan Pass in the Western Balkan Range on February 2. Two men and a 15-year-old boy, all of whom had occupied the property, were later found dead with gunshot wounds in a camper van in a hard-to-reach mountain area on February 8.

So far, the National Institute of Forensic Science and the Clinic of Forensic Medicine with the Alexander University Hospital have been ordered to carry out 18 forensic expert examinations, and 15 witnesses, including minors and victims' friends and relatives, have been questioned, Sofia District Prosecutor Hristina Lulcheva said earlier on Monday.

Head of the Criminal Police Department at the General Directorate National Police, Angel Papalezov, said investigators established that the leader of the rangers’ organization owned property in the village of Bulgari, Burgas Region. From January 27 to 31, the three individuals who later traveled in the camper van had stayed there, carrying out construction and renovation work before heading back toward Sofia. This was confirmed by footage from the Road Infrastructure Agency cameras and witness testimony, Papalezov said.

He noted that the bodies near Petrohan were found within 24 hours of the killings, while the time of death of those found near Mount Okolchitsa is still to be determined. No illegal items or substances were discovered in the lodge.

During the briefing, footage from surveillance cameras around the lodge was shown. Papalezov explained that some cameras recorded footage on their own memory cards, which are currently being examined, while data from other cameras was destroyed in the fire at the lodge.

Chronologically, the first recording is from around 10 a.m. on February 1, showing the leader of the organization bidding farewell to the three individuals who were found dead in front of the lodge the following day. He then departed with others, Papalezhov said.

The next recording, from 4:20 p.m. the same day, shows the three individuals who remained at the lodge standing outside with a dog. One of them says it was an honor, and the others reply that it was an honor for them as well.

The third recording, from 8:40 p.m. that evening, shows the three individuals setting the lodge on fire.

Papalezhov added that after the organization’s leader left the lodge on February 1, private camera footage showed him passing through the village of Barzia in Montana Region at 11:14 a.m., then being recorded at the exit of Varshets, later at the turnoff to the village of Stoyanovo, then in Beli Izvor, and subsequently entering Vratsa. At 12:41 p.m., he was recorded in the village of Chelopek, leaving Vratsa toward Mount Okolchitsa.

Dozens of witnesses have been questioned in the case, Papalezov said. A very close relative of one of the individuals who stayed at the lodge shared that over the past one to two months there had been signs of psychological instability within the organization related to its activities. The group had been struggling, facing problems with state authorities and sponsors, and no longer saw a reason to continue. According to the testimony, they had discussed death as a way out.

Responding to a question from the Bulgarian News Agency regarding the organization’s activities, Papalezov said its members protected wildlife in protected areas, assisted Border Police in forest patrols and search operations, and last year helped identify the perpetrator of a murder in the area. They had also supported the work of state institutions, he added.

Regarding the group’s religious beliefs, symbols of Tibetan Buddhism were visible at the lodge. It was mandatory for all individuals staying there to perform religious practices for several hours a day, Papalezov said.