Kris Kremers was born on August 9, 1992, in Amersfoort (Utrecht Province, The Netherlands). Her parents were Roelie Grit and Hans Kremers. Kris was 167 cm tall with characteristic red hair. She was interested in art and studied cultural social education at the University of Utrecht. Kris was described as an extroverted, cheerful, and intelligent young woman.
Lisanne Froon was one year older than her friend. She was born on September 24, 1991, in the same town. Her parents were Diny and Peter Froon. The woman stood out from the crowd because she was 184 cm tall. This height helped with the volleyball that Lisanne trained. In passing, it is worth adding that the Dutch (both women and men) are considered the highest nation in the world. The woman graduated in Applied Psychology from Deventer. The 22-year-old was described as intelligent, empathetic, ambitious, and a bit shy.
The friends lived together in a dormitory in Amersfoort. They also worked together in the "In den Kleinen Hap" cafe. Therefore, one can risk a statement that they were practically inseparable. The young women understood each other very well and felt very good about each other. So much so that they also decided to spend their holidays together. The trip was supposed to be a kind of reward for Lisanne for graduation.
Dutch women saved the money they earned in the restaurant for several months. They figured they would go to Panama together for six weeks. They wanted to rest there, get to know a different culture, and improve their Spanish. Additionally, they planned to contribute to the local community. As part of their voluntary work, they were supposed to teach local children English.
Although the expedition seemed challenging, Kris had spent three weeks in South America (Peru) in the past, and Lisanne had mountaineering experience in the German Alps. The women took a long time to prepare for the trip and were very excited about it.
There is information everywhere that Kris and Lisanne flew to Panama on March 15, 2014. Few, however, mention that the friends first landed in Houston (Texas, USA), from where they had another flight to San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica. From there they only went to Panama. First, they spent two weeks in Bocas del Toro.
There, they enjoyed the charms of sandy beaches and sunny weather. They also had the opportunity to admire the species of animals found there, such as starfish, dolphins, and sloths. They also dived, admiring the local coral reefs and the many types of fish. In addition to the pleasure, the Dutch also spent a lot of time learning Spanish.
In Bocas del Toro they also met some friends with whom they went to bars and pubs or played cards. This group included, among others Bas, Edwin, Davis, and Chad. The women even had their favorite restaurant, which they regularly visited, and even met the local chef.
On March 29, the Dutch women arrived in Boquete, Chiriquí. There, they were to stay with a local family for a month and start the aforementioned voluntary service. However, their plans changed. It turned out that the course during which Panama children were to teach was postponed by a week. So the friends had a lot of time for themselves and wanted to use it well.
On April 1, around 11:00, the women decided to go on a tour of the area. They took with them a dog belonging to the family with which they were staying. The Dutch women wrote on Facebook that they intend to walk around Boquete. In fact, they had an early lunch there with two men of similar age. It turned out that they also came from the Netherlands.
Later, Lisanne and Kris set off on the very popular El Pianista trail. Hours passed, but there was no trace of the tourists. The family where the Dutch women lived at first thought that they were enjoying the holiday. However, the hosts became concerned as night fell. The dog came home that night without Kremers and Froon.
Parents also stopped receiving messages that both women sent to their relatives every day. It was also disturbing that the Dutch women made an appointment on April 2 with a local guide. Unfortunately, they did not show up at the previously agreed time. Interestingly, all three of them were supposed to go to the El Pianista trail. Questions arose as to why the women went there alone.
On April 6, parents Kris and Lisanne arrived in Panama with several Dutch policemen and trained tracking dogs. For ten days, searches of nearby areas were conducted in conjunction with local police and volunteers. The relatives of the missing persons offered a reward of $ 30,000 for information that would help determine what happened to their daughters.
In mid-June (sources say June 11, 13, or 14), ten weeks after her disappearance, a local woman found Lisanne's blue backpack. It took place near the village of Alto Romero, in the province of Bocas del Toro. More specifically - the backpack was discovered in a rice field on the banks of the river. Interestingly, this place was allegedly checked earlier, but the previous day none of the rice farmers had seen it. Either the backpack was overlooked or someone left it there.
Inside were two pairs of sunglasses, two bras, $83 cash, Lisanne's passport, and camera, a water bottle, two bras, and women's cell phones. All these items were in surprisingly good condition considering they had been in the middle of the jungle for 2.5 months. It should be remembered that there are extreme temperatures and humidity there.
However, the things belonging to the Dutch did not solve the mystery of their disappearance. On the contrary, there were even more question marks. The analysis of women's telephones provided a particularly large amount of information.
