Imperfect Plan

The Missing Panama Girls: A Closer Look At One Photo

by Chris | Jan 29, 2020 | Crime Abroad , Kris Kremers

Kris Kremers

Sometimes I refer back to the Story of Kris Kremers and Lisanne Froon, the two girls that made international headlines in 2014 when they disappeared in the northwest region of Panama. Their story captivated me for some reason.

If you don’t know the story, I recommend you visit the link at the bottom of this page. The following insight will make not make much sense to you if you don’t know their story.

Another Review of Their Photos

While I was reading over the story again, I decided to review their photos one more time. I know that their camera and mobile phone photos have been analyzed a thousand times by various people online but I also know that many people aren’t able to enhance the brightness, contrast, exposure and saturation in a professional graphics program. Fortunately, I have that ability.

This Specific Photo of Kris Kremers Caught My Eye

Photo of Kris Kremers lost panama girl

Update Dec 2, 2021: The full-resolution version of this photo was released in 2021. More info here .

This photo of Kris Kremers is identified as Photo 505. It was taken on the Continental Divide on April 1st, 2014 with the recorded time: 13:20:32. Read Matt’s article about the daytime photos (link) for more detailed information.

The girls phone records later showed that they started making their initial distress calls on their cell phones approximately 2 hours and 45 minutes after their last known daytime photo (Photo 508). Therefore, if Kris Kremers is normal and happy, as she appears to be in this photo (and in the other photos in the series), it means that things took a bad turn for them relatively soon after the photo above was taken .

When browsing the images that were on Lisanne Froon’s phone, I also noticed that a lot of other websites cropped off the top of this particular photo of Kris Kremers. The reason being, many people assume that she’s leaning over and looking down at the rock before her. However, upon closer inspection, she’s really ducking her head as to say “look at the things over my head”.

Given that most people crop off the top of this image, people would have missed the findings that I mention below. I searched Google and I found the complete photo with the highest resolution possible. Then I downloaded the photo and opened it up in my graphics editor.

I noticed a few peculiar things in the photo

I’m not sure if I’ve found something new here, but I haven’t found anyone else discussing these details online. I created this graphic and highlighted the unusual items that seemed peculiar to me:

Photo Analysis of Kris Kremers of Panama

In this photo of what looks like a cave or overgrown ravine, there are numerous possible items that suggest this place had been visited by other people.

Here is a quick recap of the graphic:

  • There’s some type of red and black object at the top of the photo. It may be a plant, but it appears to have a definitive shape and it’s oddly located that the very center of the path with no other visible red things in the trees.
  • There appears to be a visible roof-like structure above Kris’s head. It’s difficult to see when glancing at the photo, because it looks like Kris’s head is referencing something the ground. However, with the high resolution photo, you can more clearly see an organized structure over her head. Once you see it, you cannot unsee see it. The parallel side-supports would have been covered with leaves in order to make a suitable temporary roof.
  • The main/central support bar (branch?) is underneath the lighter supports. This is impossible in natural conditions and shows that it was put in place and tied to the other supports to create a make-shift roof. Without being connected to the other supports, how would that wood branch stay in place?
  • There’s a circular object hanging to the left of Kris. It looks like something hand-made. There is something white on the object, which looks like a white piece of cloth.
  • It’s possible there’s a painted insignia on the post to right of Kris. Unfortunately the resolution is not high enough to identify any specific shapes, although it appears to contain the colors white and red.
  • There appears to be a blue pieces of trash on the ground. Blue is an uncommon color in the rainforest for anything of that size.

Why do these things in the photo matter?

It’s thought that Kremers and Froon were exploring nature without anyone else around. However, if Kremers and Froon had found manmade ramshackle structures during their hike, such as the possible items viewed in this photo, it’s possible they had unwanted company.

Perhaps this was a “cave hang-out spot” used by local teenagers. Perhaps it was created by locals in the region. Regardless of who created it, the fact is that the women made emergency phone calls shortly after they visited this place. So this photo may possibly offer more insight into the story.

In 2020 – Indigenous Local People Found Committing Human Sacrifices

There are a lot of different indigenous tribes of Panama, most of which are peaceful. However, one particular group of indigenous people were discovered (updated, old link) in January 2020 to be capturing people, torturing them and offering them as human sacrifices. The indigenous locals that were committing the sacrifices were influenced by a villager that had recently travelled abroad and returned to his village with extremist “Christian” views.

This tribe was not located near the area where Kris and Lisanne disappeared, and therefore, in no way can be connected to the disappearance of Kris Kremers and Lisanne Froon.

In the end, maybe this photo has more information that was originally thought. I have no idea. I’m just pointing out some peculiar things worth noting.

Articles & Our Trip To Panama

The link to the main page where I give complete details of the story:

The True Story of Kris Kremers and Lisanne Froon – 2 Girls That Disappeared in Panama

A table of photo data from their hike on El Pianista Trail:

New Case Data: Timestamps Of Missing Daytime Photos

More details about our trip to Panama :

Our team is planning to go to Panama later this year (2021) to collect information involving the case. We’ll be mapping the trails with a GPS device, searching for the location of the night photos and capturing aerial footage of the rivers in the region. We’re trying to raise $5,000 for gear, security, transportation and food. Please support us – we can’t do it without you.

Article about our trip plans: Research Team Update – Support Us

Campaign Link: Mapping The Jungle Trails Of Panama

Thank you for reading. My condolences to the families that experienced this terrible tragedy.

Please note: Our team is committed to accuracy of information and respecting the privacy of those involved with this disappearance case. If you have any supplementary information regarding the case, or if you were involved in this case and feel that the information available in this article impacts your privacy, please contact our team .

Before You Comment (Important!)

Please remember to be considerate of the two girls that lost their lives and their families. Use soft language and leave out gory visuals in what you write. Everyone is already aware that there are many unfortunate possibilities of what could have happened to Kris and Lisanne. Any comments that are disrespectful or inconsiderate to the families of Kris and Lisanne will be removed by a moderator. Thank you for your consideration.

270 Comments

Alexis

Something I hadn’t noticed before until I could see the photos upclose, (the one where she is hunched over) is that her face looks distorted; it doesn’t look like her almost as if its some kind of mask.

Kitty

Totally agree, Alexis. I find it really creepy, but maybe I’m looking at it wrong due to shadows and light. There’s no denying that the face looks ‘skewed’ and mask like. Bizarre!

Mymy

This photo has been edited. On the original, her face doesn’t look like that at all. This is the real one: https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lMUOsoUME0Q/YLJzTuPRWbI/AAAAAAAAHDc/431BbuGq2PQEgxV65djGrwcBUCL5BEh8QCLcBGAsYHQ/s486/closeupkrs.jpg

Jim B

Kris is clearly sticking out her tongue at someone. I have seen her stick out her tongue and other photos of her. She’s clearly holding a bottle of water in her left hand in front of her. That is not a cave or a ravine behind her. That’s just shadow that the camera didn’t illuminate. If you watch the four part video of the entire trail beyond the Mirador you will see exactly where this photo was taken, and there is not a cave or ledge or ravine anywhere near her.

User65353

Highlighted areas of interest (some not yet discussed I think):

=== Potential Unsafe Link Removed ===

I think the “night pictures” were made by the killers to make it look like they were lost and trying to signal for help.

Chris

Hi User65353,

Thanks for your interest in the case and providing some input. I noticed that you’ve submitted two more links in another newer comment.

The problem with the links you are providing is not that the links themselves are necessarily “unsafe” (they could be, but we won’t test them)…the problem is that ALL of your links require users to download some form of content.

Links that require download are high-risk by their very nature, so please consider uploading your media to a website like imgur.com or a similar alternative. That way, no downloads are necessary.

We usually permit our commenters to publish links to external material, and you are welcome to do the same. However, any link that requires any form of downloads, account creation or spammy activity, to view linked content, will not be permitted.

Sorry for the inconvenience and thank you for your interest in the case.

But thank you for your kind answer!

Let’s try one more time then (and please don’t censor this, even if you think that it is not pretty – murders rarely are!):

https://ibb.co/nqy80hS or https://postimg.cc/94q0cVhH

Briana

What did you see in your circles?

Gregory Cormier

I think the night photos were taken by individuals who found the device and were not familiar with the camera, perhaps never seeing a camera before. Like local tribesmen.

Inspector

Perhaps the killer of Catherine Johanet knows more

Ri

Hi, u might want to watch this vid it has theories dat i think might giv more insights to this case

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pCaD8kRTwsI

JT

Why would the perpetrators concoct all of the photo/backpack evidence? Why not just kill them and leave it be? I’m not understanding why they bothered to create a cover story. All of it could’ve just gone away.?

Lim

It’s worth mentioning how the police found out that someone tried unlocking Kris Kremers’ phone, but failed to do so. This either meant Lisanne Froon was conscious while Kris was not, and tried to call emergency services, or that a third party tried to get into her phone but didn’t succeed. However, calling emergency services doesn’t require unlocking the phone, meaning a third party had to be involved. Also, it wouldn’t make sense if Lisanne didn’t know Kris’ password. They were friends from college, and were roommates then, so Lisanne had to have known Kris’ password as her best friend. Therefore, this can prove that the likelihood of a third party being involved is very high.

William Kirby

I think it would be a mistake to assume Lisanne knew her friend’s password. I wouldn’t give mine out to my best friend, not even to my wife. There is, of course, the possibility that they might have agreed to share passwords considering that a remote wilderness could present an emergency that might result in a combination of one of them losing her phone while the other was too incapacitated to work her’s.

Tony

We have no way of knowing if somebody tried to unlock the phone but failed. What we do know is for 5 days after they disappeared, her phone was checked about a dozen times. For the first handful, a correct password was entered. The last half either had a wrong password, or simply no password at all was entered. And look at it from this point of view. If you are in the middle of the jungle, lost, and desperately trying to find service, why waste your battery by logging into your phone. Obviously she did the first several times, but as the battery got lower, she likely got more conscious of the idea of conserving it. Just pressing the button to turn the screen on provides you with the relative information, ie, whether you have a signal or not.

I’m not saying that I don’t think foul play was involved. In fact, I’m almost certain of it. But we need to be careful about the information we have. Jumping to conclusions too early, or on the basis of too little and incorrect information is likely to lead to the wrong conclusions.

P.Cohen

The person attempting to enter the code was he/she using Spanish or Dutch ?

fonte

I see nothing extraordinary in this photo, without stretching imagination. This is likely part of the trail on the way down from summit, that maybe turns sharply. Would like to know exactly where and when the final day photo was taken. That is the key. Draw a line from that point in all directions as far as they could travel in the time to the emergency call, and there must be part of the answer to the mystery inside that circle. If you can rule out getting lost or falling off the trail in that circle, all my money is on foul play.

Jeroen

Any idea of the exact location where this picture is taken? If it’s part of the trail where people walk all the time I don’t think something is up with this place.

Youtube channel backpackercoach or backpackingcoach i think, has a video called “is it a cave?” where he shows a section of trail that looks much like that. He has a reasonable explanation for why she is having to bend down, and he found video where you can see a turn to the left where kris is.

Susan Bayer

The last photo of Kris on the rocks doesn’t appear to have any evidentiary value to me. Shortly after this photo is when the girls encountered trouble and tried to dial for help. Hopefully, this 2021 investigation can find the truth of exactly what happened. My opinion is that the girls met with foul play and were murdered. If Kris were injured and they couldn’t use the phone, then why didn’t Lisanne go get help? They were not lost. The guide had something to do with the girls’ disappearance. He went into the girls’ room without police, he was involved with finding of the backpack, and also the bones. Too many coincidences. The finding of the backpack 14 miles away is too incredulous to be believed. Not getting any fingerprints looks suspect. We have 5 people ending up dead, and the skulls of the girls are never found. I can’t explain the calls or photos or intact skin that was found. The theories I’ve read seem too far-fetched to be believable. But, then again this whole case is pretty unbelievable whether you believe they did or didn’t meet foul play. I believe that this case WILL be solved. It will be interesting to see where the photos were actually taken. There’s a lot of loose ends to be tied up, but I think this 2021 investigation can do it.

Anna

Her shirt sleeve looks like a face.

Jordan

Looking at the original photo-

(this was enhanced by an AI as someone who has studied this sort of thing professionally, explains some of the distortions and weird patterns in the photos leaves and vines,

the AI distorted her face lol and it made it appear she has no arm from the elbow down)

after studying the original photo, she is actually posing sticking her tongue out, in a slight hunched over salute, the light is hitting her hand, her pose and demeanor makes me believe it is Lisanne taking the photo.

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lMUOsoUME0Q/YLJzTuPRWbI/AAAAAAAAHDc/431BbuGq2PQEgxV65djGrwcBUCL5BEh8QCLcBGAsYHQ/s486/closeupkrs.jpg

I do believe that this appears to be some sort of structure though, it does seem like some vines / branches have been woven together to form some sort of hut… and even the AI enhancement would not make the blue appear on the floor so distinctly, the color and look almost reminds me of a scrap of denim like material?

I do think it looks like red flowers growing through the structure, and whilst I agree that it does look like there is some sort of symbol on the tree, after studying her pose from the photo above, I dont think she would be acting / posing like that if there was a creepy ass symbol scrawled into the tree! I do get very creepy and bad vibes from this photo though. It holds a bad energy.

Tom

There is very convincing evidence gathered by Juan Perea over the years on this case. He has a whole series of You Tube videos (over 50) that were made that show that the pictures were manipulated and he names the suspect. He even found pictures of the suspect and a local “model” wearing Kris’s blue shirt right after the disappearance. The back of the shirt was soiled (you interpret). The pictures taken were used to place Kris in pictures on the Mirador with Lisanne. There is so much to see and Juan is amazing.

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=kris+and+lisanne++finanli

Danielle

My first thought and instincts on the object you believe to be circular on the left is a cow skull and the fact it’s there is very strange indeed.

Jamie S

I don’t buy it that those girls were murdered on the pianista trail. I also think those girls probably already perished before the dates on those daytime photos. I think whoever was behind the (likely) murders wanted it to seem like they went missing due to being lost on the pianista trail.

I think the most important photos were not the daytime ones; I think the most important photos were some of the legible nighttime ones. This is because people who knew the area were able to recognize that the nighttime photos were likely taken at Caldera springs, more than 20 miles from the area the girls allegedly went missing at. However, the perpetrators likely wanted the authorities to believe they were taken on the pianista trail.

I think Juantarctica made a compelling case on YouTube for this theory. At this point I have to agree with him, and I think it’s likely the trail guide and some men they met were somehow involved. Ironically enough, several of those men were also murdered shortly after. I could be wrong, but until I see some compelling evidence to the contrary, I’m sticking with Juan’s theory.

Joanna Austin

I think we are all seeing things that aren’t there.

If I saw a cow skull hanging in a tree I would get the hell out of there, not pose for a photo.

Agreed the thing on the tree trunk looks man made but even if it is it is not sinister.

It isn’t a cave, somebody has shown in a youtube video that it us just a very deep path on the wrong side of the mountain with a sharp turn.

No little men or cow skulls or carvings.

Still creepy though. No way would I walk down that path

Arvidi

While posing with sticking out your tongue means for a Dutch native you found something disgusting, especially while simultaneously closing your eyes. So that is what she discovered here. Apart from the fact if she was photoshopped in this picture, i.m.o. she does see something disgusting.

Nikolai

I see orange spray paint markings on the base of the tree further in the “cave” to Kris’s right

Borek Lupoměský

The commenters here are speculating wildly about this particular picture. I have created a comparison of the original photo leaked to the public, the artificially upsampled version thereof and the (presumed) full resolution picture taken from the article linked to in my previous post (all cropped to show only Kris and further 2× magnified). It needs to be stressed that while the AI upsampled image looks impressive, it cannot and does not recover any lost information. For forensic work, any such upsampling is worthless. It only makes the image look more detailed, but the detail is artificial and can be very misleading. In the leaked images some 90% of the original information is irretrievably lost – trying to read anything into any of the remaining spots and splotches is fool’s errand.

Here is the comparison: https://voyager.lupomesky.cz/kremers-froon/kris-gully-3composite.jpg

This article seems to have a crop from high resolution version of the above photo. In this one it’s clear that Kris has her hand up, closed eyes and stuck out tongue.

https://netherlandsnewslive.com/kris-and-lisanne-went-hiking-in-panama-but-never-left-the-jungle/151903/

Mike Moreno

I think that this is a photoshopped image made by cutting out a picture of Kris and pasting it onto a background to give the false impression that Kris and Lisanne went on the Pianista Trail. It was probably done by the perpetrators in order to collect the reward money. The original plan had been for them to disappear without a trace, like so many other people in that part of Panamá, but when the reward money was offered, they decided to fabricate a narrative in which the two girls had mysteriously lost their way on the trail.

Gunnar

Also I wish we new more details on the phones. Why weren’t those outgoing calls being completed? Was the reception that bad in those locations? Curious if people have found these specific locations and done some extensive testing and exploring in those and surrounding areas?

Gunnar

Are any of you familiar with the “missing 411” phenomena? Wonder if this case has any similarities?

Bec

I have read several of the books. I do not think this case fits the criteria of “missing 411”.

Dubious

The first thing that strikes me as very odd in this photograph – and I think I haven’t seen anyone pointing that out yet -, is a specific number…. Shadow play back and forth, I find it more than weird that you can clearly see the number 5.

Paul Grant

The simplest explanations are most likely to be the correct explanations. Here is what I see: – Kris walks down the ravine and bends over to examine orange graffiti – She turns to talk Lisanna – Bright sunlight is coming in from the left side of the photo, so Kris holds her flattened right hand up to her face to shield her eyes, similar to a salute. Note the shadow across her face , covering her eyes: that is from her hand. Her hands are *not* tied behind her back. – Kris has somewhat prominent cheeks and a full lower lip. What people are mistaking as swelling of the right eye/cheek is simply the sunlight highlighting the contours of the right side of her face while the left side is in shadow, probably combined with squinting of the right eye due to the bright light. What people are mistaking as blood from her nose and lip is again just a shadow cast from her nostril and lower lip due to the bright sun. The “blood” on her leg is, again, a shadow. – The ground is littered with leaves, twigs, and stones. It is the poor color quality of the photograph with oversaturated reds that has people thinking they are seeing skulls and carcasses. – Aside from the various graffiti markings, the one thing that looks potentially “creepy” is the “circular, hanging object”. The circular part looks like vines to me, but the portion in the middle has potential to be a cow skull. That could just be confirmation bias on my part.

While I do believe eventually, and possibly soon after this, there was foul play, I don’t think anything untoward was happening as of this photo.

Delos Crowell

Should have read this before I commented lol. Do u know if this particular spot was apart of the trail they went on?

Ben

After days reviewing the evidence, I’m now going to share a synopsis of what I believe happened there in the deep, dark cloud forest of Panama. From the summit, they decided to go in a bit deeper, or just took the wrong exit path by mistake. I suspect the timestamps on some images are incorrect. Image 505 is actually the last image before the night photos.

Before that, in image 507 & 508, you can see Kris in a stiff, nervous posture, because the girls saw someone they were afraid of closing in. This person was a local cleric. A priest of sorts. He threatened them with a machete, and led them to a sacrificial alter. A wave of deadly exorcisms have griped the country, under the guise of religion, at the hand of a death cult. There have been several mass graves uncovered there in the last year alone.

In image 505, it is around 4:30 PM on April 1st. Kris is hunched over beside a sacrificial alter with hands tied behind her. To the left hangs a cow skull smeared with blood, perhaps worn during the sacrifices. There are dead animals and skeletons strewn all across the ground. Some of them are human, including several skulls and a young girls intact corpse, in the bottom right, with a large hole in the head. To the right of the body is a cross fashioned out of two poles, as is customary in Panama.

The grimace on Kris’ face is because she is in pain. She’s been beaten into submission. There’s a blood splatter on her leg from her tendon being cut, to keep her from running away. The abductor did not take their things because he’s not a thief. He believes he is working for God.

The next morning, on April 2nd, a substantial earthquake of magnitude 6.0 hits Panama at 11:13 AM. The abductor is a deeply religious man, in his own demented way, and he sees this as a sign from God. Fearing that these two strangers may bring the wrath of God upon him, he releases them into the jungle.

They are free now. But they are hurt and they are lost. It is high noon and they have no way of telling which direction to go. They know that you’re supposed to find a river, so they set out in search. Progress is slow because at least one of them has a cut tendon. They keep trying to call emergency.

For the next four days they travel. It’s too cold to sleep at night, so they try to keep moving, until, in the darkness Kris falls down a ravine, hitting her head, and going into a coma. Lisanne sets up a SOS with toilet paper and a mirror, hoping to get the attention of the helicopters. She has no idea that her parents are about to arrive in Panama. And she can only hope that Kris will wake up. She ties the red bags to branches so they can spot her if they get near. Her phone is dead. She uses Kris’ phone, instinctively entering her own pin number. It doesn’t matter. The emergency calls still don’t go through.

