Before the trip to Panama
Lisanne Froon and Kris Kremers became inseparable friends largely because of their common interests. Both worked in a coffee shop in the Netherlands, their homeland, and even moved in together to save money. The intention was to raise money to do social work around the world so they began contacting various associations and, it was in Panama where they received a satisfactory response after six months of preparation.
The first stop was in Bocas del Toro, where they were impressed by the atmosphere. They were ready to start volunteering.
A fatal misunderstanding
After 2 weeks in Bocas del Toro, they moved to Boquete where their real social work with the children would begin. However, upon arrival they were told that their work would have to wait another week. There was a mix-up with the calendars, so they were invited to enjoy the extra time.
The girls didn’t think twice, they decided to take the opportunity to go hiking on the famous El Pianista trail. They took Azul, the dorm dog and a few basic belongings, but their destination was uncertain.
Kris’ reaction to the change in schedule
According to journalists Jeremy Kryt and Mariana Atencio, Kris kept a diary in which he wrote his impressions about the change of plans. There he unloaded his discontent about the lack of communication in addition to the attitude of the association whose spokesperson he described as “rude and unfriendly.”
He also added “tomorrow they will try to communicate with the [director]…. This was a real disappointment.” With this change of plans all that was left was to make the most of the trip, so, despite the discontent, it was decided, they would go to Chiriqui.
Venturing into the Panamanian jungle
The El Pianista trail is one of the most popular trails in Boquete, Chiriqui Province. It is about 5 kilometers long and winds its way through the Panamanian jungle. The views are breathtaking, so it attracts thousands of visitors. However, the route lacks good signage. There have been several reported cases of people getting lost, such as Lisanne and Kris.
On that day, April 1, 2014, they did not return with their hosts. They assumed they had stayed with some other adventure partner.
Blue returns home alone
A clue announces that something is out of place. Blue, the hosts’ dog returned home alone.
The host family began to worry, that didn’t make sense, regardless of whether the girls had decided to extend their adventure in the jungle, they would not send Azul alone. The day ended with the hope that they would show up in the evening or in the morning. However, time passed and the hosts contacted Lisanne’s mother in the Netherlands to let her know the situation.
Fear for missing tourists grows
The host family decides to report the disappearance to state agencies. On April 2, a woman reported that she had seen the young women out to lunch with a couple of boys, however, details were conspicuous by their absence.
Local authorities’ protocol establishes a 96-hour window before initiating a search. Time elapsed and Panamanian authorities undertook a search for the young women. But among the dwarf cedar, oak and wild avocado species, no sightings of Lisanne or Kris were seen.
Tension mounts day by day
Despite search efforts, including helicopters flying overhead and teams scouring the forest, the girls’ whereabouts remained a mystery. They left in an unknown direction. They had an agenda because they had booked some other excursions such as a trip to the Finca las Princesas and the Baru Volcano, but only they knew their complete itineraries.
Time continued to pass and different theories emerged about their disappearance. A local innkeeper recognized the girls on posters.
The early challenges
The remote location and inhospitable nature of the Panamanian jungle pose significant challenges for search and rescue teams.
The rugged terrain, dense forested areas and tropical climate complicate the tracking efforts. In addition, the event took place a few weeks into the rainy season, so rising rivers make it difficult to process and preserve possible clues or evidence. These geographic and climatic challenges add complexity to the investigation and prolong the uncertainty of how to speed up the response process?
A reward is being offered
An innkeeper reported that the girls had asked him for some directions and he had suggested they return to town by cab, although he did not know what decision they had made. On April 6 the family panics.
So they decided to move to Panama, but not before offering a $30,000 reward. The networks were abuzz with theories and the press reports only alarmed Kris’ parents Roselie and Hans Kremers that much more. What was the press saying?
Theories and speculation about Lisanne and Kris’ whereabouts
The family had noticed that hopes were slowly fading, but their arrival in Panama helped to unite forces to increase search efforts. In the absence of clear answers, the press besieged those involved and numerous theories and speculations arise about what happened.