From the available data, something disturbing must have happened on the day of her disappearance, just a few hours after the hike began. The friends dialed 112 (the international emergency number) and 911 (the emergency number in Panama) several times. They probably did not know which of them was in force at their place of residence at that time.
The first attempt to call for help was made by Kris. The woman called from her iPhone 4 at 4:39 pm. Shortly after her, Lisanne tried her luck, and used her Samsung Galaxy S3 at 16:51. Unfortunately, neither of these connections was made due to the lack of coverage in the area.
Experts' analyzes later showed that from the place where the Dutch women were at that time, it was impossible to reach any number. The women probably realized this quickly. It is also worth adding that both friends had their phones charged within 50% at the beginning of the trip.
Froon's battery ran out quickly. The reason was that the Galaxy S3 was turned on continuously from April 2 at 4:19 pm to 7:36 am the next day. Probably Lisanne had inadvertently not turned it off before going to bed. Different sources indicate a different time when Samsung fully discharged itself. The most common date is April 4 or 5. According to the extremely detailed analysis, you will find here, it was on April 4 at around 05:00.
Therefore, tourists can use the iPhone belonging to Kremers. However, no more calls were made on Kris's telephone. Between April 5 and April 11, the iPhone was repeatedly rebooted to check coverage. It was then turned off to protect the battery from discharging. Interestingly, on April 5, when switching on, the PIN code was not entered at all or a wrong one was entered. This situation happened several more times.
For this reason, some interesting theories have emerged. One of them said that Kris, who owned the phone, had died. Lisanne didn't know her PIN, but she checked the range, hoping to save herself. Under another hypothesis, a third party came into possession of Kremers' phone. Some supporters of this scenario believe it was the murderer of European women. Even if it did, why would it check coverage? It would, however, be probable if that person was a female companion, whom, for example, they met on the trail. However, these are still only speculations and we do not know what it really was. We'll probably never find out.
It is known, however, that on April 11 the phone was turned on (again without entering the correct PIN) at 10:51 and turned off for the last time at 11:56. It is intriguing that 22% of the battery was still left at that time. It is worth adding that the phone was used last time on April 6. Why such a long break? Why wasn't it reused when there is still some battery left? Are the Dutch completely lost hope? It is also possible that both died shortly after this last attempt. Many also ask themselves - why did women not leave a note on the phone about what actually happened? Why didn't they try to text their loved ones?
It is also interesting that the attempts to check the coverage took place at very similar hours. The women, however, did not have a watch (at least you cannot see in the photos that one of them is wearing it). They could not check the time on the cell phone either, because one was unloaded and the other was turned off almost all the time.
Exactly - I mentioned the photos, which is probably the most interesting aspect of this case. The women had a camera with them and used it willingly. Thanks to his finding, the investigators found interesting information. However, the real madness began when the photos were published on the Internet. Moreover, they are still available and can be found among others at this address.
Photos from before the expedition were also discovered in the camera's memory. Of course, we are most interested in those from the trip to Panama. So let's start from the beginning of the trip. In many photos we see smiling friends swimming in the Caribbean Sea and basking in the sun on the beach. Some of the photos also show Dutch women in local restaurants and bars.
Finally, there are photos from the day of the disappearance. It can be said that these are typical photos from a vacation in an exotic country. Smiling young women in the foreground and beautiful landscapes in the background. At some point, however, the atmosphere changes. We see Kris herself in the photos, standing with her back or staring into the lens, but no longer smiling. One of the last photos of the disappearance, which I post below, is particularly peculiar.
Finally, there are photos from the day of the disappearance. It can be said that these are typical photos from a vacation in an exotic country. Smiling young women in the foreground and beautiful landscapes in the background. At some point, however, the atmosphere changes. We see Kris herself in the photos, standing with her back or staring into the lens, but no longer smiling. One of the last photos from the day of the disappearance, which I post below, is particularly peculiar.
The key to solving the puzzle seems to be the last photo taken that day at 13:54. However, the photo was deleted. The simplest solution seems to be either Kris or Lisanne. The photo could have been taken by mistake or turned out to be out of focus. Interestingly, however, it was found that no other photo was deleted. It is a gateway to all kinds of conspiracy theories.
The photo could in some way burden the possible killer and was removed by him. Some believe that the police and the authorities tried to cover up the case. If it came to light that there was a murderer of European women in Panama, tourists would be afraid to go there. Tourism, on the other hand, is an important branch of the country's economy.
The strangest, however, is still ahead of us. The camera was not used until April 8. On that day, between 1 and 4 am, as many as ninety pictures were taken. On the camera, almost all of them looked completely black and there seemed to be nothing on them. However, when we managed to brighten them, it turned out that they contained shots of the night sky or bushes and trees. You can also see bright points that might seem like stars at first glance. However, they were probably drops of rain falling at that time.