Two days pass. Nothing. It is the morning of April 8th. It begins to rain. It’s so cold. Kris has been unconscious for days. Lisanne believes her dead. She realizes she has to try to find the river and decides to leave at dawn. She makes a last effort to wake her friend. Then uses the flash to take many photos of the area, so she can return for Kris after finding help. At dawn the rain stops and she sets out.

For the next three days she keeps moving, weakened by exposure to the elements and at the edge of starvation. Search parties are looking for her. But she’s too far out now. When someone does finally find her, it’s the last people she would want to be found by.

The local jungle tribes people have been looking for the girls. They’ve been promised much if they deliver Feliciano hard evidence of the girls death. The police, the media attention, the suspicions on him. He wants the gringos to go away and leave him in peace. And they won’t leave until they know all hope is lost. One day in June, the tribespeople bring him what he wants; The backpacks and the bodies. They place the evidence where it can be found, brining the matter to a close.

A year later, two tourists following the same trail are robbed at gunpoint. They lose their money and leave Panama with their lives. Two years later, a 23 year old American woman is strangled to death while walking the trails. The jungle knows how to keep its secrets. But in the last year, several mass graves have been unearthed, revealing to the world a dark practice of human sacrifice which is thriving in the jungles of Panama.

Julia

What if she was trying to get fire with the mirror and the paper?

Ben Dover

I no longer believe there was any mirror; What we see is instead is the lid of a soft food container (you can see the food stuck around the edges). Probably something like peanut butter, which is a typical energy-dense low cost food carried by people who are traveling light.

I suspect the food may have been left with them when they were abandoned by drug traffickers (who initially abducted them on April 1st) after Kris was hurt crossing the monkey bridge.

There is an illustration drawn on Kris’s back in the hair photo. If someone can determine a gang affiliation for that image, it might be possible to determine where the traffickers were from.

I’ve found that there are in fact two native type people visible in the night photos. A man and a woman. The man’s face is clearly visible standing behind the rock with the red bags. And the hair photo shows him holding Kris by the neck (you can see his fingers, one wearing a silver ring with faces engraved on it).

There’s a lot of information in the photos but people are willfully blind to it for some reason. I suspect some are aware of these things but want to cover it up.

I’m starting to think the girls were lured to Panama by some kind of human trafficking organization that might even be run out of the Netherlands. Notice how Juan has actively injected false information into the public investigation, including a picture of 4 people standing in a pond with heavily photo edited faces (one of them has their head moved off of the neck in a very obvious edit).

And remember that the legitimate photos we have came from Juan. So it’s kind of curious that the most critical images are either cropped or missing entirely. I think Juan is actively trying to protect this human trafficking agency. God only knows how many people they’ve done this to in the last decade.

dacheese

“I’ve found that there are in fact two native type people visible in the night photos. A man and a woman. The man’s face is clearly visible standing behind the rock with the red bags. And the hair photo shows him holding Kris by the neck (you can see his fingers, one wearing a silver ring with faces engraved on it).” In which photos? Why are you not sharing their photo number, why are you stating generalities, let me help you, there is a link with all the photos https://koudekaas.blogspot.com/2019/12/the-disappearance-of-kris-kremers-and_11.html I haven’t spotted the finger with the silver ring in photo IMG_0580 that’s the name of the “hair photo”, and in the “night photos” you found out… that there are not one but two individuals that are of native origin nonetheless, which specific photos led you to that conclusion?

Christopher Stafford

What you are seeing is simply from the pattern of the foliage and shadows and light patterns impacting on the image. Nothing more sinister than that. Stop trying to read too much into it.

Wild, fanciful and completely false.

Haha, I’m assuming this is a joke, right? I like the wit and sarcasm.

Maria

Este rosto é de uma jovem que está angustiada,aterrorizada sem saber o que fazer para se salvar. Estou certa que não foi Lisanne que a tirou. Ela está apavorada Minha Querida menina

Jillian

So if you look behind her bottom there’s a patch of light which is the light at the other end of this tunnel and she’s holding her right hand up to her face to sweep back a piece of hair. I don’t think there’s anything untoward I think she’s saying look at this tunnel.

Tim

Hey I’m not sure if someone already pointed it out but does everyone see the orange drawing on the bottom right? That looks kinda like a monster

Blunderbuss

Very interesting and thorough analysis. Reading this reminded me of another photo the girls took of a branch with what appears to be red plastic attached to it. The hanging object and other points of interest you highlighted reminded me of this. Do you think this could be at all relevant? Photo link: https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CJKQMGxJ1Kc/XH7ld3XtSnI/AAAAAAAAjOg/kechIb5Cge8msf5kRVinBCrEjIiBCl7TwCLcBGAs/s1600/7reCdlm.jpg

Justin

Actually here’s uncompressed upscaled original image (upscaled and color corrected with AI)

Much, much more revealing. Especially the beams and details, and the cave behind her.

https://u.cubeupload.com/beavermatic/KrisKremersFullPhoto.jpg

Alice

Her hands are not tied behind her back! She is clearly shielding her eyes from the sun by holding her right arm up. She is looking down to the left and appears to be shocked by what she sees. Although it might be the sun that gives her face a strange expression. I also think that we are looking at man-made roof structure, but it’s not the last photo, right? So they made it out of there…

Sher

The picture with her standing at cave entrance is also the same place she was standing in dark way off in background. The picture people think she is looking down she is hanging with hands tied behind her back. Her face is swollen from being hit, her neck is bleeding, multiple cuts all over plus you can see someone sitting on ground behind her watching. Someone called her so she turning to look at them. The night picture she is standing in same spot and someone is doing something to her lower leg or foot ,you can see them under her. The rock isn’t about the twig it’s got chunks of flesh and blood splatter all over it to the right and back of rock. This girl was tortured before they killed her. So many clues in all these pictures. RIP sweet girls

I upscaled that image with AI correction and it’s 100x more clear that there is obviously a trap or makeshift roofing above her.

You can even see clear rods in the red areas towards the top going straight through. Like a trap net or something.

Link to upscale here:

https://i.postimg.cc/3xK4Pdmb/Kris-Kremers-Full-Photo-Highest-Res-auto-x1-1-photos-v2-faces-x2-colored-toned.jpg

Hi Justin, great work with sharpening this image. I’m very impressed.

How long does an “AI correction” take for you to do? Have you performed this same work on any of the other case photos? This could be a very handy skill to our team. Here’s more info:

https://imperfectplan.com/2020/12/09/research-team-update-join-us/

Jim

Does anyone know where this photo was taken in relation to their happy photos taken at the top of the Continental divide? I think the last three photos of Kris show a definite change in mood.

Yes, this was taken after their photos at the Mirador. It was taken on the Continental Divide exactly 14 minutes and 12 seconds after their photos at the Mirador. You can find more information about on this article:

https://imperfectplan.com/2021/02/24/kremers-froon-new-case-data-timestamps-of-missing-daytime-photos/

Sue

Hi Justin, Well done the image is really sharp now. As well as lots of other things It shows her right arm more clearly and it looks as though there is something square where you would expect her right elbow to be – strange. Perhaps Kris is already caught in the trap and that’s why she is in a funny position and her waist is drawn in tight. Sorry to send so many messages Chris, but as a policewoman I have never liked to give up on a case..

Ya

Hello The blue thing on the ground looks like a blue tarp and that looks like a corner sticking out.

Helle

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_JheETl6Obg

I think that I read somewhere that something blue was found on one of the shoes. At the beginning of this video I think I see some blue dye/paint/powder on one of the men’s legs and something blue on the floor. Does blue have something to do with this strange punishment ritual? Can it explain Lisanne’s foot that was broken?

Mel

Thanks for sharing this. I’ve been into crime shows lately and my husband says I should be an investigator because I’m obsessed. Haha. Life of a stay at home home. So I see men in the cave. Yes, I think it’s the entrance to a short cave. Might look harmless and untouched which is why she is standing so close but then she is either caught or trapped in a booby trap lol. I also see the handing ornament, whatever that is called and definitely a roof structure with leaves and branches above her. She clearly thinks she’s found something amazing. Sadly, shortly after, she meets someone she fears and call the police.

There’s A red plastic bag above Kris in a tree to her left. It’s texture and color seemingly resembles the red bag tied to the SOS stick on the rock later on, imo

Kate Black

What is that clear brown glass-looking circle in the upper righthand corner? Around 2 o’clock. I also see something above the brown circle, like a ring of colored balls or ???? Lastly, I totally see animal pelts inside the “structure”. Like jaguar? And the weird flesh colored thing hanging in the tree to her left could be a skinned animal. Does anyone see what I see? Thanks in advance!

Gary Compton

Hi Chris, great work by you on this. I think this photo in particular is odd. In fact the last 4 (pre-nightime) photos are at odds with the others. Would the girls really be so far apart in dense jungle? Especially the one where Kris is holding a water bottle 30-40ft from the photo-taker. On closer inspection this and the ‘cave’ photo appear heavily manipulated. ‘Cave’ photo: to Kris’ left is a huge dark area that has been poorly obscured with pixellation. The green ‘rock’ directly in front of Kris appears to float in space. I think this has been added to hide the fact that Kris was not wearing boots, as this was a shot of her from somewhere else and superimposed on the jungle scene. The left-side of her head is not hair or her hand, but just the foliage in the background. Her stance is weird – there is nothing of note she could be looking at and it is difficult to tell what her right arm is doing. I think she is pointing, but at something else in another location. Also, people do not give off a rosy glow from their backs, as can be seen here. I think in the original photo she is putting on her backpack, stretching her arm and back, and the backpack has been airbrushed out because of course she didn’t take that with her. ‘Water bottle’ photo: again, this has been superimposed on the scene and again her feet are obscured because she is not wearing boots. The whole scene is odd why is Lisanne (if it was her) standing miles away? If it is a photo-op, why is Kris not waving her hands or something. This is a fake and the pixellation errors can be seen up close (the gap in the crook of her right arm is IN FRONT OF her).

Who did the manipulation of course is a mystery but it points to being a corroboration of the police narrative that they got lost. I can’t imagine the rednecks in Alto Romero or the lads from Calderas having the wit to bother with it. If the Calderas photo is genuine as you believe, then I sadly think the two girls were killed shortly after by the two young men (and possibly the taxi driver), and the police knew and bumped the lot off.

For pareidiologists, in the ‘Cave’ photo on the right just over halfway from Kris’ head to the edge of the photo there is an arm and hand tied to a tree, and to the right of Kris’ leg is the sole of a walking boot with a light stripe down the middle.

It would also be useful to know if the metatarsal bones of Lisanne’s foot had showed any signs of healing. If so, it would indicate that she had been kept alive for a few weeks or more. I have seen some gruesome stuff where a captor will smash the feet of a captive to prevent escape.

Yasmin Malik

Yessss!! This! I noticed this too. As soon as I zoomed in, my heart sank for her. Hands tied behind her back, face looks a bit puffy too, as if been in an altercation of sorts. She looks disorientated almost

They probably came off the summit the wrong way. There were no signs at that time. Easily done, I have done that myself several times.

A path looks different anyway when you walk back the other way so they would not be aware they were not heading the right way and carried on.

Problem with that is that you would think they would simply turn round once they realised.

Could be that they were trying to avoid somebody on the trail, went off the oath & got lost. I don’t think there was actual foul play.

The calls bother me though. First calls at 16:39 then nothing again for 14 hours? Why would that be?

Katie

Gary, great work on noticing things in such detail. If you zoom in on the picture, I noticed that her face almost seems distorted, almost as though it was swelled up? I just would like to know if you see that as well?

Diana

Her hands could be tied behind her back but, if this is the case, then much computer editing was involved because other photos that come AFTER this one in camera sequence show Kris’s walking ahead of Lisanne WITHOUT her hands tied behind her back. So, unless there was camera tampering (that may be since one photo was apparently deleted digitally), her hands are not tied.

Foul play is very likely. Two intelligent girls could not be veering off course to this dense vegetation on their own accord. It is a suicide decision and they, experienced travellers, know that. They didn’t take anything with them for more than 1 or 2 hours max journey. The photos give the appearance that they are PROMPTED to go ahead by someone. That’s why Kris stops in photos once in a while as if to say “this way, right?”

Del

Oy vey… I didn’t catch this before, but seeing it now it sort of made my eyes water a bit. Realizing just how much trouble these two could have been in. I could be wrong, but to me this looks like it could be a hunting device of sorts, like a pit/catch trap. I know that in previous photos there are trenches like this one naturally occurring throughout the jungle due to erosion, but this one doesn’t appear to be from that. Also, the other ones aren’t covered by man-made support structures. The picture just before this one appears to be higher in elevation, meaning that from the direction they were coming, a pit trap being place around this area could/would be ideal.

As a side note, if all of the photos are in the order in which they were taken, why do they put their hair up, and take it down so much? Seems weird.

There is definitely a face on that the post/tree to the right of Kris.

It seems to be made up of white paint, at least like a tribal looking face of white paint. It’s at the very top of the post.

Looks like some of sort of indigenous artifact/trail marker.

Stephanie

And one of the branches near the middle appears to have scales or a pattern not natural to a tree branch.

Rainforest NW

Interesting that you…. actually name names.

Celeste I. Martinez

The consumption of Ayahuasca as a religious experimental drug is becoming very common in different countries. The 2020 ‘cristian’ massacre was committed by a couple of men who were definitively altered in their state and ‘heard’ voices etc. This observation of yours is amazing, the girls could have stumbled upon something and been victims. Nothing can explain the bones, the cut foot, their underwear in one of the backpacks. Someone mentioned a Jaguar? no, Jaguars fear humans and do not hunt them as tigers do in India. Even if that had happened, the skeleton would have been more intact and scratch marks would have been found on the bones. I am from Panama, and I know that there are way more dangerous drug and crime cartels active in remote parts of the country than officials want to admit to because the tourism would be affected. Thanks for sharing this info. Make sure you contact someone with this info. It could help shed more light onto the possible answer to the mystery.

LT

If you follow down from the two red objects, there appears to be something that looks almost like blocks or siding shingles. It appears further down as well. Is it possible that there is a building or some sort of structure behind the vegetation? That would account for a canopy structure being built there. Perhaps the women were lured there to be shown something.

S.

Does anyone else see what looks like the back of someone’s head, their bare back and arm inside the “manmade “ circular object? It looks like an indigenous person with shiny black hair walking away from Kris. It even appears they have some kind tattoo on their back. If that’s what I’m seeing, I have no doubt that it was murder and that this photo and several others have been manipulated.

The red and black objects look like bolt cutters or tree cutter. Also I see a black pipe if you look carefully near one of the red and black objects the one that was circled. Right above it.

I think it would be nice for a botanist to take a look at the vegetation. I wonder if the two red objects are flowers? It appears to me that Kris has her right arm to her right temple and you can see part of her left elbow. What I find most concerning is her face. It looks as though she has a “mouse” under her right eye. Like you would get from being hit. I believe that by the time this photo was taken, the situation has gone sideways. Such a tragedy.

Someone was with the girls when the two photos of them were taken on the Pianista summit. (The photos where the sky is suddenly cloudy). It’s a subtle difference, but you can tell the girls’ smiles are forced in those two photos and are not like the natural happy smiles in the other summit photos. You can bet your life if someone was with them at that point, then they were the culprits who had something to do with the girls’ disappearance. Looking forward to reading what Bethzaida Pitti comes out with in the book she is co-authoring about the case. Maybe the girls did perish deep in the jungle, but that doesn’t rule out somebody causing them to get lost.

Thanks for your comment. I think it’s very possible that someone was with them or joined them along the way at some point. We can only speculate without more evidence of that.

Also, I’m looking forward to reading the new book as well, particularly what Pitti has to say. I wrote about the upcoming book here:

https://imperfectplan.com/2020/12/09/new-book-coming-spring-2021-kris-kremers-and-lisanne-froon-case/

I’m not expecting any major reveals from Pitti – she’ll probably just reinforce her previous statements with more insights. Either way, it’ll be interesting to see.

Thanks and cheers.

I wanted to share this article from a big newspaper in Panama. This lady, Pitti, she is under much suspicion as she practically botched the investigation efforts with her repeated lack of discipline in collecting and documenting and directing the case. Please read. I would not pay much attention to what she has to say as it sounds like she wrote this book to try to justify/clear herself from all the criticism she garnered through this experience: https://www.laestrella.com.pa/nacional/141020/of-piece-medical-studies-examiner

Hi Chris thanks for the link to the book. I would certainly buy it if it had been printed in English. Have you managed to obtain a copy? Do the additional photos reveal anything more? I feel that unless they do or unless further forensic work has shown something more then, no matter what the experts in survival say, it is still only speculation and not proof.

Steve Ryder

Hi, do you know when and where this book will be available?

N

Where did u see that picture ? Give me a link

Haley Vest

Theres a red cord tied around her waist that wasn’t on her in any of the other photos. Her face also appears to be heavily damaged, bruised and bleeding and her hair appears to have been pulled out and or cut as its sticking out in ways that don’t seem normal for her ponytail..

It also looks like that red item is around her neck as well.

Runak

I think that the taxi driver knew who has killed them that’s why sb killed him, the guide man who found the bones and their belongings can be the murderer and he was the person went to their room maybe to find the cable charge maybe pretending that he hadn’t visited them on the reserved time, then he put their bag and money and camera for police because he was scared they search his house too, the locals heard screaming and then a crash (broken bones due to fall) in the jungle 4 days after their missing and warned about that to some french tourist, this article is long and I didn’t sleep last night. scary https://koudekaas.blogspot.com/2019/12/the-disappearance-of-kris-kremers-and.html

Tom Horne

I’m sure removal of the comment was justified, but in considering all possibilities I’m curious if there was there any insight offered?

Hi Tom, I believe you intended to comment above, on @SwordOfGod’s comment. The removed comment provided nothing helpful in any respect, and was merely to get attention and reactions.

Kelly

It looks as if there is a guy standing off the edge in the tunnel. Slight left and up from the girl. And that looks to be a stocker style stand

Celi

I don’t understand the question. You’re asking why didn’t they try to call a friend or family member WHEN THEY COULDNT EVEN GET A SIGNAL TO THE POLICE? Again NO SIGNAL! There was no signal!! Whatever happened I believe was not from a “man” following them. I can’t explain it but again it resembles so many of the bizarre cases which author and former cop David Paulides has brought (thousands of these similar events) right here in the US and Canada. The backpack being found with all its contents including money and not even dirty let alone wet after weeks of constant rain-found a day after the area was checked. Right on the bank of the river/stream. Even the bones, the few that remain. These are all similar in so many of the cases in his “Missing 411” series. I implore those who are intrigued by this to read his books. Stories which he’s found in archives going back as early as 1500s until modern day… all Facts and all true. I’ve been to Brasil and the Amazon and spent nights there in the rain with a crowd though. But during my time spending a year there in 2015 (at the time I’d not heard of this case), I had asked around about legends within the jungle and there is in fact legends from tribes who never interacted and are thousands of miles apart which regress of some “THING” that comes from the sky or trees that is not visible to humans but devours then to the bone. Basically akin to that in the movie “the predator”.

Janel

I was definitely thinking it looks like her hands might be tied behind her back here.

Anna Tanneberger

Yes! as a hiker myself, it would be totally unnatural to hold your hands behind your back in that way AND bend your body AND twist your body out of alignment. Her whole body is facing towards the right in the picture, almost in profile to the camera, with even her right leg in front of her left leg (a dancer would tell you that her whole body would much more naturally turn to the left, away from the camera) – and then only her face turning right, towards the camera, the upper part of her body following slightly. She is NOT looking at the ground, but at the camera, with her face up. All very different from the happy silly girlie pictures at the beginning.

Louie

That’s the very first thing that crossed my mind…

razeezar

This is an interesting analysis, of this photos and the case in general. There is discussion in reference to a possible cave, but is there any evidence that the girls found a cave besides perhaps Kris’s hair appearing unusually dry in the night photos?

It would be interesting to know exactly where this photo was taken – Is it along the main trail north of the Mirador en route to the stream crossing? Or perhaps it’s an offshoot from the trail along a natural gully that leads to a dead-end? The area behind Kris is quite shadowed, but this seems to me to be more likely dense foliage than a cave. It’s almost as if Kris is in the midst of turning back around at the moment this photo is taken, due to the foliage becoming too dense to proceed any further.

Then consider Kris and Lisanne’s parents when they trekked with a group along the trail, across two streams, until they reached a field with the disintegrating fence posts and the tall lone tree some hundred meters away. They talk as if it would be difficult to branch off the trail, but maybe they did not notice other paths that could have been taken?

Is it possible that Kris and Lisanne reached this field with fencing (past the second stream crossing) and mistook this place to be a different entry to the farm areas which are closer to the trail head ? If so, they may have wandered across the field looking for the original path back and got themselves well and truly lost.

