Six Dead in Bulgaria's Mountains — and a Nation's Trust in Its Institutions Dies With Them

Six bodies. Two crime scenes eighty kilometers apart. A burned-out mountain lodge near the Serbian border and a campervan on a remote peak in western Bulgaria. For more than two weeks, the case that Bulgarian media have dubbed 'the country's Twin Peaks' has consumed the national conversation — and exposed, with uncomfortable clarity, why so few Bulgarians trust the institutions charged with keeping them safe Bulgaria: How six deaths fueled distrust in the authoritiesdw.com·SecondarySix bodies, one mountain lodge set ablaze and many unanswered questions. For over two weeks now, the news cycle in Bulgaria has been dominated by what the authorities there have described as a criminal case "like no other in the country's history." On February 2, three men were found dead next to a partially burned-out lodge near the Petrohan Pass close to the Serbian border in western Bulgaria..

The basic facts, as confirmed by prosecutors and police on February 18, are these: on the night of February 1, three men — Ivaylo Ivanov, 49, Detcho Vassilev, 45, and Plamen Statev, 51 — died of gunshot wounds to the head at point-blank range inside a privately owned lodge near the Petrohan Pass in northwestern Bulgaria . All three were members of the National Protected Areas Control Agency, or NACPT, a non-governmental organization that patrolled the mountains of western Bulgaria to combat poaching, illegal logging, and human trafficking Bulgaria: How six deaths fueled distrust in the authoritiesdw.com·SecondarySix bodies, one mountain lodge set ablaze and many unanswered questions. For over two weeks now, the news cycle in Bulgaria has been dominated by what the authorities there have described as a criminal case "like no other in the country's history." On February 2, three men were found dead next to a partially burned-out lodge near the Petrohan Pass close to the Serbian border in western Bulgaria..

Six days later, on February 8, the bodies of three more men were discovered in a campervan at Okoltchica Peak, roughly 80 kilometers away. Among them was Ivaylo Kalushev, 51, the lodge's owner and the NACPT's founder — a speleologist, ranger, and self-described Buddhist spiritual teacher who had worked in both Bulgaria and Mexico. The other two were Nikolay Zlatkov, 22, and 15-year-old Alexander Makulev Bulgaria: How six deaths fueled distrust in the authoritiesdw.com·SecondarySix bodies, one mountain lodge set ablaze and many unanswered questions. For over two weeks now, the news cycle in Bulgaria has been dominated by what the authorities there have described as a criminal case "like no other in the country's history." On February 2, three men were found dead next to a partially burned-out lodge near the Petrohan Pass close to the Serbian border in western Bulgaria..

Prosecutors now say the evidence points to suicide at the Petrohan lodge and murder followed by suicide at Okoltchica. Deputy Appellate Prosecutor Natalia Nikolova confirmed on February 18 that no other individuals were present at the lodge on the night of the first three deaths, pushing back against speculation about outside involvement Bulgaria: How two crimes fueled distrust in the authoritiesdw.com·SecondarySix bodies, one mountain lodge set ablaze and many unanswered questions. For over two weeks now, the news cycle in Bulgaria has been dominated by what the authorities there have described as a criminal case "like no other in the country's history." On February 2, three men were found dead next to a partially burned-out lodge near the Petrohan Pass close to the Serbian border in western Bulgaria.. But the official narrative has done little to quell public suspicion — in part because the authorities themselves helped ignite it.

Within hours of the first discovery, acting Chief Prosecutor Borislav Sarafov appeared before cameras and described the NACPT's activities as 'unholy.' When a journalist suggested the situation resembled 'a sectarian network involved in pedophilia,' Sarafov replied: 'You understood that correctly.' He then compared the case to the television series Twin Peaks Bulgaria: How six deaths fueled distrust in the authoritiesdw.com·SecondarySix bodies, one mountain lodge set ablaze and many unanswered questions. For over two weeks now, the news cycle in Bulgaria has been dominated by what the authorities there have described as a criminal case "like no other in the country's history." On February 2, three men were found dead next to a partially burned-out lodge near the Petrohan Pass close to the Serbian border in western Bulgaria.. None of these characterizations were immediately supported by evidence, and they opened a floodgate of speculation — ranging from claims of a paramilitary group to a Buddhist cult engaged in child abuse.