The question you have to ask is why did women take so many photos in total darkness in the middle of the Panama jungle? The most frequent and most sensible theory is that they tried to summon help this way. The flashlight could be seen by search teams and thus locate the place where the friends were.
It is worth noting here that on April 8, the parents of the missing persons were already in Panama. As I mentioned, they, together with the Dutch police, searched for their daughters. So it is possible that the European women heard the members of the team, and maybe even their parents. According to another hypothesis, women used cameras to signal the planes flying over them. Regardless of the reality, they had little chance of success.
It was established that at night in a dense jungle the camera light could be visible from a distance of up to several meters. So the search team would have to be extremely close. On the other hand, the passengers or the car crew were not able to perceive these signals. If Froon and Kremers did have such a plan, unfortunately, it failed. The women were not found that night, but much later. This, however, will be discussed later.
Now let's move on to those few unusual photos that actually make this whole puzzling thing even weirder. The first one resembles dozens of others made that night. We see, however, not the sky obscured by tree branches, but a fragment of the slope. There were many voices that a human figure was visible in the bushes on the right. But then it turned out that they were only leaves. If you are interested in this photo, see the video that explains the situation.
The next photo shows a peculiar structure made of sticks and apparently a plastic bag. Some believe that this is a kind of flag that was meant to be seen from above. Even if that were the case, why would Lisa and Kris take a picture of her in the middle of the night? Perhaps they were hoping that the light would reflect off the plastic bag and would be visible from above. I don't know about you, but I associated this construction with the movie The Blair Witch Project. In any case, the symbolism of this photo has not been unequivocally established. One thing can be said - there is something disturbing about it.
We now turn to the most controversial and emotional photography. We are talking about a photo that probably shows Kris's hair. The 21-year-old had just the characteristic copper-red curls that we see in the photo. Here, however, there is also no shortage of conspiracy theories. Some say that the photo is actually a wig. It was allegedly photographed by a female killer. But why would he do this?
According to another hypothesis, the photo was taken by Lisanne. Even in this case, the voices are divided. Some internet detectives believe that Kris was alive at the time. Others assume she was dead. Just again - why did Froon take this photo at all? It would make even less sense if Kremers were already dead.
Some people say they can see a scalp wound under the hair. I must admit that there are a lot of remakes of this photo (as well as all the others) circulating on the Internet. For this reason, their interpretation should be approached with caution. Probably many of them underwent more or less modifications.
One of the two scenarios below seems to make the most sense for me. Kris felt something in her hair. Maybe it was some large insect, or maybe a twig or a leaf got tangled up in it. Another possibility is that the woman has hit or cut her head. Lisanne then used the camera as a light source. In this way, she wanted to find out what really happened.
Finally, perhaps a minor digression. One more conclusion can be drawn from the analysis of the photos. The dog that was supposed to accompany the Dutch women is not visible in any of the photographs. The question that should be asked is whether this was actually the case. If so, did the dog come home earlier than everyone expected? Many wonders - if the women got lost, why didn't they follow the dog? In my opinion, if the dog went with his friends at all, he quickly detached himself from them. The girls, excited about the views and taking pictures, might not even notice this moment.
An equally interesting find turned out to be the journals kept by both students quite regularly. They wrote down their thoughts about the trip. It is a very important source of information that allows you to better understand their emotions and impressions than photos. Pictures of the diaries were released to the network. They were conducted in the mother tongue of Kris and Lisanne, i.e. Dutch. However, they have been translated into English. You can find this translation, for example on this page.
Perhaps the most interesting piece of information appears in Froon's journal. The 22-year-old wrote in it that on March 29 she wanted to go home. She described the whole situation that despite her age, she feels like a 2-year-old who wants to hug her parents and ask for their help in times of need. She was clearly overwhelmed by the situation in the new place with the local family. In the latest entries for March 30 and 31, there is an excerpt that Lisanne felt like an intruder. She was also devastated that nothing came of the plans related to volunteering, which I mentioned earlier.
From Kris's account, we can learn that the girl had stomach problems for several days at the end of her stay in Bocas del Toro. Her friend also mentioned them in her account. Kremers took her first moments with their host family well. However, she had similar feelings as Lisanne about the situation with the canceled volunteering.
The 21-year-old was unpleasantly surprised by the hostile attitude of the person who provided them with this information. The situation was so strange that everything had been planned many months in advance. There was also no specific reason for postponing the course by a week (or the girls did not understand it due to the language barrier). However, there was a spark of hope that my friends would be able to take part in another project. Everything was to be clarified on April 1. However, the Dutch did not recognize the end of this case.