In any case, this doesn’t give any insight as to why there are no photos taken from that day beyond the first stream crossing.

nzam

i found it hard to understand and pickup any of the highlighted objects….i grew up in a tropical country and spent a lot of my childhood exploring woods and secondary jungles around my home with my friends…the way i see it is that the girl have encountered a thick unpenetrable undergrowth at the end of some sort of a gorge….maybe in an effort to find a way through or out of it….when youre at ground level in a jungle its just a green world and colour hues jumbled up in some sort of a mess….and after a while you started noticing odds shapes n colours through the leaves…occassinally there will be thrash thrown around….just my thoughts…

Scott

Wow. Incredible work and interest- level regarding the fate of these human spirits. After exhaustive thought, my theory:

First, respect to family, friends, and the good.

I believe one fell. At that time, she had her phone.

One was left above. She decided to attempt to reach her friend, or help via phone.

She then left the descriptive marker.

The ambulatory friend began to assess how she might reach her friend, but underestimated the difficulty involved, thereby becoming less able to extricate herself from the jungle.

When she finally reached her friend, it was basically too late, or very close to it.

One perished, and then the other.

All items were in one place at this point, and together the elements and biology dispersed them and kept some for the jungle.

The final photo may have been eliminated after thought by the still remaining friend, as it may have been too traumatic for her.

Shock and fear and protecting their family from pain was the goal.

Being disoriented, and losing a companion, hunger, asthma…

This is merely an attempt to make sense.

Speculation is painful.

The truth will always be theirs.

Elissa

Yes there’s a man to her left crouched down wearing beige/ beige/ brown. Just behind her tied hand area. He has a weapon like o jr t in his hands.

aiden

They had plans to meet men there as their boyfriends.Check men they used to Date or seen.

sdrted

== REMOVED BY MODERATORS ==

SwordOfGod

What kind of twisted f*ck stick makes this kind of comment?

Thanks for pointing this out. I’ve removed their comment and blocked them from reposting.

bob

It would be scarey.they could got attack by animal.

I too believe this is most likely what happened. one girl got hurt, i think in the fall the camera got wet and bumped. if you break your ankle in a fall and die your foot is likely to be found IN the shoe as is what happened. I think they were lost. Exhausted and waited somewhere near water for days. I think the camera dried and started working again and they took pictures at night. Maybe one girl regained consciousness at night and took the pictures. Packed up the bag, left it, and tried to walk out. Rainfall probably washed the bag into the water. Or locals found the bodies and stole the bag and items. Only returning them in hopes of getting the reward. I wonder why the girls didn’t do any text messages… even if they never got through? Were their phones not able to text? Or if someone deleted them?

Jennifer Levine

THANK GOD SOMEONE IS SEEING WHAT I SEE. I HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE PIT PICTURE FOR YEARS, YOU CLEARLY SEE A GATELIKE STRUCTURE OVER THE PIT

I don’t see any pit. I have spent a lifetime walking in the forest near my home and I don’t see the odd things that people see. What I DO see is a very definite path. A well-worn path. And it seems to be leading to a dead-end. Could be that the path turns sharp right or left (out of the frame) or continues up ahead after a short scramble. But she is definitely on a well-worn path. Well-worn paths do not lead into a pit.

Perhaps someone has just hit Kris on the right side of her head and she is putting her hand up to where it hurts. She can’t be shielding her eyes from the sun, as no shadow is falling over her eyes. However, if this photo showed that someone had hit her, why would the culprit not delete it along with photo 509. It would also show that the photos had been truly messed about with, as this one is supposed to come before the photos of her crossing the stream. Perplexing to say the least.

I was looking at the photographs again and something caught my eye. I don’t know if you’ve noticed this or not. When the girls were vacationing in South Panama it shows a photo of them in the ocean, and behind them in the ocean is a fat white man seemingly staring at them. Jump forward to Boquette now and you will see a photo of the girls in the street, and behind them is a shirtless fat white man. Could it be the same man in both photos

Jorge Ortiz

He leído toda la compilación y visto la mayoría de videos. Hay incongruencias en fechas y horas de los testigos y de los registros de los teléfonos y la cámara, pero lo que más me ha inquietado es la foto 506. Ella divide en dos la historia: las fotos anteriores a la 506 son de alegría, la foto 506 es de pánico y la 507 y 508 de preocupación. El después, es pánico y preocupación. Los expertos en conductas humanas (psicólogos, antropólogos, etc.), podrían darnos explicaciones de la posición del cuerpo, de las manos y la expresión del rostro en la foto 506. Kris en esta foto, tiene sus manos atrás, que podrían estar atadas o esposadas . Yo veo en el fondo de la foto 506, adjunto al muslo, la pierna y el pie izquierdo de Kris, una silueta de un hombre joven, con sombrero de copa alta y ala ancha (al estilo de los sheriff norteamericanos), con una manta blanca sobre sus hombros,tronco y brazos y un rifle o escopeta en posición horizontal sobre sus manos.

That is an interesting photo taken of Kris Kremers under the slatted roof. Is the time that photo was taken known? I would think they had to be pretty far into the jungle to have come across that slat roof structure. Was it taken on the afternoon of April 1st before their first distress call?

Ray

Why go to another country to hike when America and other safer countrys have plenty of hiking places ?

Hi Ray, thank you for your comment. Adventurers and travelers seek different experiences. Being in a foreign country, in the tropical rainforests, especially for young curious minds, is a very unique experience. Kris Kremers and Lisanne Froon were both adventurers.

I’ve travelled through Central and South America quite a bit and these experiences can’t be found elsewhere. Certainly, each country around the world offers valuable experiences in their own way. Central America is notably inexpensive, free spirited, less commercialized and is typically hospitable to travelers, therefore many travelers from around the world seek these adventures.

One could argue that the inherent risk of traveling to under-developed countries is exciting for the reason that there’s potential danger and less authoritative control. On one hand, it’s more liberating and freeing. On the other hand, it’s more dangerous and risky.

joseph rufo

as soon as u see 1 photoshopped pic u know something is wrong,, the bag turned up to keep the police from searching the jungle

Hi Joseph, Thanks for your comment. Can you provide more information about photos of the girls “being in bad shape”? Where did you hear this? I’m very curious – I’ve heard rumors but have never found verified information. Also, where did learn that her brother mistakenly put the hair photo online? Thanks for any information you can provide.

All comments are held for moderation prior to being published. No replies are deleted except in rare cases of spam, inappropriate language/links, or disrespect to another contributor.

Thank you and cheers

Hello Chris, did you ever get any background on the statements made by Joseph? I’d love to know if these pics exsist.

Hi Louie, Unfortunately no. I never received a response.

After the backpack was found the family got to see the pictures and the case was ruled an accident presumably the 30 or so pics the family didnt release showed the girls in bad shape,, the case went from foul play to accident after the pics were seen.. the pic of the girls hair was put on internet by her brother or something like that and was quickly photoshopped , the wound and eye were concealed

If you think America is a “safe” country you’re extremely ignorant or niieve. This story and all the bizarre features surrounding it as strange as they are, are actually very much similar to the thousands that have been put together by former cop and forest ranger David Pauladis’ series of books “Missing 411”. 90% take place right here in the US in state parks. The FBI and others have continuously tried to stonewall him from publicly making these cases and their bizarre circumstances publicly known.

Celi

If you think America is safe you are ignorant! Do you have any idea how many people of all ages go missing here every single day. Hundreds! Fact. Check out David Paulides’s accounts of people who go missing every day in state parks. It’s disturbing.

Janice

Looks like she’s holding her hand up to shield her eyes

E

It looks like a turtle shell hanging on the right side of the picture (it’s further up). Also right inside the cave looks like a fox or something similar is painted on the rock. And her shirt is pushed up.

Jim

To Janice – To me it looks as if she’s holding up one hand cupping her ear as if to hear something being shouted to her.

Anna

That’s what I see as well. Like she was scouting and turned back to talk to Lisanne, shielding her eyes from the sun to see her.

Lori

Omg…Im staring at this pic. It does look like a manmade structure. The sign actually looks like a door with light shining thru….thats crazy.

Jonathan Scott

I am thinking while I am writing so please be patient with me. I bounce around a little and try to get to the crux of the issue. I am trying not to speculate but where is the firm incontrovertible starting point?

We are dealing with history here. History is not a science but it can include some science. We have no final police report only a lot of leaked info much second hand and multiple hand. Hard noncontroversial evidence is very limited and what there is is open to interpretation. I must have been living in a cave and totally preoccupied with myself when this happened because I only stumbled across this via a Youtube video ( one of many) by Juan Perea Y Monsuwé on Friday. He has collected much that is out there but still the majority is second hand and we have no information as to the voracity. He goes down some intriguing avenues which while I may not agree with either the direction or point have value because they stimulate me to think.

How certain are we that they started at the trail head as we are told? Is this in dispute? I have seen comment to suggest that they could have made the trip to the divide returned and then gone to another place but then why no more fotos on either phone or camera? Did they each have a camera or only Lisanne? if both then was the other found in their room?

I would start at both ends of the trail meaning working forward from where they started their walk and backwards from where their pathetic remains were found. If it is not possible to join those two points together then that would at least shine light on the possibility that a third party was involved at some point leading to the appauling possibility that they genuinely were lost for some time (until the 5th?) and then found by someone and then the real nightmare started.

What is clear is that on that fateful day the girls went out for a short hike and never came back. They were only 2 weeks into their trip and only on their 4th day in Boquete so they were innocents abroad and would have been broadcasting that to all who cared to look.

Everything suggests they had no clue what they were doing when they took the taxi to the start of the trail. Wearing minimal clothing, no knife of compass which were left in their room. We do not know what other clothing or items they possibly took. This was incredibly naive but then they only just arrived.. What took them past the divide? Had someone told them about something worth seeing? Also why did they go alone without a guide? So many questions and there is no clear starting place like a police report to read.

Something drastic happened it is clear but what exactly and where exactly? The theories go from accident to a crime to a combination of both. Regarding accidents (My father a doctor always said accidents do not exist. Bu that he meant an outcome which had no human input to the consequences. They are 99.999999% preventable. The overriding input is human. It is clear they contributed much to this by their actions.

From my own gutt feeling I see only a very preventable accident. Why? because why else would they have continued access to their phones for the next week? OK I see the conspiracy theorists saying someone else had their phones but who else would know to try 112 which is the common emergency number for EU countries? Also we are in the realms of Hollywood if we need such a calm and calculating mind at work other than those of the girls to abduct and or kill them and then orchestrate a smokescreen. The simplest is for them to disappear…. incredibly complicated for a new story to be written.

It IS strange that the attempted SOS calls were so few. That does not make sense if they were genuine. Also there is a consistency to the timing of SOS attempts occurring two times each day +/ a few minutes of the exact same time. WHY? This makes no sense. If you are sending an SOS message then they are received 24 hours a day. Also mobile signals are better at night yet no calls were attempted. The limited number of attempts especially on the first day is very strange. I would expect especially on the first day for total panic to occur and multiple attempts to be made until a decision was made to save battery strength. Also and I am assuming the phones where in their possession the phones actually did acquire a signal some times but clearly they were not being used so they did not know.

Let me dampen the third party argument by asking IF their end was at the hands of another person…why not simply bury the rucksack rather than all the elaborate need for photoshopping and phones used in the hands of a third party… ?

Phone records. What is peculiar is that there were no attempts to contact anyone other than the emergency services. There IS anecdotal info that Lisannes BF made contact with her at 1400 or so on the 1st April but maybe that was Dutch time not Panama time? Maybe the girls were not so clever at tech but they did not leave voice or video memos to document their predicament… not goodbye messages for family. The camera had a video function this could have been used including of course sound. Whatever happened and if it did not include a third party must have been serious and traumatic because we live in selfie times and as can be seen from their earlier fotos… they were in the selfie zone. I just find it strange that no video diary or fotos of each other made after 508.

There is much speculation about the night time fotos made using the Cannon. They make no sense in spite of the speculation. It is almost as if they are deliberately not to tell anything rather than the much speculated “something”. Also why make them at night and not during the day? Why no video diary? This is why the ping data can help because it can show if they were in one place or moving.

As for the wrong password entry. I do not know. Do mobile phones store the number entered? If so then those could tell some information. But even when a phone is locked after thee attempts the screen says emergency calls only. Something happened between the morning and afternoon of the 5th because it was in the afternoon that a wrong pin was entered and subsequently every time thereafter. This means either the user became incapacitated and was not operating the phone or was seriously confused.

I could go on and on but to conclude.

Between taking the last foto (Nr 508) at 12:54 local time and the first SOS call at 16:39 local time something happened. This was either something catastrophic or a developing situation due for example to them getting lost. Why no more fotos were taken after 508 on the 1st until the nighttime session on the 7/8th? To begin with his suggests either they walked into dense dark forest so there was no foto ops or it stopped being fun and started to become serious so somewhere not far beyond that stream did they met a fateful fork in the path which took them towards oblivion.

If their experience was catastrophic that that happened shortly before 16:36 UNLESS both were incapacitated and sense only returned at 16:36. It would be interesting to see a map of possible mobile blackspots because it seems where ever they were IF STATIONARY then they were on the extreme edge or reception dependent on atmospherics. and happened to Kris that would explain why Lisanne’s phone was first one used to make an SOS call. What I find unusual is that in a panic they did not repeatedly try unless she kept pressing redial and that does not register as a second attempt. What confuses this is that after Kris’s phone dies then on the 5th during the afternoon SOS attempt a wrong pin is input on Lisanne’s phone and indeed continues to be input until the end.

I become very confused and not starting from Go and not knowing what is fact and what is anecdotal I just do not know. I would like to know their movements precisely from arriving in Boquete. Where they went and who they talked to in order to build up an idea about what motivated them to take that fateful walk and what information could have taken them down the other side of the divide. Also important is who they met because two tall and very attractive new arrivals would certainly get all the boys tongues wagging.

A very disturbing and sad mystery.

French Emma

^ But the galvanized sign marking the terminus of the Pianista isn’t really the “end of the trail.” In fact, there’s a very obvious, albeit mud-choked, passage that goes down the other side of the crest—only to intersect with an entire web of paths constructed and used primarily by members of the indigenous Ngobe tribe. These nameless trails aren’t monitored or maintained by park rangers. They’re also exceptionally rugged and dangerous, especially during the April-to-October wet season. The Lost Girls of Panama: The Full Story ^ From that point the trail leads over another dangerous cable bridge, and two more rickety plank swing-bridges, before reaching the Ngobe village of Alto Romero on the banks of the Culebra. The Lost Girls of Panama: The Full Story

Zach P

The photo to me appears that she simply is bending over to get the sun out of her eyes, with her right hand help up to shield the sun. However being one of the last photos taken this location would be incredibly important to have investigated back in 2014 (or even still). The rock in the riverbed is very distinctive – was this location ever found and explored? Clearly the trash on the rocks indicates it had active people.

Jason

Didn’t they cross the line where it had a clear sign not to cross it? If anything, that is an evidence that they were taking more risks than a regular tourist/hiker, so being lost and/or injured seems to me much more reasonable explanation (than murdered) based on that.

Hi Jason, thanks for you comment. From my understanding, there was no warning signs on the trail. They added a caution sign after their disappearance for this exact reason. I previously read that online, although it was a while ago and I can’t remember where I read that. If you find more info about this, please feel free to share it. Thanks and cheers.

Nick Montanaro

The black and red object above is clearly a decayed plant leaf. You will notice another branch of dead leaf just below it. It belongs to the long green leaves we are seeing up there. The red is the sunlight shining through the dead curled leaves. There is no question that’s what it is. The blue object looks like it could be a crushed beer can. Why is no one talking about what appears to be a rock painting or a carving 3-4 feet in front of her? (From our perspective to the right of her directly in front of her feet about waist high).

Paul Glen Nielsen

I’m curious to know if they had a camera why wouldn’t they make a final message for family telling us and them what happened? Possibly ambushed and didn’t have time? One of them probably fell got hurt, a local found them said they would help and well they didn’t help they killed them and dumped in River knowing the river would remove any evidence.

Marlene Treest

Yes indeed!I hadn’t noticed that before!is it a carved rock of sorts?.

Gigle

Probably the culprit or stupid tribe didn’t delete anything coz they took pictures on purpose .for example to sell the footage .but allready the police or parents who asked the investigator to delete it .they just simply didn’t want to show it to everyone

Do you or anyone else that you know of have any idea where in Panama this photo was taken? Thank you, and keep up the good work.

Evan

She does look slightly uneasy but I just think it was a photo she wasn’t expecting. Her hands are not tied. Right hand is on her hip/slightly behind back, the left is hanging down on her side or in her pocket I can’t tell. Does anyone know what the orange string is on the left of the photo?

Debbie, I agree. Out of all the photos that have been released this photo disturbs me the most. There just seems to be something wrong about this photo, and I don’t like her expression. I think she’s frightened

Lacie

Not only does it look like her hands are tied behind her back,but if you zoom in on just her,her expression does not look happy at all,and she is looking off to somewhere beside the camera,she isn’t even looking at the camera,and there appears to be blood in her hair on both sides of her head and her hair is clearly a mess.maybe this photo was taken after their captured, possibly by whoever captured them

One obvious question —- has anybody ever found the place that is in this photograph. The place itself might reveal some clues as to what sort of person or people would construct it and what are the chances of them doing something bad.

Thank you, Sue. I would like to know the answer to that question also. I would also like to know the time that photo was taken that day. I’ve seen the chronological order of the photos posted by Scarlet and some of the strikes me as being askew. I wish I had them as actual photographs that I could shuffle around until I can place them in the order in which I think they were taken. Does anyone agree with me?

Hi Nick, yes I would agree that the red object above is just decaying plant material. I am assuming that the rock painting you refer to is the round orange patch on the right. To me it looks like the chopped off end of a thick tree branch. Have you looked closely at what Chris has labelled the “insignia”. I don’t know what Chris means by this, but at first I thought it was a wooden post sticking up from the ground and painted white at the top. However, on closer inspection you can see that the left hand side of the “post” is really a vine or root hanging straight down and the white at the top is a patch of light in the background, as if there was a small narrow window in the bank Through which the sun is shining and it also looks as though someone is looking through it at Kris. You can see a kind of nose and lips. Someone with darkish skin. I really feel that this place is the key to what happened to the girls. Would they really have gone along a dark spooky ravine, which is obviously a dead end, if they were trying to find their way back to Boquete? I think someone took them there.

Hi Jim, That particular photo was supposed to have been taken at 1.20 pm. However, a lot of the photos seem to have been tampered with and one of them was even deleted from their camera, which could only have been done using a computer. Apparently it would also have been easy to alter the time stamps on the photos.

As you say, it might be better if you were able to lay out the photos and see how they “seem” to fit together. Are you familiar with the Koude Kaas blogs about this case? They are really good, especially parts 3 and 4, which give a lot of information about the girls’ photos. Happy reading!

Yes, thank you, Sue. I am very familiar with the Koude Kas posts.

At 2:50 they start walking up to what I believe is the location in this photograph

https://youtu.be/gnfol1KfUPc

Baber

Not a cave but an old bridge you can see the railing and bridge post and there is a weird shadow to the left behind the railing

Jane VanDeMark

That is EXACTLY what it looks like to me! I don’t know if this photo is before or after a photo where Kris appears to have mud on her legs and on her arm. ALSO, I really want to know where and when Kris quit wearing her backpack!

I read that the backpack belonged to Lisanne Froon.

Amber

I thought that as well.

Coco

She looks as if her hands are above her head in a way someone would have them if a police officer were to tell them to put their hands above their head. Maybe she’s told to put her hands up and walk into this structure. She turned around and they snapped a photo. In other pictures of her crossing water she is clearly dirty with her hair up. Maybe a struggle or fall?

Darilyn

In the picture of her in the Cave? Why are both her hands behind her back? In all the other pictures she is always got her arms visible, I find this very odd

Darcie Clark

Why were their no scratches on bones?

Jim Bennett

Who said there weren’t any scratches on the bones?

“There are no discernible scratches of any kind on the bones, neither of natural nor cultural origin— there are no marks on the bones at all. There’s no evidence that animals scavenged the Holandesas.“

– Panamanian IMELCF Forensic Anthropologist

This is from the Daily Beast interview with Jeremy Kryt titled: “The Lost Girls, the Bones, and the Man in the Panama Morgue”

Thank you, Chris. I have not read that.

Here’s what I think happened. They decided to take that short hike, but they failed to tell anyone where they were going and what time to expect them back. It’s not a very long trail and I think when they got to the end of the trail they made their really big mistake. They decided to enter the jungle, but they failed to mark their entry point into the jungle with a stack of rocks or some such marking. After frolicking in the sun and taking photos for a while they decided it was time to return home, BUT they had no idea where they entered the jungle so they could not find the way out of the jungle back go to the trail. I think this picture of Kris is a picture of her circling around looking for where they entered the jungle. They very quickly realized that they could not find the point where they entered the jungle and if they were in trouble, and that is when the 911 calls started. They were lost very shortly after arriving at their destination, And then they made a huge mistake by heading due north to find their way back home and they should have been going to the southeast.

Lolo

Best explanation I’ve heard

fgkjl

I know AMAZING explanition it is sad they are dead but my friend said they might be faking and Lisanne froon and kris kremer ate people to fake their bones but I think my friend is wrong. What do you think??

