Bulgarian police investigate possible cult background to series of murders
Bulgarian authorities are investigating a series of murders linked to an environmental NGO, with police considering several possible versions of the events, including suspicions of a cult connection.
In early February, three bodies were found in a mountain house near the Petrohan Pass, a property owned by the NGO. Following the case, police issued arrest warrants for three people, including the organization’s director and owner of the house, Ivaylo Kalushev, who is believed to have fled the scene.
According to Bulgarian media, Kalushev, a 15-year-old boy and a 22-year-old man were later found dead in a camper van in a forest area. The bodies were discovered by a shepherd. Police immediately secured the area and began investigating, but there are no official details about this new development in the case.
Acting Chief Prosecutor Borislav Sarafov previously said the case was extremely unusual and shocking, comparing it to events from the television series “Twin Peaks.” He also indicated that there were suspicions that the organization was trying to independently undertake activities that are usually the responsibility of state institutions.
On February 4, police confirmed that the three bodies initially found had gunshot wounds. An autopsy showed that about 12 to 18 hours had passed from the event to their discovery. A large amount of weapons and surveillance equipment were also found near the almost burned-out mountain house.
According to the investigation, the facility was heavily secured with fences, cameras, barriers and drones. The people staying there claimed to be protecting the forest and the environment, but investigators are investigating suspicions that the organization may have operated as a closed group with cult elements, including young people