Bulgarian authorities are investigating one of the nation’s most perplexing criminal cases after six individuals were discovered dead in the Stara Planina mountain range under circumstances that prosecutors describe as more shocking than fictional crime dramas.
The grim sequence began on February 2nd when emergency services located three male victims—aged 45, 49, and 51—near the charred remains of a mountain hut near the Petrohan pass, approximately one hour from Sofia. Forensic examination revealed all three had sustained close-range gunshot wounds without evidence of defensive injuries or struggle. Law enforcement recovered two handguns and a rifle at the scene.
Six days later on February 8th, investigators made a second discovery: a parked camper van containing three additional victims—two adult males and a 15-year-old boy—in a remote area near Mount Okolchista. All exhibited gunshot wounds consistent with shots fired inside the vehicle.
Critical evidence emerged from recovered CCTV footage showing both groups bidding farewell at the mountain hut before the three individuals who remained were recorded setting the structure ablaze. According to National Police Chief Zahari Vaskov, the two incidents are definitively connected.
Acting Prosecutor General Borislav Sarafov stunned media representatives by comparing the case’s disturbing elements to the fictional murder investigation portrayed in ‘Twin Peaks,’ noting the actual events contained even more shocking details.
While preliminary autopsy results suggest a combination of murders and suicides, the investigation has sparked intense national speculation and criticism regarding its handling. Most victims were reportedly members of a nature protection NGO, adding another layer of mystery to the tragedy.
The national police chief has characterized the incident as an ‘unprecedented crime’ without parallel in Bulgaria’s criminal history, leaving investigators and the public alike searching for explanations behind this mountain range tragedy.