After finding the backpack, the police began another search. Kris' clothes were soon discovered a few kilometers from the backpack. Most sources mention that the clothes were folded into ankles and lay on a rock on the opposite bank of the river. It seems very peculiar. This is another argument that third parties were involved in the deaths of the women. It is hard to imagine that they have left their clothes, especially arranged this way. According to other sources, the clothes were in disarray. It's hard to say how it really was.
Two months later, a pelvis and a shoe were discovered in the same area. Inside was a human foot. More than thirty bones were discovered shortly after. As a result of DNA tests, it was possible to confirm that they belonged to the missing women.
Interestingly, Lisanne's bones looked as if they had decayed naturally because there were still pieces of muscle and tendons attached to them. Kris's bones, on the other hand, were completely white. They looked like bleach had been used. It was established that the debris did indeed undergo a chemical reaction. More specifically, it was the action of phosphorus compounds. Interestingly, science does not know any local plant or animal that produces this type of chemical compound. It is therefore another argument that someone was actually responsible for the death of the Dutch women.
Police interviewed residents, local guides and other tourists who were in the area at the time. Unfortunately, these actions did not bring any breakthrough in the case. It was not even possible to clearly establish the cause of death.
Let's try to answer the most important question - what really happened with the missing? In theory, the simplest solution seems to be that the women just got lost in the jungle and couldn't make it to the city. In practice, the El Pianista trail was supposedly perfectly marked and it was practically impossible to get lost there. Of course, there is always the possibility that they have strayed from the trail and ventured deep into the jungle. But why would they do this?
It should also be remembered that the search began quickly. If Kris and Lisanne were on the trail, they would probably be found sooner or later. So we should ask ourselves another question - has tourism actually chosen this route at all?
After the photos, it could be concluded that this was actually the case. There is no shortage of opinions, however, that the photos were computer-processed in Photoshop or a similar program. The small details visible in the photos are to be the confirmation. They include, among others the fact that the outlines of the silhouettes or the folds on women's clothes look electronically corrected. The Internet is full of this type of analysis. If anyone wants, they will surely find a lot of information on this subject.
It is also often said that the automatically saved details of the photos do not match, i.e. the so-called EXIF data. Each photo taken by us contains data such as the date and time of taking or the designation of the equipment. Irregularities were detected in the photos taken on April 1. For example, according to EXIF data, the last known photo was supposed to be taken at 13:54:00 seconds. The penultimate photo was taken at 13:54:50. We should also remember that the picture IMG_509 was removed and we do not know what was on it.
It is also worth noting that currently you cannot find original photos from the Froon camera on the web. They were 4000 x 3000 px in size, which made them sharp and clear. To conclude the topic of photo alterations - why would the possible perpetrator (perpetrators) be (would) even deal with it?
Yes, such manipulation could hinder the investigation. On the other hand, it could also end up with doubts about the authenticity of the photos. I also find it hard to believe personally that a Panama killer would be a Photoshop expert.
It is also interesting that over time a photo appeared showing two local men swimming in the sea together with two women. The photo is of poor quality and the face cannot be clearly seen. At the time of the uprising, the voices are also divided. According to some, the photo was reportedly taken on April 1 at around 5:00 p.m., three hours after Lisanne's last camera shot.
There are, of course, theories that this is in fact the last photograph showing Kris and Lisanne. Unfortunately, we may never find out. One of the men was murdered under suspicious circumstances. Apparently, he had connections with local gangsters. However, it is said that this death was connected with the disappearance of Dutch women.
As for a possible suspect, Feliciano González, the would-be female guide, is most often accused. It was rumored that he alerted the police when Lisanne and Kris did not show up on April 2. What's more, the man then got to their room, allegedly in order to search for them. However, he could then cover up some traces.
On the Internet, you can read a lot of opinions about González, who reportedly showed mainly young and attractive tourists from Europe and the USA. Apparently, he often flirted with them and even allowed himself to be in physical contact. Of course, that doesn't make him a killer, but you can believe that he might have an interest in two friends.
Finally, I would like to add that there were many similar cases. Perhaps the most famous was the murder of Cassandre Bouvier and Houria Moumni. The women came from France and traveled to Argentina. In July 2011, their bodies were discovered. It turned out that they had been tortured and brutally raped. In Panama itself, there were also several dozen unsolved cases of disappearances and deaths. It is suspected that one or more serial killers may have been operating there.
One could write about this case for hours because the evidence (especially in the form of photos) allows for endless speculation. If you like a complete abyss when you read about a case, this is the case. We know one thing for sure - this strange mystery has not been solved to this day. Maybe one of the thousands of Internet detectives fascinated by this story will solve it one day.
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