I just gave the brief overall story of what I think happened. I did not cover all of the accidents and trials and tribulations along the way leading to their death.Jim

To Jane – I just gave the brief overall story of what I think happened. I did not cover all of the accidents and trials and tribulations along the way leading to their death.

Jane, Recently I have been reading that it is not unusual for people that hike or run in dangerous places and go missing that a shoe with a foot is found. Sometimes that is all that is found. When a bad break happens at ankle level and the body decomposes and gets scavenged once the flesh and muscle is gone the foot and shoe are separated from the rest of the leg. Search shoe with foot in it found.

100 calls to 911, and NOT ONE attempted call to immediate family? NOT A SINGLE ONE? Even though both kept contact with their families daily through messaging and calls? “Forced disappearance”. In Latin America, it is as common as drinking coffee.

Lisanne would gave definitely called her mother AT LEAST ONCE because, listen to this – this is from her own diary written just two days before their disappearance: “I’m sitting here, with tears in my eyes and rolling down my cheeks….The transition from two weeks of lively holiday to stepping into the life of a real Panamanian family is just too much for me… I want MOM and dad to hold me tight and tell me that everything will be alright… I now feel like a small child of 2 yelling for her mother who is 2 meters away…”

After this, can ANYONE IN THIS WORLD still doubt that this girl WOULD NOT HAVE WRITTEN OR PHONED HER MOTHER FOR TWO WEEKS when she also called the police 100 times? Nonsense.

Marcello

I agree that her hands look like they are over head. One indication is that I cannot see the shoulder strap of her top that is obscured by her white/fair forearm.

Regarding the photos, I have no idea why they would be taking these, deleted some later and left this one, especially since the ribbed roofing structure is somewhat obvious. It would be like a marker for anyone to see.

Or whoever deleted the photos may have overlooked to delete this one as they could have done it in a hurry as well.

I think that she has her hand to her ear,she looks like she is trying to hear what someone is saying,and also,the light is in her eyes;.It looks like she has twisted herself around in doing so.

Chyna Lee

The ‘hand painted insignia’ looks more like a face to me.. I see the nose and mouth and possibly and eye, like they were trying to hide from the girls or camera and peaking behind branches… creepy

Yes, I can see that too Chyna Lee. The insignia looks more like a darkish skinned face peering through a narrow window and observing the girls from behind some sort of screen. I do not see any eyes, but I can definitely see a nose and a mouth. Hope this was not a member of one of those mad religious sects that, over the years, have been torturing and killing people in Panama. There has recently been something in the news about it.

The structure at the back of this small ravine looks like a hideout that a military man might make, as part of survival training in the jungle. Look for an ex-military man who may be the culprit. ……… Just trying to get as many ideas together as possible, so that some clue may surface one day.

Mohaiminul Islam

Nice investigation. At least the trash element and roof structure looks like very strong evidence. But, Who took the photos on later dates??If they were attacked by people immidiately after this, how they took the photos?? And if suspects were clicking photos, and knew how to operate a smartphone, they would not return the phones.

Hi Mohaiminul, you mention some good questions. Unfortunately we don’t have a lot of answers to your questions.

There are plenty of reasonable explanations for why someone would have returned the phones and the backpack. Returning the phones + money immediately made it look like they weren’t attacked for robbery.

I believe the backpack was placed near the river in order to indicate where the remains would be found (like a flag), and perhaps the backpack was provided in hopes to receive the reward money, and the location of the backpack meant that searches would move to a different location (potentially because the police were too close to the suspects at the time). If one or both of the phones were missing, it would have generated more questions.

This is speculation. Of course, nobody knows exactly why things happened.

Thanks for your comment!

Only a fool thinks they were attacked by people. They got lost and they died of starvation and a hard ration, except for Chriss. Rest fell off of the one hour bridge in Bastrop brains and on the rocks below some photos show her dead body laying down there.

Hi Jim, I appreciate your comments but please lay off the language of calling people fools. You’re welcome to do that other places online. I’ve kept comments on this article open for civil and respectful discussion.

Nobody knows what happened to Kris and Lisanne and everything is open to speculation until more information is found. Some people believe the two girls got lost lost, some people believe the third-party theory and some people have mixed theories. I lean towards the third-party theory although I recognize the conflicting aspects of that theory. There’s so much conflicting information regardless of which theory is chosen. We simply don’t have enough information at this time.

Thanks and cheers

Tom

Hi Chris, I agree that discussion should be civil but this comment section has turned into something which I consider to be absolutely ridiculous. People claiming the floor is made out of skulls, that there is a booby trap above her head, that there are 5 men with rifles watching her, that there are snakes hanging down, that she is at some sort of human sacrificial alter etc.

Out of respect for the girl’s families, I think that comments like this, which I argue turn this case into some sort of entertaining Netflix series, should be removed. They do nothing to further discourse surrounding this tragedy and only attract people who think it’s fun to join in with conspiracies about the deaths of these two very real girls with very real families (who are suffering tremendous heartbreak).

It’s very disappointing to see the comment sections on this website to be allowed to turn into a very disrespectful and unfunny joke. Particularly given that you have very admirable aspirations for what you intend to do by investigating the trail on the ground.

For this website’s credibility I would strongly recommend more thorough moderation of people’s comments. Of course there is room for healthy and rational speculation surrounding what happened but the vast majority of these theories are absolutely ridiculous and downright disrespectful.

Judy

Has anyone thought to look further into the host’s dog (Blue)? They took the dog with them on the walk and it came back the next morning but they didn’t… there had to have been some clues – maybe like how far could the dog have gone and still find it’s way back home? The timeline could have been enhanced with this info. There may be some evidence on it’s fur like fingerprints…dna…plant/vegetation etc. I’m not sure if people can really talk with animals but i sure would try and see by calling on a few and get their opinion. Seems like no one has taken off in the direction of the dog and what it could have offered us. What do you think?

Jon Scott

Be careful. Much information is second hand. We have no police report to read which it’s self may also contain errors. Think. IF there was a dog with them why then did they not photograph it? Indeed it does not even accidentally appear. What I have not found is concrete evidence of where they went. Depending on how many mobile towers there are the police should have information. Even if there is only one it can provide information of they were not which is important to reduce the places they could be because much of the conspiracy theories I see seem to suggest they were not on the trail. Possibly that info can help. Also I have read that during the time they tried to contact emergency services one phone connected albeit briefly. Where is the Ping for that time? Also subsequently one or the other phone connected without them obviously knowing. Where are those Pings? The critical time is between the last foto and the first SOS call. Also the severity of the situation would dictate the time to the first SOS call. A serious accident….immediate…getting lost just building panic. I am not an investigator but I find it very strange that there were no witnesses found either tourists or locals on the trail. perhaps there is much that was missed by a very bungled police investigation. After any incident the first 24 hours are critical and it seems all that time was lost. One thing which confused me were the “bras” the smaller one looks more like a bikini top. Why would they remove them? It is cooler at those altitudes but also inside the forest it will be more humid. Daytime would be sweaty but what about at night when the temperature would be down in the 50-60s? Surely they would put them back on if only for a little insulation.

The girls went for a swim in a rock pool. Hence the bras and everything safely stacked in the backpack together – both girls’ sunglasses and both girls’ phones (otherwise each girl would be carrying her own phone). Someone watched them swimming. Perhaps this is someone who had already joined them along the trail, and that only one of the girls was cool with the third party – that’s why the complete change from the first exuberant pictures. Kris was not happy with the situation and was just going along and not looking too cheerful in the pictures. The picture where she is crossing the stream and looking back, her smile looks forced. Perhaps this stranger had suggested he could guide them on a more interesting trail, or show them something interesting in the jungle. Kris had her doubts but was jollied along by the more trusting girl.

Apparently the dog had no comment. I’m sorry but the question deserves a dumb answer. With all the misinformation thrown out there and poor follow up work (likely to protect tourism), any ones guess is possible. I find it odd that the young American girl was murdered not long after this not far away as with the taxi driver who was found depended likely murdered. Perhaps he gave some other persons a lift with the girls as is one of the stories out there. Just a few weeks later he’s found dead. And hen you have body parts belonging to other persons also found with these girls. I think murder is quite likely.

Jennifer

On the far right – upper right – of the photo. There’s some orange with white dots. Zooming in …I swear it’s a person standing Hidden amongst the tangle with body paint. The lower orange being around the belly area. Then again, my brain may be playing tricks from staring at it too long.

dot

I just realized Blue, the guide dog who often walks hikers up the trail, whose return home without the girls alerted locals they were missing, IS NOT IN ANY OF L & K pictures. He walked the trail with K’s parents, a sweet friendly lovely dog companion with big wise blue eyes, he is prominent in the video made by K’s parents as they walked the trail. But I see him in none of L&K’s photos. Not lurking or following the girls or walking beside them; nothing. L&K photographed every part of the walk from the farm up to the summit; dog appears in none of their photos. He wasn’t walking with them. No dog. Why? Weird.

I prefer to think that the two girls had some sort of accident, still horrific but better than being murdered. However having just seen a darkened and reddened photo (the one of the back of Kris’s strawberry blonde hair) you can see, in the top left, a door frame at the bottom of which is a dark floor. On the bottom right of the photo it looks as though her hair is wrapped around somebody’s fingers, or rather someone has their fingers wrapped around her hair. Her hair is also too clean and shiny for someone who has been out in the jungle for 8 days. Her skin does not look pallid like that of a dead person, it is still pink. She must therefore be in a house or building of some kind and therefore being kept prisoner at least for the 8 days before that photo was taken. I think the girls were made or persuaded against their wishes and by persons unknown, to go beyond the end of the Pianista trail to goodness knows where!

emily

Hello, where can i see this photo?

From Chris’s other article it seems the girls took a taxi to the hiking starting point? The Taxi driver was found dead later so no idea how much of this could be confirmed.

If they did, then I’m wondering if the dog named Blue went with them or was allowed in the taxi.

Yvette

This story struck my heart. I often keep reading things online hoping that they solved the case, but unfortunately it doesn’t look like they really have. I’m impressed how you were able to see the other things in the photo. At first glance I just thought she was looking for something. You have a good eye! thank you for sharing this. I hope one day they will find more answers.

Cherish

Wow, there’s a lot going on in this picture. & very very eerie all in all- I think you’re absolutely right on it’s significance. …

Could the structure built above be some sort of a net or trapping device? & is that some sort of an entrance to a cave or another makeshift structure she’s crouching to take a look inside- or is a part of the trail in that spot purposefully made lower & narrower in order to pass through? Also there’s a distinct small x made of branches or plastic in the top-mid right corner of the pic amongst the foliage that looks a part of the make shift roof/net.

Could fishing line be being used to secure all this making it hard to see, & could that blue object on the ground be part of the roof device- step on it & it triggers it or something like that?

& the way the local police handled it seems so botched making it stranger, & why keep some pictures hidden from the public still, especially if the case is “closed” now? The last set of pics is especially chilling to me, my first thought was Lisanne may have been bound & hurt & somehow able to gain access to the camera & made a last attempt to signal for help or document everything around her as best she could & that’s why all the angles are so awkward & unfocused.

Another thing that crossed my mind is what if the backpack & items had been kept as like a trophy of the killings, & a local knew that’s what it was aware of the incident & grabbed it & left it somewhere to be found to try & help shed light on the case the best way they could. …

I could be wrong but scanning through the comments didn’t see some of these things being discussed, & thought I’d put my 2 sense in! I hope justice is found for these girls, so very sad & just horrifying. 🙁

Sejia

Not to mention her hair was down in the photos at the beginning of the hike and now they appear to be in at least two pony tails where devil horns would be. And the black mark on her face. It looks straight and like it may go over the eye and above it. It looks like there may be some red on her face too or other markings. And I cannot fathom standing this way, hands behind the back and turned like that unless my hands were restricted behind my back. Maybe someone had her in there sitting on the rock, and she heard them coming back and got up quickly to turn around. It seems likely it was tribal. They may not have even know what they were doing, taking pictures, if they weren’t familiar with technology, and tossed the phone again at some point for the girls to grab to attempt the emergency calls and taken it back at some point after. Or maybe the girls were using the flash as light in the dark. Im baffled as to why this case hasn’t been investigated more, if not for protecting an indigenous tribe. I dont see any confirmation from law enforcement either as to whether or not the white bones were tested for bleaching.

The indigenous people know how to use phones – watch the Kinga documentary

A lot of times countries don’t want investigations to be publicized or they shut them down as best they can in order for their tourist trade to not be hurt!!!!!

Marilyn McHenry

The backpack and all the contents are so confusing. There’s no telling how many people touched it before the police got it. The chain of custody is muddy. Beyond that, the police are even suspect in altering evidence and not preserving it. Trials are too costly.

The case needs solid evidence and/or solid witnesses coming forward. A witness who won’t be staying in Panama for long. A piece of evidence that is irrefutable. Chris, I hope you and a team go but I also understand, in the present age of uncertainty, if you don’t.

Hi Marilyn,

I agree with you. I believe that the case was handled so poorly that it leads one to believe that it was intentionally handled as such. They had more than enough evidence and leads to solve the case – but they ignored so much of the evidence. This level of negligence and irresponsibility would be considered criminal in a developed country.

And why? For what reason? If they had solved the case, the international community (and the families) would have been satisfied and let it fade into history. But because of their theatrics and ignoring the evidence, the story and curiosity will continue to keep this case alive.

You mention the research team. It’s interesting – numerous people have contacted me anonymously and informed me that there are already multiple existing research teams that are investigating this case privately. I was surprised to learn that. The people in Panama may be afraid to speak, but in Europe, the USA and other Central American countries there are pods of people still working on the case. I’ve even been contacted by people in Asia.

This case is certainly not finished. People have long realized that it’s up to the public to solve this. There is an international consortium working behind the scenes to slowly and methodically continue the investigation. From my understanding, the various “teams” communicate with each other about which parts of the case they are investigating, and collaborate occasionally to share information. I knew there was a lot of interest in the case but I never expected to find a sophisticated group collaborating at this level. We live in interesting times.

Solvable: yes; but with each year that goes by less likely. Brought to trial and prosecuted successfully: highly unlikely, less than 1%. Likelihood the predator will strike again: 99.9% unless predator has died.

The predator is methodical. He has some resources at his disposal. I have a working theory of the predator (not a specific name). I would prefer to stay anonymous and off the website, so you have permission to use my email. I don’t appreciate the internet trolls who dump havoc on peoples’ insights. I agree with you that what happened is not some misadventure. It most certainly is not a joke. Thanks for your consideration with this comment.

My sole concern is for the young women who lost their lives for absolutely no reason. They came to learn a language and embrace a culture. They showed an incredibly brave independence which was repaid with murder. They should be alive and flourishing today. May the case stay alive and well. Thanks for all you are doing Chris.

Jane

Again, I stress that these kind of murder cases are frequently shut down by the media of the country at the direction of the government. Also, sometimes the investigations go dead because the government wants the story to go away in order for the tourist trade to not be hurt.

I also live in a third-world country about which it was said that investigations were shut down, or botched, to “protect the tourist industry.” I can assure you that is nonsense. If anything, they work harder to try and bring anyone to justice that harms a tourist. Perhaps every murder in the first world is resolved. Not in the third world. That is why the poor often resort to vigilantism. The rich live in gated communities.

Hi Anna, you’re casting a wide net when you say “If anything, they work harder to try and bring anyone to justice that harms a tourist.”

I’m very curious what your experience is living in Latin America, because generalizations like your statement are certainly inconsistent with many disappearance stories and law enforcement activity here. For more background and insight, please feel free to read some of the disappearance stories I’ve written about:

https://imperfectplan.com/disappearances/

Latin America has tens of thousands of small communities, all of which operate slightly differently to some degree. Political corruption runs rampant, depending on the community, which has a cascading effect on law enforcement and local crime. Local authorities don’t often feel a sense of responsibility to victims and their families. Instead, they think “What words can I say to make my local population feel better?” – After all, locals elect these same authorities.

Numerous families of disappeared family members have contacted me from my writing and the following is nearly always the sentiment they convey: Local authorities are unreliable, careless, slow to respond, even slower to take action, and they often hinder the family’s own investigations.

Yes, you are correct that numerous communities do work hard to bring criminals to justice. But in numerous case there are adverse priorities that lead to incompetence in disappearance investigations. Bringing justice to assailants that harm tourists is very often not a top priority, and it shows through the number of botched investigations.

Poverty, culture and crime in Latin America are different than poor nations in Asia and Africa. In Latin America, gangs, cartels and human traffickers work very effectively in unison to carry out organized crime. And they’re gaining steam in recent years. This is the reason that police, journalists and military personnel often disappear and governments struggle to combat crime, not to mention corruption within law enforcement itself.

To touch on the disappearance case of Kris Kremers and Lisanne Froon, we can vividly see the incompetence that took place, even under the spotlight of international pressure. Most disappearance cases don’t get such publicity, so you can imagine how much less effort goes into them.

I’m curious about your experience living abroad. Feel free to comment again or send me an email.

Hello again Chris!

I have questions:

1. Do we know who owned the dog named Blue (aka Azul). Was the dog fed and watered by a family as opposed to being one of the many feral dogs in Latin America? Sorry to bring up the dog again. 2. Were the photos altered in any way or is this a presumption? I’ve seen cases in which political frenemies were erased out of photos without a trace. Does this take a high level of tech knowledge and a computer? 3. Is there much shareable knowledge about the gang in the area? Do they deal in weapons, drugs, porn? Rights of initiation? Is there a particular name, symbol or color associated with the gang? Are they low-level or sophisticated or a combo or both? 4. Is there a head count of how many people have perished using the hiking trail in, say the last 10 years? Is it a reasonable number?

This link answers some of those questions: Kris Kremers Case: The People Involved (Reference Guide)

1. Yes the dog was owned by Giovanni and Doris, the owners of Il Pianista Restaurant. 2. Yes, the photo data was manipulated. Photo #509 was permanently deleted which takes advanced technical knowledge, plus a computer. Also, #509 was deleted after all of the other photos were taken, which means someone went back and deleted it after all of the nighttime photos were taken. Some people claim that maybe photo #509 could have been “corrupted” as some sort of faulty camera configuration, but that wouldn’t make sense – even corrupted files retain some data and bits of the original file itself. That photo was wiped clean from the SD card, which is a strong clue that someone deleted it after the other photos were taken. Regarding the existing photos – it’s a big mess. The timing of the photos is incorrect, the resolution of the photos was altered to remove detail (which is why the public only has poor quality photos) and sometimes the photos were different sizes/dimensions. So – without doubt, someone tampered with the photos to some degree. 3. There’s not a lot of information about the gangs in the Boquete area. Most gangs in Panama are not “big” gangs with hundreds of members, like you would find in Mexico and El Salvador. The gangs in Panama are much smaller, usually consisting of between 5 and 30 people. Gang initiation rights are unknown – these small gangs don’t have an official “policy” as you might see with the larger gangs – it’s usually just “do as we say and we’ll protect you”. They earn money through drug trafficking, often theft and sometimes by extorting businesses. Guns are mostly for use in robberies, but these gangs prefer not to leave bullet holes – it’s too obvious. They usually drown their victims, hit and run car accidents, or just “disappear” the victim, etc – anything that ensures there’s no obvious intent to the police. Of course, there are always exceptions. 4. This is a great question. There are no public statistics. However, according to the Daily Beast: “We now know that more than two dozen other victims also were reported in the same region of Panama, including a young woman from the United States found murdered earlier this year.” – From 2017 . In reality, foreigners are usually not the target of gangs. Gangs usually just compete against each other and sometimes tourists are victims of opportunism or caught in the cross-fire. Tourists are usually only targeted when something goes wrong or someone has a specific personal problem with foreigners or a subset of foreigners.

Panama’s government is stuck in a desperate position. They want to protect their tourism industry but they also don’t have the resources to effectively stop gang violence. So they hide a lot of the gang activity and downplay what happens, which exacerbates the problem. Plus, corruption in Panama’s government is rampant. Government corruption perpetuates the proliferation of gang activity. Nobody is safe. Eventually they’ll have to confront these issues or nobody will visit and expats/immigrants/investors will leave. It’s sad because Panama is a beautiful country with a lot of wonderful people.

Karen

This is an excellent analysis. This case really creeps me out, specially the findings and the pictures.

Marie

There is one thing I have wondered about, when did the dog leave them? Why did he leave them? Where did he leave them? There seems to be no pictures of the dog. The dog found his way home.

Hi Marie, There’s no evidence that points to the dog being with them. There was one person that said that the dog “left” with them when they set out on their hike. But dogs in Latin America tend to roam around and go wherever they want – they’re very free here. Therefore we cannot conclude that a dog was even with them.

If the dog was with them, we cannot know for how long, nor why the dog left the girls. There are too many variables involved, so I don’t speculate much about the dog.

Gazza

All Froon and Kremers photos were taking with phones and a camera from six years ago, probably jpeg, with all the associated algorithm issues, let alone we have no idea of the provenance of the photos we are all seeing, I doubt any of it is first generation copies straight from the devices, and every time we copy a photo we risk changing the data somewhat.

