The 'Petrohan' Tragedy: Investigators Point to Three Suicides at the Lodge, and a Double Murder Followed by Suicide near Okolchitsa

Three suicides at Petrohan lodge and two murders followed by a suicide near Okolchitsa Peak are the leading lines of inquiry at this stage, based on the evidence gathered and expert examinations conducted into the “Petrohan” tragedy.

"Petrohan' Case: Ministry of Interior Report Reveals Alerts Filed Aganst Ivaylo Kalushev's NGO

This became clear during a joint briefing by the Prosecutor's Office and the Ministry of Interior at the General Directorate for National Police on February 18. Additional CCTV footage from the mountain lodge was presented, indicating that no individuals other than Plamen, Decho and Ivaylo were present there on the fatal night.

Prosecutors said they were still assembling the pieces of the puzzle, describing the Petrohan tragedy as a complex and grave case. Interior Ministry teams are working on all possible scenarios, including murder and incitement to suicide. Motives for the brutal crime remain unclear at this stage.

Investigators stated that the three bodies found at the Petrohan lodge point to suicide. Cameras positioned around the building recorded only the three individuals later found dead — Decho, Plamen and Ivaylo.

At the camper van near Okolchitsa, where Kalushev was discovered together with two other "forest rangers", investigators believe the case involves murder followed by suicide. Phenobarbital, a sedative medication, was detected in Kalushev’s blood.

It also emerged today that Deyan Iliev has so far been interviewed twice. He refused to hand over his mobile phone to investigators, after which the device was seized by the Ministry of Interior. Officials confirmed that Iliev has since left the country.

The prosecution stated that, at present, he has not been formally charged in the investigation.

Checks are also under way at two district police departments into how the group obtained permits for the weapons in their possession.

Natalia Nikolova, deputy prosecutor at the Sofia Appellate Prosecutor’s Office, said:
“Some of the evidence gathered so far genuinely contradicts our value system and accepted norms of human relations, and parts of it are shocking. I fully understand that many people find it difficult to accept. Personally, I have not dealt with a case this complex before. In Petrohan, we are dealing with suicide; in Okolchitsa, with murders followed by suicide — those are the facts. We continue to clarify the details.”

Angel Papalezev, head of the Criminal Police Department, added:
“In the distance, you can see Ivaylo, Decho and Plamen, who meet him at the barrier and kneel, performing some form of bows. You can see that all recordings carry a date and time stamp and are in real time; the timestamps correspond to the recording time. From our review of all cameras, it is clear that only the three individuals visible in the footage were inside the lodge. This is their next appearance before this camera, and you will be able to hear everything in a sequence of video clips.”