The speculation was not entirely without basis. Following Kalushev's death, a 31-year-old man who had been under his tutelage as a teenager came forward in an interview with investigative outlet bird.bg. He alleged that Kalushev had sexually exploited him during hypnotherapy sessions starting when he was 14 or 15, continuing for four years. He described Kalushev's group as 'definitely a sect' Bulgaria: How two crimes fueled distrust in the authoritiesdw.com·SecondarySix bodies, one mountain lodge set ablaze and many unanswered questions. For over two weeks now, the news cycle in Bulgaria has been dominated by what the authorities there have described as a criminal case "like no other in the country's history." On February 2, three men were found dead next to a partially burned-out lodge near the Petrohan Pass close to the Serbian border in western Bulgaria.. The man also claimed he had warned the family of a then-10-year-old boy he encountered with Kalushev — a boy he believes grew up to be the 22-year-old Nikolay Zlatkov, who died alongside Kalushev in the campervan.

Kalushev's mother, however, has publicly accused her son's former follower of lying. In a separate interview with the YouTube channel Dneven red, she acknowledged giving Kalushev, whom she called a 'spiritual leader,' large sums of money Bulgaria: How six deaths fueled distrust in the authoritiesdw.com·SecondarySix bodies, one mountain lodge set ablaze and many unanswered questions. For over two weeks now, the news cycle in Bulgaria has been dominated by what the authorities there have described as a criminal case "like no other in the country's history." On February 2, three men were found dead next to a partially burned-out lodge near the Petrohan Pass close to the Serbian border in western Bulgaria.. The contradictions have only deepened the public's sense that the truth remains elusive.

What has emerged more clearly is a pattern of institutional failure. The NACPT was reported to Bulgarian authorities at least four times over the past four years. At least one report included accusations of sexual misconduct by Kalushev. No detailed investigation was ever carried out . In 2024, grandparents of an eight-year-old boy filed a complaint with the State Agency for Child Protection about Kalushev's 'youth rangers' program. The probe was dropped Bulgaria: How two crimes fueled distrust in the authoritiesdw.com·SecondarySix bodies, one mountain lodge set ablaze and many unanswered questions. For over two weeks now, the news cycle in Bulgaria has been dominated by what the authorities there have described as a criminal case "like no other in the country's history." On February 2, three men were found dead next to a partially burned-out lodge near the Petrohan Pass close to the Serbian border in western Bulgaria.. More troublingly, accounts from people close to Kalushev suggest that information about the complaints was leaked back to him, raising the possibility of a source within the authorities themselves Bulgaria: How six deaths fueled distrust in the authoritiesdw.com·SecondarySix bodies, one mountain lodge set ablaze and many unanswered questions. For over two weeks now, the news cycle in Bulgaria has been dominated by what the authorities there have described as a criminal case "like no other in the country's history." On February 2, three men were found dead next to a partially burned-out lodge near the Petrohan Pass close to the Serbian border in western Bulgaria..

The head of Bulgaria's criminal police, Zachary Vaskov, has confirmed that law enforcement previously cooperated with Kalushev and his organization in their mountain patrols. The Environment Ministry signed a non-binding memorandum with the NACPT during the tenure of the opposition alliance PP-DB — a fact that governing parties have eagerly weaponized as Bulgaria heads toward what will be its eighth snap election in just five years, expected in April Bulgaria: How six deaths fueled distrust in the authoritiesdw.com·SecondarySix bodies, one mountain lodge set ablaze and many unanswered questions. For over two weeks now, the news cycle in Bulgaria has been dominated by what the authorities there have described as a criminal case "like no other in the country's history." On February 2, three men were found dead next to a partially burned-out lodge near the Petrohan Pass close to the Serbian border in western Bulgaria..

This political instrumentalization, critics argue, has shifted the debate away from the questions that matter most. Could the killings have been prevented if authorities had acted on the earlier reports? What was the full nature of the relationship between law enforcement and Kalushev's organization? And what actually drove six people to their deaths on a frozen mountainside?