Some suggest the involvement of organized crime, while others point to the possibility of accidents or encounters with dangerous animals in the jungle. These conjectures left investigators with the task of separating fact from fiction.
Mom and dad arrive with international help
The families decided to fly to Panama accompanied by special Dutch units to intensify the search. Given the international nature of the case, Panamanian authorities are working closely with international authorities.
Information is cross-checked, data is exchanged, the number of experts is increased, and joint efforts are coordinated to address all possible international leads and connections. This international collaboration is essential to exploring all possibilities and ensuring that no relevant line of inquiry is overlooked. But the girls’ absence persisted.
Appeals for public sensibility
Coverage of the case was crucial in gaining public cooperation and support. The families are concerned and busy appealing for the empathy and sensitivity of anyone who could help them. The authorities also sought to encourage the participation of key witnesses and to encourage people to provide any relevant information they may have.
Media, social networks and other channels are used to disseminate details about the case. The dissemination of information kept the case alive and they finally have a valuable lead.
The first valuable clue
After ten weeks of searching, a crucial find offered a sliver of hope. On June 9, an indigenous woman who is part of the Ngäbe Indian tribe found a backpack as she was passing along the Culebra River, an hour’s plane ride from the girls’ starting point.
The woman said the find was among the trees. She had seen the missing persons ads and decided to bring the backpack to the authorities.What was in the backpack?
The contents of the backpack
The backpack turned out to be Lisanne’s backpack. Inside were found two pairs of sunglasses, over $80, the girl’s passport, a camera, a bottle of water, two bras and lastly perhaps most interestingly, two phones.
This discovery baffles the authorities and raises questions about the situation in which the young women were at the time of their disappearance, as well as possible clues to their whereabouts. What was the real contribution of these clues?
The contents of the phones
With the equipment in their possession, authorities began a call trace. These inquiries revealed multiple attempted calls to authorities in the Netherlands and to Panamanian authorities. There were seven attempted emergency calls.
The first outgoing call was logged dated April 01 from Kris’ iPhone at 04:39 pm. 12 minutes later, it was Lisanne who tried to contact the authorities from her Samsung phone, however, everything points to the fact that they were in an area with no coverage.
What other clue did the backpack yield?
As with the phones, the graphic content of the cameras was analyzed. More than a hundred photographs had apparently been taken during the girls’ twilight moments.
What other clues did the backpack yield? The first images show the girls happy at the Pianist’s Lookout. Then the pictures have Boquete in the background, meaning they went into the jungle instead of returning. The last photo captures Kris crossing a river on an indigenous trail. Then there are no more records until April 8.
Is it possible that Kris was injured?
Another of the images appeared to show the back of Kris’ head, with what some have suggested is blood coming from her temple. The identity of the person who took the images, and why they were taken, remains a mystery.
Is it possible that Kris was injured? The contents of the backpack also provided other clues as to what may have been Kris and Lisanne’s last moments. Their call records showed how they had desperately tried to contact the police.
Experts weigh in on the photographs
Expert eyes focus on the photographs that emerged from the darkness. Unlike the earlier images, the latter are fuzzy. About 90 photos were taken in the inhospitable jungle after 01:00 am on the fateful April 8.
Experts, immersed in an unsolved enigma, debate various theories Was it intended to leave a trail? Was the flash a flashing guide or a warning against the beasts? Was the perpetrator a stranger? Those photos left them brimming with questions and then made the situation worse.
Photos are leaked to the press
Kris and Lisanne’s case captures both national and international attention, generating intense media coverage. The media echo the disappearance of the two young women and closely follow every advance in the investigation, unfortunately in their eagerness to make a truthful report, they leak photographs.
The images of Kris and Lisanne are widely circulated, contributing to greater awareness of the case, as the number of theories continued their ascent. Then another discovery disturbed the audience.