I think most of what people are seeing -other than the obvious, of course- is pareidolia…

That said, even if there is a structure there, it has been made clear that there are a lot of trails on the other side of the El Mirador that are used by the indigenes, so it wouldn’t be surprising to see indications of these areas being used.

Think about it. Those two women were wearing very little clothing to be entering bush/jungle, there is no way that they’d easily make their way through vegetation, and, as they were clearly intelligent, why would they voluntarily just walk into dense bush? They were obviously following a trail, and most trails are made by humans, so human presence would be expected, I think.

Thanks for the analysis though, I keep looking for new stuff, this case really gets to me…I can see why people think this was a criminal act -I see that with some aspects of the case, however, I do think that it was the result of injury and or getting lost -I can’t see a criminal 1) letting them keep their phones and camera and 2) letting the camera and phones being discovered…

Hello and thank you for doing such a thorough research. I was visiting Panama and Boquette July 2014, that’s when I first heard about this case and was following it ever since.

I think that this is definitely a murder, because of the rucksack. I was clearly kept elsewhere and planted later. With regards to the photos, they are probably real. I am Photoshop expert, and I promise you that it’s virtually impossible to edit images in any way without it being noticeable at the pixel level. You need to be a Photoshop wizard of substantial level to even attempt this and it would take absolute ages. Not saying that it’s impossible, but very VERY difficult to edit photos seamlessly. Same goes for the hair photo, that people think might be a portion of a previous shot. If you take small part of a bigger image and blow it up to match the size/aspect ratio of other photos on the card, it will still keep the same number of pixels per square inch, but they will become much bigger. So easily noticeable.

The fact that one of the 112 called connected for 2 seconds and they did not redial it immediately, is also well dodgy. After days and days, they finally got a bit of reception and some hope, and they didn’t try again?? No chance. Btw, phones will connect to emergency services with or without sim card being present.

Loads of speculations as to why they didn’t leave messages to their families. Who said they didn’t? If someone had access to their phones, they might have deleted them.

Also, the parents did not release all the images. Do they know more than we do? Highly probable. They would have shared all the info with the private investigators whom they have hired. Panamanian screwed up the investigation monumentally, but I would think that the private detectives followed up all the leads: after all, they were getting paid a lot of money for it. But without DNA samples, finger prints, etc, it’s hard to prove anything.

Really sad story, whichever way you look. Hope there will be a reasonable explanation to everything one day…

Oliver

Hi Chris, i heard of this case a few months ago and i read many articles about it. On one website, almost every user is convinced, that all the daylight pictures were photoshopped, even this one here, No.505. I don’t think so. Who would do this, and why?

In this photo is another object (or two?), which doesn’t look natural. Maybe it’s just pareidolia, but i think it’s a manmade object.

Hi Oliver, I do believe that there’s enough evidence to conclude that some of the photos were graphically edited (photoshopped) but I don’t think this photo was manipulated. I’m not sure though, I’d have to search in my graphic editor again.

You ask good questions. My question is: Who has the ability to manipulate both the camera’s internal storage database and the photos? That’s perplexing to me. It suggest that this case goes deeper than we imagine. Most people in Panama don’t have the expertise, nor equipment to handle these sophisticated tasks. Sure, anyone can do these things with a computer and specialized knowledge – but with this level of competence? I don’t think so.

There are flaws in the manipulations, such as the photo timeline, the inconsistent resolutions, the missing photo (or video), the red lines on the shirt, incorrect shadow positioning, etc. So, their work was good but not perfect.

Which other objects in this photo look unnatural to you? I’m curious.

Thanks for your message!

Hi Chris, i uploaded the photo to show what i see.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/sLXepriuWAxz8t1R9

In the yellow circle could be just a leaf, but not in the red one. I can’t say what it is, but it looks similar to an object, that can be seen in some of the nighttime photos, like in this one here.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/nVA1PDjjeVwULeo66

I hope you understand my english, i’m not a native speaker.

Oliver, I just looked at your 1st link, and I can clearly see a human face in the red circle. I never noticed this before… https://photos.app.goo.gl/sLXepriuWAxz8t1R9 Could be leaves, I suppose, but to me it looks like someone is looking at the them from the vegetation.

Both of these photos were photoshopped! The first all the black area behind her was blackened and smudged. The oddest thing about this photo is the look on her face which looks very distorted. It is extremely easy to photoshop a photo once it has been darkened. You can even see the smudges or blurring on the bottom of the plants into the dark areas in an attempt to blend the darkness area (where something or someone was likely standing). As for the night pics I’m going to also throw this one out there and say the photos were heavily darkened to take away what was really there in view and then the spotty “weather” areas were added over including the “rain drops”. Photoshopping is not hard to do nor is it very tactical as many have proposed here. These photos all look very photoshopped. From 508 onward.

JJ

I think your initial analysis of the photo is spot on. People have been there. The black twigs can be seen growing up, as all vegetation/trees do to harness the sun, but the ones above her are clearly bent in a horizontal and parallel formation. Also the “path” looks to be a dried up river vs a man made path. The smooth rocks would further back that theory up and the blue trash could have just washed up there…perhaps. The real question is wether or not there is a cave or dwelling behind her. If there are documented river paths, this could be a way to find that exact same location.

Kris is sticking her tongue out in this photo. She is obviously excited by the weird place they have found. She would probably have gone into what looks like a cave or hut behind her, which may have been a booby trap leading to a long drop either through the floor or at the back of the cave. Perhaps Kris fell first and Lisanne heard her scream and running in fell herself. Like so many other people I really, really wish we could find the answers to this mystery.

pali

Hi, there sounds plausible but there is something about this case when I start to find some closure that it was an accident OR indeed foul play, I get new evidence from the internet debunking the conclusion I arrived at. I would like to pick your brains on your thoughts about the night photos: 1. of SOS made with a white cloth, 2. the mirror on rock 3. Lisanne or Kris’s hair and head 4. the dried short (Kris’s) 5. both fell but their belongings were intact, no cracks in the phone?

I really hope the girls rest in peace and that nobody goes through this ever. The theory of being lost is so plausible in a Jungle but then the photos ….. the speculation can never end.

Alice

I too noticed a nose and lips appearing. I wondered if it was a mirror or piece of metal and her reflection. Wonder if it could be a piece of an aircraft wreckage…

Winter

This is so surreal. Before you even pointed out the manmade “ceiling” structure I noticed that. She also is DEFINITELY looking to the right of the person with the camera (presumably Lisanne). I think it’s possible the “red and black” object is actually just a reddish-brown dead plant leaf – jungle leaves can get rather large. But the blue was also something I noticed. Perhaps a piece of a tarp or a wrapper? And I agree that her hands are free. I think the look on her face isn’t scared, but she looks to maybe be in wonder that they found a place like that? I know if I was hiking and wandering in the jungle (and presumably possibly lost although not quite realizing this at this point), I would be curious about a manmade structure like this. Honestly I’ve hiked by myself before on a well known trail by my college and when I saw the American flag waving in the middle of the woods I was more scared than anything!!! But I still had that curiosity. So sad what happened to them – today is the first I’ve heard of the story and it’s wildly upsetting. I hope someday the family has answers.

Andrea

There is nothing ominous or cause for concern in this particular pic. The illusion of her being tied and in distress is nothing more than that. If you track the photos she takes her hair down around when she reached the top of the mountain and there are photos taken shortly after this showing her to be fine, in good spirits even. A tragedy and a mystery but in its core, this is only a horrible accident.

Sorry Chris, having re-read what you said at the beginning of your article and having stared at the photo a for a bit longer, I can definitely see the corner of a kind of pitched, thatched roof of a what looks like a man-made hut. The white and red object on the left looks slightly like a cows head and what I took to be Kris’s tousled hair on the left of her head now looks like the thumb and fore finger of her left hand pointing to the inside of the hut.

Birgitte

Hi Chris, and thank you for your nice comments! It’s interesting to hear that you are considering putting together a research team to visit Panama and further investigate the details of the case – interviews, videos, mapping terrain, etc. Maybe you can find more answers about this horrible story. But someone may not like it, so I hope that you will be very carefull!

Hi Chris, to me the place Kris is in looks really spooky, but I also think it looks like the entrance to a cave. There is what appears to be a well trodden, narrow path to the left of her which passes behind her and enters a very dark area at the back right, which could be the cave. The branches above her could be an attempt to hide the entrance. The land behind her is definitely at a higher level and could be rock. The blue item could be anything, but shows someone has been there before. Maybe they stumbled on a hidden stash of drugs or something wierd and were taking a photo of the location in order to report it to the police, but got caught before they could. Well done Chris on highlighting the strangeness of this place. This whole incident is the stuff of horror movies and very chilling, even if it was an accident. Terrible for the parents. Take care if you do go over there.

Hi Birgitte,

Yes, you are right that a great deal of caution is necessary. I think “investigation” isn’t the correct word. My interest would be to see if it’s scientifically possible for the “official” theory to have happened. I’ve already researched a lot about the local conditions:

https://imperfectplan.com/2020/07/02/kris-kremers-lisanne-froon-panama-bleached-bones/

There’s a lot more information needed to make conclusions. The goal wouldn’t be to identify suspects or disrupt anyones life. The science can speak for itself. I think it’s equally powerful just to disprove the official theory.

Right now I’m simply building a list of names to determine interest:

https://imperfectplan.com/2020/07/14/organizing-a-research-team/

Thank you again for your messages!

Jaya

Be very Careful Chris.

Tammy

I thought the same thing.

It seems too strange to be an accident. Two young women, who don’t take any risks, go for a trip in the jungle and get lost in a mysterious way? There is no traces of them anywhere. And the police are not helping at all – it seems to me that they want to destroy the investigation. There are over 30 fingerprints on the blue backpack which belongs to one of the girls, but they don’t want to investigate the fingerprints. “It’s our fingerprints”, the police say. This backpack suddenly showed up 2 months after the disappearing. “It must have been flowing in the river” the police said. Seriously? The backpack had no scratches, no marks, the camera and mobile phones inside are as good as new. Even the cheap pair of sunglasses are in perfect condition. Police can’t be that stupid, but they hope that we are that stupid. I think this was a setup for the 2 girls from the beginning. I think they were murdered and their greatest mistake was to travel to this little town in Panama. They could have been a target early on.

They had planned a trip in the forest the next day, on April 2nd, with a local guide. So why did they go on a trip on April 1st? It does not make sense to me. They took a swim before the trip with to local young man the same day they went in the forest. Both of these 2 boys died shortly after, by murder or by “accident”. The same thing happened to the taxidriver who drove Kris and Lisanne to the forest. He drowned a short time after. The 3 of them died shortly after being in contact with the girls. I think they knew too much and someone wanted them to be silenced forever. Who knows if the girls really went for a walk that day by themselves? Maybe they were forced by someone to go. Or if they went, they could have been followed by someone – the murderer (or murderers). For a monster (him or them) this was enjoyment. And there have been some other unsolved murders in the same area where the girls were.

I think someone followed the girls, caught them, killed them and brought them somewhere, hid them, so they were never found. This was cleverly planned, and the murderer(s) have done this before. And the police know who it is, but will not say anything. They obviously protect the predator(s). For all that we know, it could be someone who works for the police who did this. And if other people learn too much, they get killed too. Like the taxidriver and the two local boys. One thing is for sure, I will never travel to Panama.

Hi Birgitte, thank you for your comment. You said “it seems to me that they want to destroy the investigation” – I agree with you that it seems intentional to some degree. That is the big picture of this case. There was enough evidence in this investigation to solve the case and possibly find Kris and Lisanne while they were alive. But so much of this search/investigation was poorly executed.

Here’s a brief list:

The camera and photos were tampered with – with photos removed and other photos cropped and reduced in size. The dog wasn’t in any photos, nor were the girls photographed after their disappearance. Kris’s bones had unnatural traces of phosphorus. The bones of Lisanne’s foot were fractured in an unusual way (from the top down). Most of the bones were never found. Fingerprints were not investigated. The non-waterproof lycra backpack mysteriously shows up, with completely dry contents.

I could go on and on. The point is that all of this case was poorly handled by the authorities. I speculate about potential reasons. These are more unanswered questions that we may never know.

Thanks for your comment and cheers!

chris

when are you putting a research team together?? I want to come!!

Hi Chris, see this link:

Regie Jessup

Thanks Chris!! Thorough job, very insightful and so well done Please visit Panama and further investigate. I look forward to learning more and you do valuable humane work helping other young adventurers. Thank you so much for walking the walk. Cheers, Reg

Anna

No Chris, I assure you, police investigations are routinely botched like this in the third world. Sheer incompetence. The rich pay for their own security and the poor resort to vigilantism. I live in a third world country and sometimes tourists come to grief. If the culprit is not brought to book, the rest of the world says it is “to protect the tourist industry.” No sir, just ordinary incompetence.

Hi Anna, yes, I’m aware of that and thank you for shedding light on that for other readers. Like you, I also live abroad in a developing country.

Poor investigations and low standards are very common in these under-developed countries. I’ve written about dozens of stories involving incompetence of law enforcement in disappearance cases.

It is possible for incompetence to work in conjunction with interests to protect key industries. In fact, it’s probable to some degree.

In this case, I don’t believe it was incompetence alone. Many of the leads were simply not followed – fingerprints, interviewing key suspects, identifying the precise location where evidence was discovered, etc. Certainly this could have been due solely to incompetence alone, but they ignored performing relatively simple investigation tasks more than once.

Another case that comes to mind is the case of Holger Hagenbusch:

https://imperfectplan.com/2020/07/02/holger-hagenbusch-a-disturbing-murder-and-exposed-coverup-in-mexico/

From the story of Holger, it seems unlikely to imagine that the medical examiner “overlooked” the very serious condition of the cyclist’s remains.

I suppose incompetence runs at many levels. However, when there’s monetary interests involved, especially within key industries – I give those ulterior motives some weight and consideration.

Thanks again for your comment.

Anders

One question – sticking to the government interference and coverup, with the deletion of a photo (nr, 531?) – why couldn’t they just destroy the phone all together, break it beyond repair and leave it in the backpack…

Rune

I dissagree with her hand beeing tied. When I look at the picture I think I can see both her arms. I think the left arm is visible behind her hanging down.

Her right hand is clearly raised in front of her shading her face from the sunlight. You can even see the shadow of her han on her face. And I think that sunlight she is trying t avoid also is the reason for her facial expression.

It looks a bit wierd, but that is just because everybody is assuming they see her upper arm when in reality is is her lower arm.

Patrick Cassidy

100% correct

If you look closely at the top left part of this photo, you can see that, behind all the criss-crossed twigs and branches, there is a bank of rock. You can’t see any blue sky behind the branches and the rock is in bright sunlight which bleaches out the colour. However there appear to be yellowish/beige shadows and it looks like a sandstone cliff. Can anybody see that? You have to look hard. This would mean that this photo possibly shows the entrance to a cave leading inside the wall of rock behind it. Perhaps the girls were lured there and that is where they met their horrible fate. There are some walls of rock in an area which I think is called los Naranjos, not too far from the Pianista trail (relatively speaking) and is where people go climbing. Perhaps that is where this photo was taken and a search should be done there. If a cave was found that would be big news and there could be DNA evidence inside it. Keep the ideas flowing guys. Many cold cases have been solved years later.

Mandy

I agree. Thanks for the observation. If you look at her shirt, it appears to be red and white striped. You see the pattern to the left and right of her arm. Herm appears to be traveling up to her head, which is why you don’t see her sleeve. It has to be her arm and hand that are blocking that part of her shirt.

Charlie

Yes, exactly. You would write something out on notepad or at least be texting everyone in your address book hoping one got through saying “Help. Emergency.” Totally agree. If someone died, you would certainly write, “Body can be found at xyz.”

Casper

exactly, you are very right about the shape of her arms and facial expression. the only strange element in this photo is the distance.

Stian

Does anyone know if the dog they brought with them is in any photos from the hike? I read that the dog returned to town in the evening, alone, but I haven’t seen it in any pictures. Did they lose it right at the start of the hike, but didn’t bother to go and look for it? Seems strange. But most people going on a hike with a dog would take some pictures of themselves with the dog, right? I haven’t seen any discussions on this.

It’s a bit strange that the dog is not in any picture. But what if that is what led them off track ?

The dog ran away and they followed it into the woods to try to get it back?

Hi Rune (and Stian), great points. It’s very interesting that the dog is not clearly visible in any of the pictures. If the dog went with them, it’s likely that the girls would have taken a photo of the dog, even if the dog was in a photo accidentally.

In all of the photos, there is zero evidence to suggest that the dog was truly with the girls on their hike into the forest.

This is highly unusual. This trip to Panama was a major life experience for Kris and Lisanne. Most travelers that have big experiences want to remember the small details of trips, because the trip represents an important memory in their life. The girls took photos of so many things, even many mundane things…but for some reason the dog wasn’t present in any of the photos.

In truth, the fact that there’s no evidence that the dog was with them leads a person to believe that perhaps someone could have fabricated the fact that the dog was with them. And more on this – most people in Latin America that permit their dog to walk freely do not keep track of where their dog goes.

For example, I visited numerous hostels in Panama and the hostels that have dogs usually permit their dogs to roam freely outside of the house and to come and go as they please. It’s part of life in the countryside and small towns.

The relationship between pets and owners is different in Central America than in developed countries. People in developed countries often have a more “ideal” view of what a “pet” represents. In Central America, dogs aren’t usually seen as something to protect and cuddle. Dogs here are seen as animals (like a jaguar or puma) that can take care of themselves, they’re seen as being dirty (not permitted on furniture) and are more rugged, like “the dog can handle his own problems”. People usually have dogs for a mild form of protection. Cats are often seen as pests and scavengers – which is unfortunately why many people use poison to kill local cats. Keep in mind, these are my observations I’ve made since moving from the USA. Of course these generalities and cultural traits do not apply to everyone here. I’ve met a few people that have maintained their pet in the same way as we do in the USA.

Also, I live in El Salvador, less than 1,000 kilometers from Panama, which has many cultural similarities. Many people in El Salvador permit their dogs to roam freely outside in the streets and forests. Dog owners here are not mindful of where their dog goes – the owners are tending to their own life: working, raising children, running a business, or resting during the hot days. Dogs are very independent here. Most dog owners here do not use a leash when walking their dogs. In fact, to bring a dog for a walk is less common in general, because most dogs are permitted to go outside anytime they want. It’s part of the relaxed culture. The dogs just do what they want to do.

So, if the dog went on the hike with the girls, it’s most likely that the owners would not have known that fact. However, I cannot say for certain because I do not know why the owner would fabricate this part of the story. Perhaps the owner had an underlying influence/incentive to express conviction in his or her statement about the dog.

Also, I do not know about the girl’s living situation and the relationship between the girls and the owner. This is something I will surely investigate more and write about in the future. This case has captivated me.

I’m considering putting together a research team to visit Panama and further investigate the details of the case – interviews, videos, mapping terrain, etc.

Thank you for your comments. Cheers

Vicki Hancock

I read extensively about this case and when I saw the above pic, I got the most eerie feeling. Even on my iPhone I could make it big enough to see odd things in the pic. Almost like some picture had been there and this posted over or just strange, almost satanic looking things. To me, this photo says it all. No accident.

JW

For goodness sake, why do people make things up? These other comments are just people seeing what they want to see, to make things more mysterious. She is not tied up, there is no rope around her waist and there are no hidden or blurry people in the photo. She’s ducking down slightly and trying to shield her eyes from the sun with her right arm. The sun is shining right into her eyes so she’s squinting and bending down a bit to see her friend, who was probably talking to her while snapping the photo. It’s perfectly normal and had they not tragically passed, it’s the type of photo they’d have been joking about later.

I realize that it’s more interesting to make things more ominous than they are but this is a very sad case of two naive girls who were totally unprepared for their adventure and very sadly got lost, injured and succumbed to nature. It happens often and I can’t even imagine how horrible it was. It’s incredibly sad. But absolutely everything points to it being a case of underestimating the jungle and dying from exposure.

Hi JW, yes I agree with you about many things. I don’t believe that anything ominous is happening to Kris in this specific photo. As you mention, she is blocking the sun with her hand and keeping her head down. She’s just exploring. However, her surroundings were my intended focus regarding this photo – there’s a lot of things in this photo that haven’t been discussed elsewhere and could provide clues as to what happened to them. Again, these are just observations.

I think that Kris Kremers and Lisanne Froon underestimated their surroundings and were ill prepared for this adventure. The biggest danger for travelers in Central America is crime. Granted, other dangers certainly exist and that’s why we can only speculate about what happened to them.

Thank you for your comment. If you find any additional information, please let me know. I’m always reviewing their case and looking for answers. Cheers

John Mullany

I just want to agree with Chris and the poster JW that she is shading her eyes with her right arm up. Looking carefully at her forehead you can see there’s only the shade from a pole but her face is shaded. That’s from her palm.

The supporting pole is diagonal from upper right to lower middle indicating the path is beginning to head down. The “roof” or “cover” is not substantial enough to keep out rain but it could work as camouflage from the air.