'From an institutional point of view, this is a symbol of how such cases can be used for purposes other than those of a criminal proceeding, including for denigrating political opponents,' Andrey Yankulov, a lawyer and former prosecutor now with the Anti-Corruption Fund, told Deutsche Welle Bulgaria: How six deaths fueled distrust in the authoritiesdw.com·SecondarySix bodies, one mountain lodge set ablaze and many unanswered questions. For over two weeks now, the news cycle in Bulgaria has been dominated by what the authorities there have described as a criminal case "like no other in the country's history." On February 2, three men were found dead next to a partially burned-out lodge near the Petrohan Pass close to the Serbian border in western Bulgaria.. Yankulov traces the public's distrust to years of prosecutorial statements that were never backed up by court convictions — a pattern widely attributed to political influence over Bulgaria's judiciary.

The numbers bear out the skepticism. Acting Chief Prosecutor Sarafov's approval rating stood at just 4 percent in December, according to polling by Alpha Research Bulgaria: How six deaths fueled distrust in the authoritiesdw.com·SecondarySix bodies, one mountain lodge set ablaze and many unanswered questions. For over two weeks now, the news cycle in Bulgaria has been dominated by what the authorities there have described as a criminal case "like no other in the country's history." On February 2, three men were found dead next to a partially burned-out lodge near the Petrohan Pass close to the Serbian border in western Bulgaria.. Bulgaria, alongside Hungary, ranks as the most corrupt EU member state in Transparency International's Corruption Perceptions Index Bulgaria: How six deaths fueled distrust in the authoritiesdw.com·SecondarySix bodies, one mountain lodge set ablaze and many unanswered questions. For over two weeks now, the news cycle in Bulgaria has been dominated by what the authorities there have described as a criminal case "like no other in the country's history." On February 2, three men were found dead next to a partially burned-out lodge near the Petrohan Pass close to the Serbian border in western Bulgaria.. The country has been unable to form a stable government since 2021, cycling through caretaker administrations and coalition collapses that have left institutions hollowed out and the public exhausted.

Media coverage has added its own layer of confusion. Georgi Marchev, a journalist and media trainer, told DW that the chief prosecutor's initial statements 'facilitated the spread of conspiracy theories because they encouraged journalists and the public to read between the lines' Bulgaria: How six deaths fueled distrust in the authoritiesdw.com·SecondarySix bodies, one mountain lodge set ablaze and many unanswered questions. For over two weeks now, the news cycle in Bulgaria has been dominated by what the authorities there have described as a criminal case "like no other in the country's history." On February 2, three men were found dead next to a partially burned-out lodge near the Petrohan Pass close to the Serbian border in western Bulgaria.. Contradictory official statements about evidence — including discrepancies over the number of shell casings found at the first crime scene — have fed theories ranging from drug trafficking involvement to state complicity in the killings Bulgaria: How six deaths fueled distrust in the authoritiesdw.com·SecondarySix bodies, one mountain lodge set ablaze and many unanswered questions. For over two weeks now, the news cycle in Bulgaria has been dominated by what the authorities there have described as a criminal case "like no other in the country's history." On February 2, three men were found dead next to a partially burned-out lodge near the Petrohan Pass close to the Serbian border in western Bulgaria..

For Bulgaria's reformist camp, the Petrohan case crystallizes a broader malaise. The country joined the EU in 2007 with the promise of institutional modernization, but nearly two decades later, the judiciary remains under scrutiny, political instability is the norm, and public faith in law enforcement is vanishingly thin. The April elections offer yet another chance to break the cycle — and yet another opportunity for it to continue.

'When institutional independence becomes a reality, the prerequisites may exist for society to trust what the institutions say,' Yankulov told DW. He added, with a note of caution that captures the national mood: 'I hope the connection between institutions and society has not been broken' Bulgaria: How six deaths fueled distrust in the authoritiesdw.com·SecondarySix bodies, one mountain lodge set ablaze and many unanswered questions. For over two weeks now, the news cycle in Bulgaria has been dominated by what the authorities there have described as a criminal case "like no other in the country's history." On February 2, three men were found dead next to a partially burned-out lodge near the Petrohan Pass close to the Serbian border in western Bulgaria..

The prosecution says it continues to investigate Kalushev's activities both in Bulgaria and Mexico. Whether the results will satisfy a public long accustomed to official narratives that dissolve under scrutiny remains the open question at the heart of Bulgaria's most unsettling case in years.