Representatives of the Ministry of Interior and the Prosecutor's Office on February 9 provided an update on the investigation into the so-called Petrohan case.
Fatal Outcome in Unprecedented Crime: Those Sought in the “Petrohan” Case Found Dead from Gunshots
“We are investigating a case without precedent in our country,” said Zahari Vasilev, Director of the General Directorate National Police. The investigation is still at an early stage, noted Natalia Nikolova, Deputy Appellate Prosecutor at the Sofia Appellate Prosecutor’s Office.
“We are fully aware of the need to provide the public with initial data and facts regarding the two cases. At the same time, it is crucial to stop attempts at speculation, conspiracy theories, and the dissemination of any information concerning the victims, including information presented in a negative light,” prosecutor Nikolova said.
Investigators reported that procedural and investigative actions to establish all facts and circumstances have been ongoing continuously for the past eight days.
“We are making every effort to establish the objective truth, to document it, and to document the motives behind the crime,” prosecutor Nikolova added. She confirmed that two pre-trial proceedings have so far been opened.
The first concerns the deaths of three men aged 45, 49 and 51 near a mountain hut in the Petrohan area, as well as a fire that broke out at the hut itself. On 2 February 2026, an emergency call to 112 reported that the hut was on fire and that three bodies and weapons were found in the yard. The area was immediately cordoned off, investigators were dispatched to the scene, and a pre-trial investigation for the aggravated murder of three people was launched following an initial crime scene examination.
Numerous investigative actions have been carried out and expert assessments commissioned. A large amount of evidence has been seized, including religious literature.
So far, 18 forensic examinations have been ordered, said Sofia District Prosecutor Hristina Lulcheva. Eight are technical forensic examinations of footage from seized video cameras, mobile phones, computers, hard drives and memory cards.
Three forensic medical examinations have been commissioned to establish the nature of the injuries found on the bodies and the cause of death. A fire investigation has also been ordered. Investigators are analysing data to trace the movements of the individuals involved, and court permission has been sought to access bank records.
Fifteen witnesses have been interviewed, including children, as well as relatives and close acquaintances of the victims, prosecutor Lulcheva said. Information has also been requested regarding the individuals’ activities abroad.
Zahari Vasilev stressed again that multidisciplinary teams from various Interior Ministry units were formed immediately after the Petrohan signal was received. He confirmed that no State Agency for National Security (SANS) teams were present at the scene.
Angel Papalezhov from the National Police recalled that investigators arriving at the hut found three bodies, two pistols and a rifle. It was established that, in addition to the three deceased men, three other individuals had been staying in the area.
“We identified them, as well as the vehicles they had used in recent days. As a result, teams were sent to several regional police directorates — Burgas, Gabrovo, Sofia, Montana — to carry out checks at all known addresses linked to these individuals,” he said.
Investigators established that the leader of the association involved owns a property in the village of Balgari. Field teams confirmed that the three individuals had stayed at the house there between 27 and 31 January, carried out renovation work, and then travelled towards Sofia. This was also confirmed by Road Infrastructure Agency cameras.
Papalezhov added that some of the cameras near the mountain hut were not damaged by the fire. Footage from these cameras was shown during the briefing, capturing moments shortly before the tragedy.
The investigation into the Petrohan case continues, with further forensic analyses expected to clarify how the victims were shot and the sequence of events leading to the deaths.
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