I think Kris was about to have a quick look in a man-made structure she had stumbled across just to explore.

Shortly after this, they became victims. They no longer had their phones or camera and made no emergency calls at all. This eliminates all questions about why didn’t the girls call X, Y, Z.

The girls were no longer alive after April 2nd latest. One or more abductor did know the phone PIN but not all people involved knew.

Their backpack contents and electronics were stolen to be sold later but handed back to stop the search and not be incriminated. Photo 509 was removed first.

The night time photos are not relevant but the result of someone playing with the camera. (who knows why). I posted a link at Koude Kas of example of Monkeys playing with phones because they were entranced by the flash.

Also, no organ stealing, no cartels, no people traffickers, nothing to do with tribes, cults, sects, etc.

Many thanks, John

Carin

I agree. I get why people really hard want to believe there’s something more to it, but hiking a lot (in very well known areas) – you can go lost SO easily. My husband is a mountain climber and when he’s out, the mountain rescue flys multiple times a day because hikers overestimate their abilities – in the german Alps, not anywhere in the jungle.

For me the strongest clue that not anything sinister happened is that the family refused to have ALL photos released because some show the girls in a very rough state. And if there would be any clue in them that the girls were hurt intentionally, the parents would not stop being vocal about it. The internet does not have the most crucial information about the case.

And thinking its more possible that another person with a bleachbath and a Laptop/PC is wandering the jungle in Panama just shows me how little people nowadays know how dangerous the outdoors can be.

Hi Carin, thanks for your comment. I cover a lot of these things in my other comprehensive article regarding Kris Kremers Bones:

There are simply too many variables involved to oversimplify the case with the conclusion that they got lost. Trust me, I prefer to take the easiest explanation too. But then I’m immediately confronted with conflicting evidence to suggest otherwise.

Lisa

How come nobody ever says anything about the other girls bones and and what she was doing while these pictures were being taken of Chris that was way ahead of her ? If I remember correctly half of a pelvic bone was found that belong to the other girl so I think we should give the other girl some thought…

Hi Lisa, I wrote an in-depth analysis of Kris’s bones here:

The government officials involved failed at providing a thorough analysis/evaluation. Fortunately, there’s a lot of work still underway from private investigators and researchers.

I have watched so much about this case and this is the first time I have heard that the parents withheld photos

I think that if the parents had withheld important photographs,showing that the circumstances pointed to natural causes,they would have disclosed that theory before now, surely,if for no other reason,than to prevent further speculation about the girls disappearance.

Lynn Carmichael

JW, I agree with you totally, thanks for your intelligent remarks!

Myliama

If you would know (and read) every bits & pieces of this story, you would actually see that the ”they got lost” theory does not hold up with any of the facts and evidence found, not at all, not one bit.

Harold

Exactly! Same thing I’ve been saying.

Further to my earlier reply of a few minutes ago, I think the dying from exposure angle is only possible if we consider that either the girls abandoned the rucksack for some reason or it was discovered after their passing. In either case, maybe the rucksack was looted then later planted to avoid criminal implication. This would cover natural causes and the rucksack contents being in perfect condition. Thanks, John.

Marilyn Ann Hill

I agree w rope around waste thst wasn’t there before, hair is completely down Aldo, she’s in distree

Susan

Thanks for some new information, excellent analysis of the photo! Could the red object be a bird? Or another type of colorful animal found in the jungle? I do see the supports and I think that’s manmade also. Throughout the years people have hiked the disappearance route, I wonder if this structure was found there and investigated. Anyway thanks again this is such a fascinating case I wish there would be some kind of closure for the families (although I saw a you tube video that interviewed the father of one of the girls, he said that they hired their own investigator and determined they died of an accidental fall.

Hi Susan, those are all possibilities. I wish we had the answers to your questions. There are so many possibilities and we will probably never really know. This case certainly is perplexing, as many of the disappearances I’ve written about.

I’ve written about many disappearances in Central America: https://imperfectplan.com/disappearances/

Thank you for your comment and please feel free to send me any notes/info that you find. I’m always looking for answers. Cheers

How come there are so many disappearances in S. America I wonder?

Hi Chris, good question. It’s a complex topic. Basically, there’s a lot of government corruption and poverty as a result. All of this leads to resentment and frustration, which results in higher crime rates. Government corruption is the core of the problem.

For the most part, foreigners are just caught in the middle. Rarely are foreigners targeted for a reason other than pure opportunity.

However, regarding Kris Kremers and Lisanne Froon, I’d need to know more about their personality to make this determination. There are vast cultural differences to account for, especially between men and women. Since they were two young women from Europe, I can easily see the possibility that they offended the wrong man. Even a subtle untimely laugh behind a man’s back in Latin America can create a hostile situation if the women were alone later. Machismo culture is very real and respect is considered to hold a higher level of importance in Latin America.

Thanks for your question! Cheers

Kevin

No,they weren’t murdered. They got lost and succumbed to the wild. Occum’s razor. Not everything is a complex conspiracy, people.

Hi Kevin, Occum’s razor only applies when all facts are available. All facts are not available in this case. The government intentionally did not investigate key pieces of information: fingerprints, phone records, locals in the area, other forms of DNA. They maintained a great deal of secrecy and privacy and never officially published any information.

I know that it’s tempting to a lot of people to make simple conclusions, but it’s simply not possible to make conclusions without more information. It’s all speculation until more answers are found. It’s up to the public now – the government closed the case 6 years ago.

Mel

Hi Chris! I’ve just watched a video on YouTube.. An unusual one.. A psychic reading actually.. Very interesting.. Someone in the comments put the link to your website that’s how I found you! She’s describing the things you’ve noticed on the pic!!!! Let me know about your opinion here’s the link https://youtu.be/4wqUCG5bxns loads of greetings Mel

Hi Mel, thanks for sharing. I don’t really speculate much with psychic readings or “energy”.

If a psychic reading leads to some legitimate form of tangible evidence and made public, then that’s excellent, but otherwise I think it’s mostly a distraction.

Even at this point, I still think there’s a lot that can be achieved from gathering information and further evaluating the existing evidence. There are more answers out there that are still possible to gather.

But aren’t there the subsequent photos of Kris Kremers crossing the stream and so the developments may have occurred after this picture – 505?

Em

P.S. To the creator of this photo analysis Thank You, excellent work

Hi Em, thank you. I’m happy my work could shed some light on the possible items in the picture. I wish there were more answers to what happened. Perhaps the truth will come out someday. Take care.

Hi Chris, Very interested in your website! I have one questions for you, regarding the 90 photos taken at night: if these were not taken by one of the girls in an attempt to provide light or whatever, what possible purpose could anyone else, such as an attacker, have in taking these photos? Thanks un advance, Lyn Carmichael

Hi Lynn, that’s a great question.

I’ve considered a number of possibilities on the pictures. Here are some ideas I’ve speculated about.

1. Perhaps incriminating photos existed on the camera before and new photos were taken to overwrite the camera’s memory files, therefore preventing the “old” photos from being extracted from the camera’s digital memory. As we all know, hitting “delete” never actually deletes files – therefore overwriting the files is the only effective method to cleaning “old” data.

Most novices wouldn’t know how to properly handle something like this, so it was probably someone experienced with computers.

2. The attacker could have taken the photos to confuse the authorities and the public. In reality, I don’t think someone would go to this extent. They’d probably just bury the camera in a deep hole or toss it in the river or ocean. However, it’s still possible.

3. Kids in the area could have found the backpack and were just messing around with the camera. This option is least likely, because we’d obviously see something more tangible in the photos.

Personally, I believe that number one mentioned above is the most likely reason. These photos don’t have a lot of helpful information and the camera was tampered with.

The fact that the backpack showed up on the bank of a river completely dry and unharmed downstream, with the camera and other electronics still functioning, shows that someone placed it there. Even rainwater gets heavy enough to destroy electronics inside of a backpack – yet that didn’t happen. I have no doubt that the camera was tampered with. The backpack and contents were covered with fingerprints, yet they were never analyzed. That’s suspicious and leads me to question if government was involved to some degree.

Keep in mind – nobody has seen all of the photos and we don’t know why. Websites/blogs speculate about why, but nothing has been confirmed.

Lisa D

Has anyone gone back to the spot where the photo was taken?

Jep

The BLUE object on ground could be a BRA. IT’S SHAPED LIKE A BRA.

Jill

Hi Chris..I just came across this story yesterday and it was really sad and disturbing…I hope the truth comes out too.

De

Is there somebody behind the insignia? And more to the right of the insignia, is that water, an underground river maybe, there is like a light at the end.

Watch “Lost in the Wild” Season 1 Episode 1. Two journalists take the same hike the girls took. Very interesting and completely changed my mind. Definitely foul play, in my opinion.

Here is what bothers me about this event. I think Kris and Lisanne were two smart, savvy, levelheaded young women. They knew to be on guard and be careful. I’m sure that when they left on that short hike that their intention was to be back home before dark and to be back to the host home for supper on time. This tells me that they had a time in their minds of what time to leave to get back to their host home in Boquette. Why did they not do that? Why were they still in the jungle at 4:39 PM when they made their first distress call? They couldn’t have been that far away from the return trail to Boquette. This leads me to believe that they were followed by one or more men who made their presence known around that time. It could be that the taxi driver could’ve called someone and given them a heads up that two beautiful young ladies had just headed up the Pianista alone. This may explain why the taxi driver and the two young men died so soon after this incident. That and the deleted photo make me for first time in my studies of this incident start to suspect foul play, but we’ll never know.

Looks like 2 blurred out people one talker than other behind her over her left shoulder or her left when looking left of pic

Lucy

How close was this tribe to where they went missing?

Abrahm

If you read the article linked, it’s not even an indigenous tribe. It’s a sect of foreign Christians that set up in the area and murdered 6 people FROM one of the local tribes.

Hi Abrahm, thank you for your comment. You highlight the importance of fastidiousness in the articles that I reference.

After a second look, I found that the Yahoo article specifically states that it was “17 foreigners belonging to another sect”, but Yahoo was somewhat unclear – “Foreign” can have a lot of meanings in this context.

I know that it’s highly irregular for “17 foreigners” to uproot their lives and relocate to the obscure jungles of Panama, especially for the purpose of sacrificing locals (whom are often Catholic). So this sparked my curiosity. After investigating further, I discovered this article from the LA Times:

https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2020-01-18/cult-anointed-by-god-kills-7-in-panama-jungle

The LA Times article states “The sect arose after a villager returned to the community several months ago following a stint abroad, bringing back unusual religious beliefs with him.”

Apparently this villager travelled abroad, adopted extremist “Christian” views, returned home and started a cult in his own village which resulted in human sacrifices of other locals. So, these were all indigenous locals influenced by another villager that had traveled abroad.

I believe that the LA Times article is more informative, so I’ve updated the link in my writing above.

Thank you for your comment! Cheers

I don’t see what the writer sees at all. Kriss in the photo is just watching her step.

Yup, I toot checked and her video came only after this post. I wanted to her a benefit of the doubt before I came across this article, yes she did mention red and black feathers on a piece of wood and turquoise pendant and a white mask. Shame!

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3rd suspect arrested in Panama mass murder

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PANAMA CITY (AP) — A third suspect in the killings of seven young people in Panama has been arrested, authorities said Wednesday.

Panamanian prosecutors said via Twitter that the suspect was arrested in Espinar, in Colon province.

A second suspect had turned himself in to police earlier this week. That 18-year-old was scheduled to appear before a judge Wednesday.

The July 17 killings stunned Panama, a country where mass murders are rare. Authorities have not offered a motive for the killings.

The first suspect, arrested the day after the attack, was charged with homicide, femicide and aggravated robbery among other crimes.

Relatives found the bodies of four women and three men between the ages of 17 and 22 near Lake Gatun after they did not return from an outing. The youth were among 13 who had gone to the lake that day.

Five of the bodies were found Saturday in an abandoned military bunker probably dating from the time of U.S. control of the Panama Canal.

Investigators said the bodies bore signs of bullet wounds.

panama tourist murders

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Chilling True Crime Tells Story Of Two Hikers Who Vanished In The Jungle Without A Trace

Chilling True Crime Tells Story Of Two Hikers Who Vanished In The Jungle Without A Trace

Featured Image Credit: Kris Kremers and Lisanne Froon

A chilling true crime documentary tells the tragic story of two Dutch hikers who vanished during a trip in Panama.

Kris Kremers, 21, and Lisanne Froon, 22, were both keen travellers who travelled to the town of Boquete in Panama’s western highlands to do social work with children.

Boquete is a popular location thanks to its idyllic views of the cloud forest, waterfalls and coffee plantations.

The friends arrived in Panama for a six-week holiday on 15th March 2014. After touring the country for two weeks, they arrived in Boquete on 29th March and stayed with a local family.

Kris Kremers and Lisanne Froon were hikers from The Netherlands (Credit: Amazon Prime)

They embarked on a trail at 11am on 1st April and wrote on Facebook they had plans to walk around the town. 

Froon and Kremers were last seen on 2nd April as they went walking along a mountain path in the heavily wooded area along the border with Costa Rica.

After their families stopped receiving text messages from the pair, which they had been sending daily, their parents at first believed Froon and Kramer had lost their way on a trek.

In June 2014, a backpack containing two mobile phones thought to have belonged to the hikers was found in a forest surrounding Boquete. 

Photos recovered from a camera from Froon’s backpack, found by a local near the village of Alto Romero in the Bocas del Toro region gave an idea of the women’s trek. 

The backpack contained two pairs of sunglasses, USD $83 (£61.32) in cash, Froon's passport, a water bottle, Froon's camera, two bras, and the women's phones.

Pictures were recovered from Froon's camera (Credit: Lisanne Froon)

Data from the women’s phones showed that just hours after starting their hike, a distress call to 112 - the international emergency number in Panama - was made from Kremers’ phone at 16:39 on 1st April 2014.

Shortly after that, another attempt was made from Froon's phone at 16:51, but none of the calls got through due to lack of reception in the area.

Froon’s camera contained images from 1st April with no signs of anything unusual. On 8th April, 90 flash photos were taken between 01:00 and 04:00, apparently deep in the jungle and in near-complete darkness. One picture shows the back of Kremers' head.

One picture appears to show the back of Kremer's head (Credit: Lisanne Froon)

Police later found bones scattered in the area and a pair of boots. DNA testing confirmed they belonged to Kremers and Froon.

More than seven years after their deaths, it is still unclear how the two died.

In a bid to find answers about their deaths, filmmaker and explorer J.J. Kelley and journalist Kinga Phillips ventured deep into the Panamanian jungle in their series Lost in the Wild . 

In the episode ‘Hike Into Hell’, they brave torrential rains and darkness to follow the women’s footsteps, matching their photos and phone records as they go.

J.J. Kelley and Kinga Phillips visited the jungle for answers (Credit: Amazon Prime)

They find and attempt to cross the perilous cable bridge the Panamanian government says the women fell from and speak with the indigenous couple who discovered Froon’s backpack.

Finally, their investigation culminates in an exclusive, explosive interview with a forensic pathologist who shares shocking evidence.

Lost in the Wild is available to stream on Amazon Prime now. The entire Lost in the Wild series can be bought for £14.99. The 'Hike Into Hell' episode can be purchased for £2.49 here .

Topics:  True Crime , TV And Film

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The Baffling Mystery of the Lost Girls of Panama Unravels

AMSTERDAM—On a sunny day, the first of April 2014, two 20-something girls went for a hike in the Panamanian jungle, and were never seen again. Their names were Lisanne Froon and Kris Kremers , and their sad story struck a chord with people around the globe.

After their disappearance, the good weather vanished as quickly as the girls had. It no longer seemed to matter how many people or organizations were drummed up, or how extensive the searches were. The girls were lost, and would remain lost.

There is something about this tragic tale that haunts people to this day, and speculation about what really happened to the vanished girls never ended. Now, Dutch authors Marja West and Jürgen Snoeren claim that in their new book Lost in The Jungle , the mystery is finally resolved.

The Lost Girls of Panama: The Camera, the Jungle, and the Bones

“It was 2016 and I was sitting on my veranda during a thunderstorm, in the pouring rain, at night. I was reading the coverage of the story of Lisanne Froon and Kris Kremers by The Daily Beast, in fact,” West told The Daily Beast. “The story totally fascinated me, I was thinking, ‘How would you feel as a girl in that situation?’ Deep into the woods, it’s wet, you are hungry, lost. You can’t reach your parents, you’re waiting for help that will not come. When does the hope stop? You are so young, on this beautiful adventure, an exciting holiday. Afterwards you will start your studies, your room, your study, everything is pre-arranged. And then the moment arrives, the pivotal moment you begin to accept that you will die there in the middle of the jungle. I found that so intensely sad. That’s what grabbed me.”

A few months after their disappearance, a backpack containing their phones, camera, money and some clothes washed up on the banks of the Culebra river.

On the camera, scores of photos were found, including a dark series of pictures shot at night. Panamanian authorities hoped it would shed some light on what had happened, maybe even trace back to the girls. But time was scarce and expectations were overshadowed by the near impossibility for anyone, even experienced jungle dwellers, to survive the rough terrain, endless rain and remorseless torrents created by the rainy season, now in full swing.

Roselie Kremers, mother of Kris Kremers, strokes a sniffer dog, after a search in Boquete on May 27, 2014.

Despite the months of searches, in which no effort or expense was spared, Lisanne Froon and Kris Kremers would not be found . It wasn’t until August of that year that bits of their bones were recovered.

“Reading the articles in The Daily Beast about the case left me puzzled. What triggered us was that based on the same facts, different conclusions could be drawn. The first set of articles conjectured that the girls had met with an accidental death,” West said.

One year later, Snoeren read The Daily Beast’s follow up investigation assessing the likelihood of a murder scenario. Both scenarios were possible, West says, but which was the true version of events? Had there been too little information available to come to a solid conclusion?

“That’s when we decided to work out what had really happened for ourselves,” the author explained. “We started by looking on the internet, where it was extremely difficult to separate fact from fiction. We saw facts re-appear as if publications were copying one another. You could really move in any direction.”

A little further along their research, they got in touch with Dick Steffens, a former Amsterdam detective, who was still looking into the case on his own initiative. “What he told us blew us away,” West says, explaining that “[Steffens] said: Kris Kremers is possibly still alive.”

As if that statement wasn’t controversial enough, Steffens added that he thought the Panamanian investigation was shoddy and should be redone. “He also claimed a certain Stefan W. had come forward, saying Kris Kremers had ended up in the sex trade,” West added. “The man claimed he would be able to free her. Nothing came of it, and the family never heard from Stefan W. again.”

The meeting with Steffens left West and Snoeren stunned, and overflowing with questions.

A Boquete resident holds a candle and a missing person poster at a public vigil to find Lisanne Froon and Kris Kremers in 2014.

For the book, they spoke to behavioral scientists, (indigenous) guides, witnesses, police officers, lawyers, pathologists, search team members, survival specialists, forensic psychiatrists and photo specialists. Although the topic is harrowing and the reconstruction of the Dutch girls’ fate complex, West and Snoeren’s book is an easy read. Many different accounts and statements are woven into a storyline that takes the reader from the girls’ lives before their Panama trip, to their disappearance and beyond.

The real breakthrough in West and Snoeren’s investigation came when they got their hands on the complete police files, the forensic reports, the autopsy reports, and enlisted the help of former Panamanian public prosecutor Betzaïda Pitti.

Taking in all that info step by step brought them closer to those final 11 days in the lives of the girls, leading up to their death. An ending that, according to West and Snoeren, had to be accidental. “It actually came as a surprise to us too, but our conclusion had to be that it was an accident. It took us quite some time to get there.”

Books of condolence next to photos of Lisanne Froon and Kris Kremers in the city hall of Amersfoort, the Netherlands, on June 25, 2014.

But there had been a turnkey moment, and it had everything to do with the way the girls’ belongings and remains were found. Snoeren had called West and told her: “With all that I’m reading now in the police file, it couldn’t be anything else… there was a certain sequence and timing to it, that had to be caused by the flash floods, typical to the region and season. Those flash floods made staging scenes or strategically placing items impossible.”

​​Public prosecutor Pitti, during the investigation, never responded to the allegations made against her. It was said she failed at her job. Others said she botched the investigation in order to protect the Panamanian tourist industry. In this book, Pitti wants to set the record straight.

“When I approached her for the first time she was wary, wanted to know who I was and what my take was on the case,” West said. “So I asked her if, instead of an interview, she would be willing to share the police file with us, let us translate and study it. We also asked her if she would extend her collaboration to the book. She was OK with that, and said: you can ask me anything you want.”

Lisanne, Kris, Catherine—Will the ‘Lost Girls of Panama’ Deaths Ever Be Solved?

Debunking false information and disproving rumors became part of the core of the book. There was so much of it floating around on the internet and beyond, it created a skewed image of the situation and a false idea of what possible scenarios are. According to West, “Once we had the files, we could understand where people outside the investigation got sidetracked and why.”

