The past week’s biggest criminal case has dominated public attention, as prosecutors, the Interior Ministry and forensic experts briefed journalists following the deaths of six people linked to the former 'Petrohan' mountain hut and an area beneath Okolchitsa Peak.
Fatal Outcome in Unprecedented Crime: Those Sought in the “Petrohan” Case Found Dead from Gunshots
Police and Prosecutors Brief Media on 'Petrohan' Case Investigation, So Far Two Pre-Trial Proceedings Have Been Initiated
Investigators say they are working primarily on two scenarios: murder followed by suicide, or suicide.
So far, two pre-trial investigations have been launched in connection with the so-called “Petrohan” case. The first emergency call, reporting a fire and three bodies near the Petrohan hut, was received on 2 February.
Zahari Vaskov, Director of the General Directorate for Combating Organised Crime, said that immediately after the signal, teams from several Interior Ministry units were deployed to the scene. He stressed that, despite speculation, no officers from the State Agency for National Security (SANS) were present at the site.
Two pistols and a shotgun were found next to the three bodies near the hut. Autopsies on the three men have now been completed.
According to Prof Alexander Alexandrov, head of the Clinic of Forensic Medicine and Deontology, all three sustained gunshot wounds to the head. The morphology of the entry wounds indicates shots fired at point-blank or extremely close range. All injuries were located in areas accessible to the victims’ own hands. Four spent cartridges were recovered at the scene, with one of the men having been shot twice.
Kremena Ilieva, director of the National Institute of Criminology, said DNA analysis had conclusively shown that only the DNA of the deceased was present on the weapons.
For the first time, investigators also released footage from surveillance cameras around the hut that were not destroyed by the fire.
Angel Papalezov, head of the Criminal Police Department at the General Directorate of National Police: The footage shows the leader of the association saying goodbye to the three men found dead at the hut on 2 February. Shortly afterwards, a camper van is seen leaving the area.
Later recordings show only the three men who were subsequently found dead near the hut. Footage from the evening of 1 February captures flames and smoke emerging from the basement of the hut, with the three men seen setting fire to the building, which they had occupied for several years.
Fire investigators confirmed the blaze was deliberate, with no evidence of electrical faults or malfunctioning appliances.
The camper van did not travel along major roads monitored by the Road Infrastructure Agency. It was, however, captured by cameras in several villages, including Barzia, Varshets and Chelopets, before heading towards the area where the bodies were discovered. Police then searched locations commonly used by the group during cave explorations in the region.
Investigators said all electronic equipment in the camper, including mobile phones, had been switched off, preventing tracking. Relatives of the victims, as well as children, have been interviewed.
According to Papalezhov, one relative told police that in the months leading up to the incident, one of the men had spoken of severe psychological instability, despair and disappointment with their goals, the authorities and their sponsors. The relative said the man had repeatedly expressed the belief that death was the only way out.
Numerous religious symbols linked to Buddhist teachings were also found at the hut. Witnesses, including minors and their families, told investigators that practising these beliefs daily was a mandatory condition for staying there.
The investigation is still in its early stages, the Interior Ministry and the prosecutor's office explained.
Natalia Nikolova, deputy prosecutor of the Appellate Prosecutor's Office-Sofia: "We can conclude on one and the other investigation that one of the main lines of inquify we are working on is murder with the subsequent suicide and suicides."
The Ministry of Interior said there was no evidence of the presence of other individuals at either crime scene, and no drugs or weapons beyond those used in the killings were found.
Sofia district prosecutor Hristina Lulcheva added that an initial signal included allegations of abuse against a minor by a person living at the hut. However, she said these claims could not be substantiated during the investigation due to a lack of cooperation from the child’s relatives and parents.
Christina Lulcheva, Sofia District Prosecutor: "The alert contains allegations of abuse of a minor by a person who occupies the hut. During the pre-trial proceedings and the investigation, the allegations mentioned in the signal were not established due to the refusal of the relatives and parents of the minor to cooperate with the investigation."
Чуй новините
Подкаст
