The three victims found in the “Petrohan“ hut are friends and live there almost year-round. They are Decho V., 45, Ivaylo I., 49, and Plamen St., 51, reports bTV.
Their acquaintances claim that the men are mountaineers and cavers. They have been living in the hut for several years.
According to unconfirmed information, Ivaylo is the main tenant. However, the building does not belong to him, but to another acquaintance of theirs, who is also called Ivaylo. It is known that he lived abroad for many years.
It is clear from those close to the investigation that his mother received a message 3-4 days ago that her son would not be among the living. Since then, she has had no contact with him. One of the assumptions of the investigators yesterday was that he would be one of the victims. Since he also spent a lot of time in the hut and the mountain. However, he is not among the three victims.
According to initial information, the victims are part of the first Bulgarian Ranger Service. It has existed since 2020 and their organization is called the National Agency for Control of Protected Areas (NAKZT). It was established as a public benefit association based on the model of established world ranger structures.
The organization is a full member of the EUROPARC Federation and the World and European Ranger Federations (IRF and ERF) and since 2022 has had an agreement with the Ministry of Environment and Water for cooperation in the field of control and protection of protected areas in Bulgaria.
The agency works in close cooperation with European and foreign institutions and organizations and owns the first of its kind fully equipped high-mountain ranger training base in the Petrohan area, Western Stara Planina. According to their data, significant successes have been achieved in the protection of the "Western Stara Planina and Foreland" Protected Area, and in the areas of operation of the mountain patrols and rangers from the base, the problems with poaching, illegal logging and gross violations of nature conservation measures have been reduced to practically zero.
In 2022, the NACPTA launched for the first time in Bulgaria a pilot project for aerial surveillance in protected areas using highly specialized latest-generation drones allowing autonomous infrared and optical surveillance from stationary and mobile command centers of vast areas from high altitude. As of September 2022, daily aerial surveillance of an area of 700 sq. km is being carried out from the base of the Petrohan Agency.
There are several leading versions that will be worked on today, which include - from murder to ritual suicide. Data on the deceased is being collected, their acquaintances and relatives are being questioned, traffic data is being monitored, as well as recordings from security cameras and the RIA cameras.
Autopsies have been scheduled for the bodies. The three men were found with gunshot wounds to the head. Weapons were also found next to their bodies.
According to sources in the investigation, an attempt was made to set the chalet, which has been run by a private individual for years, on fire.