After reviewing the files, the authors say they think the Panamanian authorities did an excellent job. But the enormous international attention for the case didn’t do it much good. “There was this specific moment when the reward for the critical clue went up from $3,000 to $30,000,” the author explained. “Straight after, the police were inundated by tips, each had to be checked out, losing them valuable time. It became a hell of a job.”

Most, but not all questions surrounding the case are answered in Lost in the Jungle. West admits a few hours remain unaccounted for. “From the moment the last photo was taken on April 1, to the first emergency call that day, around two hours and 45 minutes later, those are hours that we’ve been unable to reconstruct with certainty. The timeline before that is pretty exact, and the time after the first emergency call we’ve been able to reconstruct what must have happened.”

But during that small window of time, something unknown could still have happened. In cases like the disappearance of Froon and Kremers, research can shear near to the facts and take you close to the truth. But only simple, blunt facts can be absolute and truthful. And as time blurs memories, disinformation lingers. With that context in mind, the authors of Lost in the Jungle did a thorough job unraveling the mystery.

Watch: Body of missing hiker Tatum Morell has been recovered

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2 Americans sentenced in Panama for 5 murders

August 15, 2017 / 3:35 PM EDT / AP

PANAMA CITY --  U.S. citizen William Dathan Holbert was sentenced to 47 years in prison by a court in Panama for robbing and killing five other Americans in a Caribbean tourist destination, authorities said Monday.

Holbert's ex-wife Laura Reese was sentenced to 26 years for her role.

Authorities said Holbert admitted killing five people between 2007 and 2010 in Bocas del Toro province in order to steal their property.

Holbert's lawyer, Claudia Alvarado, suggested an appeal was likely.

Holbert and Reese were arrested while trying to enter Nicaragua from Costa Rica in 2010.

That year, the bodies of four adults and one child were found buried on the property of a hostel that Holbert owned.

Holbert killed a U.S. citizen named Mike Brown, his wife and young son in 2007. Authorities have said Brown may have been living under an alias and they don't know where he was from. In 2010, Holbert killed Cheryl Lynn Hughes, a native of St. Louis, Missouri, who ran a small hotel in Panama, and Bo Icelar, former owner of a gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

Holbert had left North Carolina after he went through a divorce to a previous wife, sold his landscaping business and filed for bankruptcy. He met Reese in North Carolina.

In Montana, Holbert stole a car and sold it. Back in North Carolina he sold a $200,000 home that he didn't own. Authorities pursued him across a half dozen states that included a high-speed chase in Wyoming.

He and Reese had been living in Panama under the alias Cortez. They were fleeing a Panamanian investigation when they were arrested in Nicaragua.

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Murderous Vacations: Serial Killers Stalking the Panama Highlands

panama tourist murders

Jeremy Kryt/The Daily Beast

A series of unsolved murders and disappearances in Panama have baffled authorities, claiming the lives of two young Dutch women, an American, and others.

Jeremy Kryt

S ince The Daily Beast’s original “Lost Girls” investigation last summer, additional evidence and archives have been unearthed in the case. More than two dozen other victims were also reported in the same region of Panama, including a young woman from the United States found murdered earlier this year. Now a return trip to the scene of events—as well as renewed sleuthing by best-selling author Dr. Kathy Reichs and other forensic specialists—provide a fresh take on this cold case.

BOQUETE, Panama—Everyone knows everyone in a town this small. And that should make it hard to keep a secret for long. Or so you'd think.

From the quaint two-story courthouse to the outlying villages on the slopes of the Baru Volcano, the Boquete rumor mill runs all day, every day. The local buzz can make it difficult to separate genuine fact from tropical fiction, although the town boasts just a single paved street and fewer than 10,000 residents.

Jeremy Kryt

Got a tip? Send it to The Daily Beast  here .

  • Travel Guides

Crime and Safety in Panama

Panama is one of the safest countries in Central America. Of course, it is also one of the most economically viable — with the geographical advantage of the Panama Canal , it is considered a world center. It thrives on shipping, banking, commerce, and tourism. This does not mean Panama is free of struggles. Its economy has seen ebbing and flowing over the years, but soon it will be high tide thanks to the completion of the massive canal expansion. Wealth has historically been unevenly distributed in the country, with one-fourth of the population living in poverty.

Background Information

Though relatively safe, and certainly beautiful, if you are traveling to Panama then you must take certain basic precautions to maintain your health and safety during your trip. You will enjoy Panama's friendly and diverse people and culture , but socioeconomic issues will require you to keep your wits about you. Nations with a significant disparity in living conditions often see higher rates of crime, and Panama is no different, with the homicide rate rising to 800 per 100,000 people in 2009. Less violent crimes like theft are currently at a rate of 7.2 per 100,000 people. Efforts have been made to curb these issues, and have succeeded somewhat — the homicide rate has steadily declined since 2010. Other types of crime occur mainly in provinces with large cities such as Panama City , Colón , and Chiriquí.

Long-process kidnappings, in which the criminals try to gain ransom money through the victim’s relatives, are decreasing, but “express kidnappings” are on the rise. Express kidnappings involve criminals temporarily abducting a victim, and releasing them once they’ve forced them to hand over valuables. In these types of kidnappings, the robber may also drive the victim to an ATM machine and force them to withdraw cash. These types of crimes are estimated to go 90 percent unreported in Panama, due to fear of retaliation.

Drug trafficking has increased in Panama over the past decade for two reasons. The first is the country’s lack of control over its airfields and coastlines, which allows for narcotics to be transported easily to the USA. The second is the presence of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia’s refugee soldiers. In Colombia, coca farmers (often settlers from other parts of the country displaced by the political violence of the 1950s) are persecuted by the government. The Colombian government links coca farming to the revolutionaries, creating what some political theorists call “narcoguerrillas.” Panama has seen a measurable increase in drug trafficking since the arrival of the RAFC.

The United States doesn’t just provide the demand for much of Panama’s illicit drug shipments, it has also created the circumstances that encouraged the formation of street gangs in Panama. Street gangs didn’t surface in the little world center until the 1980s, and didn’t become hugely problematic until the U.S. invaded Panama in 1989. When the Panamanian Army was disbanded, many soldiers filtered into gangs. Today, many of these gangs have members between the ages of 13 and 15 — over 1,600 kids, in fact — driven to gang life by poverty and drugs.

Considering these factors, it makes sense that minors perpetrate most of the thefts and kidnappings in Panama. A curfew for anyone under 18 has been put in place, and in metropolitan areas the curfew is strictly enforced: even students taking night classes are required to carry permits, and minors caught out without their legal guardians can be jailed until the appropriate adult comes and collects them.

Panama was founded in 1519, but some Panamanians consider the modern country to be only 13 years old, having become a fully independent country only after the U.S. relinquished power. In so few years, Panama City has grown to look more and more world-class, boasting skyscrapers and even a microbrewery. All things considered, Panama City is considered a very safe destination, popular for travelers ranging from families with children to bachelor parties.

Still, it is important to abide by the recommendations in the list below while enjoying Panama City.

Avoid neighborhoods that are unfamiliar or known to be dangerous (such as El Chorillo, Santa Ana, Curundu and San Miguel). Neighborhoods like El Chorillo are dangerous due to gang violence, but tourists are rarely the victims of violent crime in the city. Tourist areas, however, such as the historic Casco Viejo and the ruins of Panama la Vieja, are notorious for tourist-targeted theft. To avoid becoming the victim of theft or an express kidnapping, do not wander away from the main attractions without a guide.

It is best to avoid Colón unless you visit with a tour group. Colón is a port town considered dangerous (with the exception of cruise ship zones) by Panamanians and travelers alike. Colón is known for muggings. Travelers have found it impossible to walk the streets of Colón without being approached aggressively by men offering tour guide services. Many of these men are actually robbers.

Another known danger zone is the Darién Gap, near the Caribbean. This region, especially the forested area between Panama and Colombia, is high-crime due to the Colombian guerrilla presence there, and the drug running that ensues from the coast. Nevertheless, the Darién Province is an undeniably beautiful and culturally fascinating place, and many travelers choose to visit with professional guides.

Road Safety in Panama

Driving in Panama is not like driving in the U.S., despite the fact that cars drive on the right. Roundabouts are a common feature of city planning, which American drivers may find confusing. Lack of signage coupled with unregulated driving styles make entering and exiting roundabouts an unnerving experience. Panama City in particular has very heavy traffic, and suffers from a noticeable lack of signs, sometimes even at bustling intersections.

Rural roads are poorly maintained and offer little lighting. Driving at night outside the city is cautioned against — if something should happen, emergency roadside assistance is limited. The Panama City-Colón highway, one of the country’s older roads, is particularly hazardous.

Some public transportation is to be avoided as well. The maintenance on certain buses, especially the Diablos Rojos or "Red Devil” buses of Panama City, is not up to code, making them prone to accident. In 2015, these busses are scheduled to be retired, and replaced with a modern transportation system. The Metro Train is currently an excellent choice for safe transportation. Additionally, you can leave the driving to the professionals and book your transportation needs through Anywhere .

Health Safety

Though Panama does not require any vaccines to enter, it is recommended that travelers get vaccinated against yellow fever, typhoid, and hepatitis A and B. Even a rabies vaccination is a good precaution for those planning any jungle adventures, as vampire bats in Panama sometimes carry the disease.

Traveler’s diarrhea, common everywhere in Central America, can be avoided by drinking water known to have been treated, eating cooked vegetables, and being cautious of street vendor fare. Carrying an anti-diarrheic is always wise.

Panama is a country that is growing in positive ways, but the economic boosts are happening alongside increases in youth crime. It is also a country actively working to improve the safety of its citizens and visitors. In addition to actions like the curfew law, Panama is beginning to work towards an end to more high-profile crimes, especially the corruption of its own police and government. In 2015, Panama’s Supreme Court began an investigation into former president (and hugely polarizing figure) Ricardo Martinelli’s time in office. If corruption can be halted on the highest level, perhaps this transparency will trickle down, making Panama safer for all.

Safest Places to Visit:

Panama City – From the famous Canal to the early colonial cathedral ruins of Panamá Viejo, history is alive right in the city. Panama City is also a cultural hotspot, with traditional dance performances, live music, museums, and a range of cuisine. Outdoor activities include strolling or biking the Amador Causeway (four islands built from excavated canal rocks) or tours from the city into the nearby jungle.

Boquete – A quaint mountain town along the Caldera River, Boquete captures the hearts of travelers from all over the world. Not only is it scenic and a cultural haven with a popular jazz festival and fine coffee plantations, it is known to be very safe for travelers. The large ex-pat community there can vouch for this.

Coronado – A beach town just outside Panama City, this well-developed area hosts about 600 full-time residents, and many more summer homes and vacationers. The beachy restaurants and accommodations in Coronado attract weekender Panamanians and ex-pats alike.

Bocas del Toros – The laid-back tropical vibe of this popular destination on Colón Island is many people’s favorite place in Panama. The tourism in Bocas del Toros does attract some swindlers, so enjoy the beaches but be wary of con artists, over-charging “tour guides,” and pickpockets.

Do NOT go without a guide to:

Parque Nacional Darién – Don’t go without guide, and stay in Santa Cruz de Cana .

Bahía de Piñas – This is considered a safe zone in the Darién. Bahía de Piñas boasts accommodations that are considered luxurious next to the bare-bones offerings of other places in the rugged region.

Recommendations:

Leave flashy jewelry at home.

Do not accept tour guide services from anyone but an established company.

Do not walk to a destination or back at night. Use a registered taxi.

Do not stay at tourist attractions (like Casco Viejo) after dark.

Avoid the Diablos Rojos buses: pickpockets target tourists on them.

Acquaint yourself with a map and identify which neighborhoods to avoid.

Pack an extra pair of glasses and extra medications.

Make and bring a copy of your passport.

Refrain from putting your home address on your luggage tag to avoid identity theft.

Purchase a cell phone in Panama or use a local SIM card.

Bring along an updated photograph of those in your party (especially any children) on the off chance of separation.

Pack a small first aid kit: bandages, mosquito repellant, diarrhea medicine, etc.

No country is perfect, but every country boasts its own culture and unique beauty. By following these tips and tricks, you can safely and confidently book your Panamanian adventure and cross Panama off of your bucket list.

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Is Panama Safe? Crime Rates & Safety Report

Panama

  • Panama : Safety by City
  • Panama City

Panama is located in Central America, boasting two coastlines: one on the Caribbean Sea and one on the North Pacific Ocean, with Colombia (and, of course, entire South America) to the southeast and Costa Rica (and the North American continent) to the northwest.

The most interesting part about it, both geographically and from a touristic point of view, is that it’s located on the isthmus that forms the land bridge connecting North and South America and controls the Panama Canal – the world-famous canal that connects the North Atlantic Ocean via the Caribbean Sea with the North Pacific Ocean, probably the most important and best known shipping routes in the world.

Panama slowly grew into one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world: tourists can visit two different oceans and coastlines, go climbing mountains, hiking through rainforests and enjoy the impressive city life which offers to its visitors’ contemporary art, fashion and fine dining.

However, the central marvel and the biggest attraction is still the Panama Canal and it can be seen via an aerial view through the local operator, and you can even enjoy stunt and trick flights with veteran air force pilots and skydives over this engineering miracle.

  • Warnings & Dangers in Panama

OVERALL RISK: MEDIUM

Panama is generally safe, but you should take precaution on the streets of major cities, and after dark. Be wary of pickpockets and bear in mind that mugging and violent crime are also part of this country's street life.

TRANSPORT & TAXIS RISK: MEDIUM

Public transport is generally safe in Panama, but do be careful on buses and bus stops since that's where pickpockets and petty thieves operate. Bear in mind that bus stations tend to be high crime areas, and whenever possible opt for calling a taxi instead of hailing one on the street.

PICKPOCKETS RISK: HIGH

Pickpockets are a common occurrence on the streets of Panama and tourists are recommended to remain vigilant at all times when on the street. Make sure you don't flash your valuables on the street, be careful when withdrawing money from ATMs and of course, keep all your valuables in a safe place in your accommodation or safely by your side.

NATURAL DISASTERS RISK: MEDIUM

Ocean currents, hurricanes, earthquakes, and floods are only some of the natural disasters that sometimes hit Panama.

MUGGING RISK: MEDIUM

Violent crime exists in Panama and mugging and kidnapping isn't uncommon on the streets of Panama. In such a situation, hand over all your possessions immediately and do not resist. Avoid poorly lit and deserted areas.

TERRORISM RISK: LOW

Although there haven't been any terrorist attacks in Panama's recent history, they shouldn't be ruled out so remain vigilant at all times.

SCAMS RISK: MEDIUM

Scams are very common in Panama, so double check your change, never pay anything upfront and negotiate everything in advance. Watch out for people sending you free drinks and never leave your drink unattended.

WOMEN TRAVELERS RISK: LOW

Traveling to Panama is generally safe for solo women, but bear in mind that you should generally hike and explore in a company, never alone. Stay away from poorly lit and deserted streets and areas and from people that are visibly intoxicated or under the influence

  • So... How Safe Is Panama Really?

Generally, Panama is a safe country to visit.

When you visit Panama, you can count on friendly people offering you help with anything you need, especially in rural areas.

However, crime rates are high, and it’s not just the petty crime that’s the issue: violent crime is a common issue in Panama, though it’s on its way to getting eradicated.

There are parts of this country that you should definitely avoid such as the border region between Panama and Colombia, (considered to be extraordinarily dangerous due to the presence of Colombian rebel groups and drug traffickers), most of the city of Colon, El Chorrillo neighborhood of Panama City, and Curundu and El Marañón neighborhoods which are poor and crime-ridden areas.

Although at night the main streets and plazas and districts with bars and restaurants are safe, visitors should be more cautious after dark, especially if they’re moving north along Avenida Central towards El Chorillo.

Pick-pocketing and mugging is a common issue in Panama City, so tourists are advised to exercise caution, particularly in crowded areas such as train and bus stations, airports and on busy streets, as well as in public transport.

  • How Does Panama Compare?
  • Useful Information

Many countries need a visa in order to enter Panama, while some, like the U.S and Australian nationals, do not need a visa for stays of up to 180 days. Make sure your passport is valid for at least 3 months beyond the date of arrival. If you are not sure about your visa status, visit www.doyouneedvisa.com which will let you know whether or not you need a visa based on your nationality and the country you want to visit.

There are two official currencies in Panama: United States Dollar and Panamanian balboa. ATMs are mostly available throughout the country, except in some isolated areas, while credit cards are accepted in some establishments such as restaurants and upscale hotels, but may not be accepted everywhere.

The climate in Panama is tropical maritime climate, which is characterized by a hot and humid season with plenty of precipitation (which lasts from May to December) and a short dry season (lasting from January to May).

Tocumen International Airport is the busiest international airport of Panama City, the capital of the country of Panama. It is, also, at the same time the busiest airport in Central America at the moment.

Travel Insurance

Just like anywhere else, we recommend getting travel insurance when traveling to Panama, since it covers not only the costs of medical problems but also theft and loss of valuables.

Panama Weather Averages (Temperatures)

  • Average High/Low Temperature

Panama - Safety by City

Explore panama.

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  • 10 Most Dangerous Cities in Panama
  • 10 Best Zoos & Aquariums in Panama
  • 12 Best Flea Markets in Panama
  • 10 Safest Cities In Panama
  • 16 Pros and Cons of Living in Panama
  • Top 9 Shores Of Panama
  • Where to Next?

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69 Reviews on Panama

Great website.

great website i am doing a school project on panama and this helped my mom a lot

Your mom is doing your report?

Don’t be a rat, Jim.

I have been living in Panamá for 15 years. Your comments on crime are almost total BS. Whereas there is some violent crime, it is overwhelmingly gang and drug involved, and generally confined to the poor neighborhoods in the cites. I have never even heard of anyone being mugged or forcibly robbed in Panamá. Public transportación and taxis are very safe, reliable and cheap here. Residential burglaries are an issue, like anywhere else, although less statistically than in the US. And I was law enforcement in NY. If you have a modicum of common sense, you will be fine in Panamá.

Thank you, dear Police Officer Steve, I’ m looking to have Retirement Seior unexpensive remaining of my life there : I’ ve been robbed hundreds of times in all over the rest of the world , I’ ll be careful more than the others.Thank you for your sincere advice. Wishing you Healthy long happy life.God Blessings.

Best place to relocate.

Steve, thanks buddy for your review. It helps me a lot to understand Panama thru local eyes.

Taxis safe in PANAMÁ? NOT. Use Uber. Taxis are not safe. And you live here? Me too. And you are clearly out of touch with reality here. The country is full of corruption. The police are corrupt and will do nothing to help you. I know of many instances of taxi drivers setting you up and robbing you and also of police robbing people. Panamá ain’t Kansas

Boo-Boo So how about you go back to Kansas,Robby? The Officer knows what he’s doing,unlike yourself. Sounds like you’re anti-LAW ENFORCEMENT. I smell it. Robby, Unfortunately; the planet is full of As—s Steve and I dealt with the Good-Bad and the Ugly;For 25-30 years. Show me your cards,,robby?

Only one Hurricane recorded in Panama, Hurricane Martha, category one in 1969. Kidnapping is a rare crime.

Express kidnappings

Kidnapping is not rare, it’s common. Express kidnappings wherein they take you to am atm, demand 300.00 and then let you go. They know most people can only get 300 at a time from the atm.

No Hurricanes in Panama

Martha made landfall in Veraguas Province, Panama, as a strong tropical storm–not as a full fledged “hurricane.” There are opposing currents on the two sides of the equator, in effect, canceling each other out. Panama is about 600 miles from the equator, but close enough to benefit from this. It’s impossible for a hurricane to actually cross the equator.

my experience

I have traveled to Panama 12 times and I have never had a problem. I travel alone and meet a friend or friends that live there. I have traveled many areas of the country and no problems. As a female, I am always cautious.

Rena, what brings you back to Panama so many times? Do you have a list of places that are a must for first-time visitors?

I am going for the first time doing my research on the country.

Good morning, I am planning an up coming trip to Panama for my first time. I plan on staying in Panama City. I would love some travel advice if I may ask you. Would you mind if I asked you a few questions? I guess that really is already one. Ha ha

Safe for couples travel

Have traveled there a few times now and it felt very safe. Of course have your wits about you in any big city (Panama City and L.A. alike)

The people are very helpful if you need directions or something and it’s much safer than the surrounding countries, likely because of how stable the government is in comparison.

Panama is a safety country, there are not natural disaster , the crime is low and people vey kind. I liked it a lot.

High crime rate

Too many people from other countries come up missing. That change my mind

Where you got that information from Because in my life time station in Panamá Never heard of too many people from different countries coming missing.. Panamá is safe to visit and to retire. Just like any other big country you have to be careful off your suranding eras

I’m planning to go there, pls am scared with some comments I read. Is it possible to quickly get married in panama? I would have loved to stay n settled with a Panamanian woman. Pls advice m.

Do research

Have no idea where you get your info from. This simply is not true, maybe you are thinking of the DR? I’ve lived in Panama for 4 years without problems or hearing excessive crime. Kind of the usual actually.

Been to Panama about ten times and liked it so much I decided to purchase some land and build a house, never felt unsafe in Panama, I actually feel safer there than in the states

Panama, great place, we too are building a home in Volcancito. For average the American, retiring here is not worth it. We have gun violence, and politicians who do not respond to the will of the majority of voters. You can live very well at half the price. We found the Panamanians to be some of the nicest people, we have encountered.

Looking to retire . . . .

Can you please explain by what you mean by saying, “For average the American, retiring here is not worth it.” Thanks!

Army wife stationed twice in Panama

My husband & I were ‘stationed’ in Panama twice. We loved it! You have to be ‘smart’ about where you go in Panama City. The shopping is great with wonderful bargains. There is a dry season (winter) and rainy season (summer). Both have their advantages. Our 2nd tour was when Noriega was in power. But we had a large presence of our military there, so it was OK then. We didn’t see our spouses much! So go & enjoy the Crossroads between the Americas! PS: read the book beforehand

How rainy is the beginning of June? Like coastal afternoon showers, monsoon or just a mix of sunny and rainy on and off? Thx

I think he means retiring in the USA is not worth it. Had to reread it myself to understand his point

Love Panama!

My wife and I lived on our sailboat in Panama, mostly in the San Blas for 2 years. Traveling through the canal 3 times. Overall a wonderful country. With great people. Yes there are some areas to avoid like Colon, the Columbian border area and some neighborhoods in Panama City. My wife and I walked a lot, including at night, took taxies and Ubers a real bargain. We stayed in a number of hotel of 4-5 star quality with 1-2 star pricing. Great food. Never ever had a problem. I come from a more dangerous country. Was visiting Panama this past March, just when Covid 19 hit. They were right on it ! Much better than a lot of major countries especially the US. We left Panama back to the US where there was much MORE covid that Panama. No, take it from a professional mariner, there are no hurricanes in Panama. It is south of the hurricane belt. A hurricane here would be considered extremely freak! I come from a country that has so much crime that many Europeans won’t vacation there. Much racial prejudice, hi crime and a very corrupt Oligarchic government. And guns EVERYWHERE. It’s called the United States of America. Was ready to move back to Panama when Biden got elected. May now try sticking it out and hope for improvement. But Panama a serious consideration as an alternative. As is Portugal.

I get it… We bought a place in Costa Rica for the same reasons.

You sound like a biased, racist idiot. The United States is not and never was run by an oligarch. Biden, you mean the vessel for leftism and the totalitarian State with 47 Executive Orders in one week, yes that is why a new crop of North Americans are seeking to leave and move to Panama. Wake up!

Amen! Another U.S. liberal freak who thinks Republicans are the ones destroying the country?? Moron. Ya so good to have our current liberal socialist dictators destroy capitalism, send billions of our taxes to support foreign countries and open the borders to unvetted illegals to render us reliant on government support. Ya who wants that President Trump who created a thriving economy with the lowest unemployment in history and safe borders!!!

Stop being blind

Trump did a lot of damage to your country, it’s going to take a long time to heal. The very rich run the USA and the rest who have been conditioned to believe that is a good thing, signed up with trump thinking he cared about them…. he does not. You are but minions sent out to disrupt peace and used as puppets to help with the destruction of democracy. Do you think taking away people’s right to vote is democratic? Do you think killing people and trying to overthrow your democracy because you simply didn’t like losing the vote is democratic? You are far from a US patriot if following an insane narcissistic oligarch and carrying out his bidding to disrupt the good, spread hate and racism. This is your idea of democracy? Put aside your hate for a change and show some compassion for fellow Americans and new immigrants who are the back bone of your country. Trump and friends are scum of the earth, using easily manipulated people like yourself to further their hold on monetary wealth.

oh that smell...

UFFF!! …I feel a “trumpet” smell in your words….or to Q..I don’t know but it smell bad, sound bad…any one feel the same? I bet that the US PATRIoT was at the assault to the Capitol , is it? Oh I’m sorry, is my bad…the “turistic visit to the Capitol”…you got what you want? or the fbi is still searching the videos? as far I know, the new crop of Americans seeking to live in panama or any alse place in the world is fliying out the “usa paradise.”.300 million guns on the street, tons of people with mental healt problems that can acces to assault tifles without any limitation and can show it on the strees as is happenning right now in Texas an that can do watheverer he whabt to do, american covind is sinking the world, the americans will be considered infected parias ( looks what happen in Europe right nown) politicians in both sides trying to use the virus to get benefits , monetaries or politics ah@!!! and the good proiud boys and antifa and many other groups of similar extremist ideology pushing the country to a civil war…., the climate change wih more flooding more fired more hurricane…all this is not a good reazon good reazon to leave this “country’?.. And on top of that,.. you can imagine Mr TRUMP retuning to power in 2024? …the amount of entreitment that we are going to have in those years? a lot!! of course I’m goig to see it from PAnama, in my couch in front of tv , in CNN or FOX acconding on how I feel that day with my hands ,more right or more left, depends . I invite you US PATRIOT to drinks some americam beer, the one thet the patriots drinks, if you u dare to come and see the disaster on television,,, but far from the disaster. if you not wnt to come, I wish you luck if you are an American patriot, like the ones I met in Vietnem and Korea and who did not live to enjoy their real Patriotismi

You have a point

I understand your point of view I agree that things in the USA are just getting worse. In my lifetime I have never seen America so divided. I don’t think I am overstating this. relations with Russia could not be worse. I want to retire to a location where I am out of, the line of fire.

Eighty-six the politics

I was under the impression that this article was about Panama, not US politics. This discussion stream right here is my number 1 reason for wanting to leave the US. When I was growing up in the 80s and 90s, in spite of political differences, the US was still one of the 2 most powerful nations in the world. Now, our political circus and our uncanny ability to make *any* discussion about Trump (whether for or against) has made us an international joke. Grow up, people. I’m sure you can find some political arguments to join on Reddit, but please leave this platform to those of us who want to get information about different countries other than the United States.

Veteran Patrotism

I’m very patriotic; I am a disabled veteran of the Gulf war and the USA and it’s allies is the country, I faught for; that does not mean that I am any less blind or forgiving for how racist, corrupt and dangerous it is.

U.S. Patriot must be a Republican. Name Calling is a Republican favorite pass time, along with deflecting, whataboutisms and blaming everyone else from Hilary to the Easter Bunny. Name calling is also childish. Just like you have an opinion so can everyone else. For sure the United States is ALL the things Fred says it is. What you seem not to realize is that NOT everyone ANYWHERE will have the same experiences simply because of the way they look, where they come from or who they want to be. YOU WAKE UP and stop trying to force your opinion and experience on others who obviously don’t experience it the way you do. The Oligarch government is the product of people getting into government just to take advantage of inside information to grow their wealth. For example: insider trading that is illegal for the average person but not U.S. politicians. Just think of how many U.S. politicians became wealthier buying and selling stock associated with Covid-19 Before the virus information was public; very corrupt indeed.

Consider the land and real estate grabs that they are privy to before they are listed and become public. The Governor of my state makes 172K a year. In one four year term his wealth increased by 5 million dollars. Not to mention how the wealthiest 1% can make political donations in excess of millions of dollars to get these politicians to create and vote on legislation that benefits them in achieving even more wealth. Also let’s mention what the politicians themselves get paid by large company lobbyist for voting for or against certain legislation. That’s “Oligarchic” The racism is very real, oppressive, and after Trump people now say the quiet ugly racist things out loud. The lack of gun control is because some Americans feel empowered by them and with all of the mass shooting, especially children this mind-set is insane. Quoting and agreeing with Fred: “Much racial prejudice, hi crime and a very corrupt Oligarchic government. And guns EVERYWHERE. It’s called the United States of America.” Panama is probably safer.

Great review!

I miss Ronald Reagen. Statesman, leader, zero tolerance for terrorists. A 500+ ship Navy, the bad guys in Palestine still remember when Ronnie sent the New Jesey for a visit. He could stand up to Putin unlike any other man, Brought down the Soviet Union. A great man and a great patriot. I wish we had politicians like him now. Old Vlad would be shaking in his boots. the only other President of the 20th century who could compare with him was Theodore Roosevelt. Reagen created the Bracero program that dealt with illegal immigration. He stood up to protesters who were rioting on college campuses, Very, very tough guy. Back on his feet after being shot. No better friend. No tougher enemy. Honest and kind. Sense of humor. respected all over the world. No matter how much you might admire trump. He is no Ronald Reagan. Nobody else is for that matter. He brought the country back after Carter He stands with the greatest of our presidents, Unlike Nixon, he took responsibility when his people made bad decisions. He was neve hateful. He could go at it all day with tip Oneal but at the end of the day, tip would go over to the white house, knock back a few and told jokes. As Reagen was fighting for his life after being shot, Oneal knelt at his bedside and prayed for him, I know I am older. But for those of us lucky enough to witness his greatness, the hacks of today don’ t dare stand in his shadow.

America land of the Not Free

I have news for you, as you havent been paying attention to American politics since Biden was installed (yes, installed), which is driving people like me AWAY. For the first time in US history, the American government is being weaponized against its own people. Enough to make Panama politicians blush. Families with little kids facing armed FBI agents at 7 in the morning? If thats your idea of a great country, you can move back and I will move South!

Thanks Panama Expats

Thank you; living on a boat, now that’s an idea. Sounds like a plan. Your comments about the U.S is exactly why I am leaving . No need to wait, I do not believe the U.S will get better…It’s broken. Time for something new. I was betting on Indonesia, but they are having tourist issues with an onslot of Russians and apparent bad behavior and disrespect. So as long as there is a Russian war that may be Indonesia’s issue for while. Then Thailand however, foreigners are not allowed to own land; which I understand, they don’t want to lose their country like Hawaii before it became part of the U.S, South Africa and other countries that were pretty much stolen by the wealthy. Cambodia and Panama are now in my research pervue and some of these post have helped with narrowing it down since my conerns are to avoid relocating to a place just as gun dangerous, xenophobic and as racist as the U.S. Thanks again.

Fred R You speak my language! The Truth and Nothing but the Truth So help me God! 1967-1968 Vietnam Veteran USAF Retired Law Enforcement 2003

Where in Panama do you suggest buying land at? Researching my options…

I have traveled to Panama.

I have found it to be a safe friendly Country.

But I like to have a local when I travel around, just to be safe.

I am planning on visiting again.

I have visited Panama twice in the past two years. Never, I repeat never have I had any problems in Panama. I have been to Colon, Panama City and places in between. The people are friendly and willing to help you when you have questions. I have more fears walking the streets in the U.S. than in Panama. I have never felt threatened or have I ever been threatened while in Panama. Go to Panama and have a great time, you will not be sorry. Panama is a wonderful country.

I want to travel to Panama but I have no lot. if anyone helps me I can

Hitch hike, bike there, it’ll be a nice long vacation.

Personal opinión (Panamá)

I’m from Panama travel Copa Airline they lost a suitcase never had an explanation for us. Coming back to the airport a man wanted money to let us get in the road to the airport. I love my country but it has really declined since the Americans left. The crime and trash everywhere is high. If we are nice or not depends if you travel to the interior. country people are the best. They welcome you to their home and share meals with you. They go out of their way to please you. But city people are not generous or friendly. I enjoyed the interior and it’s people.

Most economically progressive country in Latin America

Panama is generally safe, and you do not see the violent crimes you see in the U.S. and never the gun violence. Definitely no psychos grabbing their assault rifles to shoot innocent kids in school.

Although not as safe as Cuba, where crime (violent or non-violent) is all but non-existent and rated the safest county in the Western Hemisphere, Panama is a lot safer than Mexico and Guatemala. Honduras and El Salvador are extremely violent countries and the unsafest in Latin America.

Panama is economically stable because of its political stability…six democratically elected administrations since the U.S. invaded and overthrew General Noriega.

I recommend visiting and considering for retirement…

Well I live in PANAMÁ and 2 weeks ago the gangs went nuts and there are videos with hundreds of shots fired you folks don’t have a clue. I LIVE HERE. That’s the reality.

Panama is a really safe place to visit. Natural disasters, man thanks goodness, I don’t remember the last time we faced a natural disaster in the country. Economically stable country and pick pocketing as you mention is really low. Kidnapping? No way, that almost never happens in the country. Gun violence in the street? Almost never happens unless you visit some ghetto places which are very uncommon even in the capital Panama City.

Panama is a very diverse country!

We have been to Panama several times and love it. The canal is an interesting visit as well as Panama City. But you need to go to El Valle and Boquette as well. Bocas del Toro is a unique visit also. Panama is a very diverse country and you can’t see it all in one visit. Therefore we will be returning as soon as possible.

I was stationed there in the Navy 68-71. I enjoyed that tour more than any of my other tours, Spain, Germany. I always felt safe there, even in Colon, the nearest town to where i was stationed. Spent a lot of time in the “Club Florida”. met a wonderful lady there, Tai Li is what me and my friends called her. hated to leave and always wanted to go back but they closed the site where I worked. be safe

Response re politicians. Looking for somewhere to move out of the states if need be.

Just like the states! Response re politicians. Looking for somewhere to move out of the staes if need be.

bought a house near Pacific Ocean

I purchased a new home outside of Pedasi- last Fourth of July (2019) and a month later flew down to see it in person for first time ! So happy I’m made this investment for part time residence, the people including expatriates are vey nice and helpful- my compliment is it reminds me of old Mexico- clean, safe, friendly, and smart- they build their roads to last-

Where in pedasi?

Hi nice! Where in pedasi?

“No Stress”

I love Panama. Since 2013 I have come here a few times and decided to retire and move here in 2020. The biggest perks for me are the friendly people and it’s not a crime to be a black man!

Dream Country - PANAMA !!!

Panama is my dream country to live in (I’m American). I finally got a chance to go 2019 for my bday… All I can say is OMG…it was, was…wonderful, terrific, stupendous, amazing. The food was delicious and if you are American, plenty of Domino’s, Pizza H, Taco Bell we even went to a McD’s when the other local place we went to we found out was closed…and had a RUDE teenager serve us just like in the US ! Nice.

Back to Panama…the people were amazing, the food, views…the accommodations … Ancon Hill was beautiful, the canal was cool, the 3 hotels were beautiful…the neighborhood call San Francisco was just wonderful to walk thru. There were some spots that looked like some areas here in the US, but guess what – I kept it moving just like I do here. I’m seriously thinking about retiring here and not because of the current administration…because of the climate in the US now. Like an earlier poster said, nice to be black and not looked @ sideways. Black female.

I’ve done my research on Panama. Hurricanes are nill, last one in 1969ish, English is spoken even tho I’ll work on my Spanish, monetary system is something I’m used to, Uber’s are ridiculously cheap, I can teach English if I get bored, which I’ve done here and fortunately for me I can blend a bit, until I open my broken Spanish speaking mouth. Huge malls just like the US if that is your thing. Lots of historical things to do if that’s your thing, lots of different types of things to do, beach, hiking, food tasting. The skyline is absolutely amazing…my fav building is the F&F bldg or the screw tower. We found a nice expensive mall with Fendi, MK, Gucci and the like …I don’t really like hot, humid weather but I’ll deal w/it for the beautiful water and views. I’m old enough where I can just sit and watch the water w/some relaxing music and be happy.

Go if you can.

I’m working on going one to two times a year until I retire. I was told if I add my age (52) and number of years working (30) = 82 and it adds up to 80 I can retire. I want to get closer to 62 but not just 67…soooo maybe 7/8 more yrs and I’M OUT !!!

The truth about crime in Panama

Just like anyplace else, Panama has crime. New York has crime, San Francisco has crime etc. If you try to buy drugs, pick up a prostitute on the street, get obviously intoxicated in a bar, flash money, expensive watches etc you increase you risk. Much of the reported crime involves people that did a stupid thing and put themselves in harms way. Don’t carry a huge purse, hire a car a reputable car service, it’s easy and cheap. Don’t carry unessary credit cards or cash, why would you in the first place. Don’t overly share your info or brag about your income, wealth etc. Same advice I would give to visitors to most major US cities. As far as kidnappings go, the numbers are ridiculously low. If you leave valuables on a beach to go into the water it might get some attention just like it does in Hawaii and Florida. Act like a grown up in Pansms, be aware of your surroundings etc and you will have no issue at all Panama is a wonderful, safe place to visit it live.

Socio-political Climate?

I currently live in the USA and am considering moving to Panama upon retirement. The social and political climate/atmosphere has become toxic and intolerable here in the states. I never thought I would want to leave my country. Half of the nation’s population hates the other half. Each side seems dug in and things have gotten completely out of control when co-workers and neighbors and even family and friends cannot seem to tolerate each other. My question is: How do the people treat each other in Panama? Does allegiance to ideology drown out the voices of reason? I want to live in a place where politics is NOT discussed 24-hours a day and everywhere you go. Any responses would be greatly appreciated.

I am going to visit soon. I have friends in Boca del Toro. I will visit until I have figured it out. I am a single guy and a pro musician. I am used to living cheap. I plan on eventually owning property and home. I have no expectations of anything but a slower, relaxing life, in a country that seem to get along.

question. neutral rating

for retirement. how are the hospitals and end of care treatment? they taie u.s. medicare ? lower middle class. can i afford Panama?

Hola Panama

Panama is the best country in Central America. Please come here. It is safe and it’s also safer than Costa Rica. I dare you to come here.

Well, Americans make the biggest mistakes buying properties and have it stolen from them frkm the very Attorneys that set up their property Corporations (no one seems to be addressing it on here, bug time theft against home buyers too. I am in the midst of that stealing especially when one’s spuse dies or both dies…the family have hard time to clain or sell the corporatikn which their parents were force to buy from)…yes guys be up front and address these types of serious crimes and also include how top banks keep assets from the rest of the family when death occurrs. Yeap! Do confess

A wonderful country, with many impressive destinations

Panama has become an important destination for both tourists and people looking to retire in a nice country, where prices are lower. I’ve managed to go there a few times and I like it a lot. While there are still issues that need to be fixed like pickpockets and some scammers, I still think Panama has much more good things to offer than bad. Pickpockets are usually easy to spot if you carefully look and for scams, just use your judgment and refuse anything that feels off and you’ll be fine.

My wife really loved the Panama Canal. I think she could stare at ships transiting through for hours and hours. She loves this kind of stuff. There’s also a boat tour that really opens your eyes to how massive this place is. There’s also a museum, restaurant and an IMAX theater here so you can probably make a day out of it.

If hiking is more of your thing, then go for the town of Boquete. This place is safe, warm (both people wise and in climate) and is a well known spot for wildlife, nature and birdwatching. It’s also a good idea to have a car to tour the surrounding mountains but tours can also be taken in case you don’t own a vehicle.

We’re into surfing so Santa Catalina was a must visit. It’s a gorgeous place: small and friendly. I really relaxed while here. My mind slowed down and I could take in everything around me, the fresh air, the sea, nature and all sounds. There’s also Coiba National Park, a beautiful, untouched biodiversity hotspot. You’ll see many birds, turtles, crocodiles or whale sharks (which you can interact with if you scuba dive).

Overall, Panama has so much to offer especially to someone like me, who comes from an industrialized city where nature is not abundant. A great place to visit and even consider living in!

Panama Banks and Brokerage Firms

Great to know If I’m reading Isabel’s comment correctly. I’m 83 years old and have been to Panama several times, and I was thinking of purchasing an abode there for when I get old. Interesting comment about the banks also. Maybe I will rent a place instead. Does anyone else know anything about banks and brokerage trading firms in Panama? Cheers!

Love your “when I get old” comment! And “Cheers” is part of staying young, and a good Cigar now and then. Great website.

Perfect Vacay

I went in 2022 for a few weeks and had nothing but positive experiences. I was in Panama City, the Boquete region and Isla Palenque, all of which were safe and very welcoming. I traveled with 8 family members and everything went smoothly, many citizens tried to speak English to us and say “hey y’all” which was so nice. My favorite out of 15 countries I have visited.

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16 things to know before you visit Panama City in 2024

Richard Arghiris

Mar 10, 2024 • 8 min read

A young woman smiling on a balcony with Panama City in the background

Get prepared for your visit to Panama City with our guide to what you need to know before you go © Westend 61 / Getty Images

Panama's capital is a cosmopolitan cityscape with a skyline dominated by gleaming skyscrapers and streets full of culture, incredible food and enticing attractions.

Explore on foot and take a stroll along the bay while the Pacific breeze keeps you cool, before exploring Panama City's different neighborhoods and finding its colonial history etched on every street.

Tourist crime here is low and most are of the low-key, opportunistic type you'll encounter in any major city. Keep your wits about you, avoid the more rough-and-tumble parts of town and you'll be just fine. 

From planning your trip to local etiquette, here’s what you need to know before traveling to Panama City .

1. Where you stay depends on your budget and needs

Every neighborhood has its advantages and disadvantages. With cobblestone streets and Spanish colonial architecture, the historic quarter of Casco Viejo is the most memorable and romantic part of the city.

It has lots of high-end restaurants, luxury lofts and swanky rooftop bars, but a dearth of budget-friendly places to eat and its public transport links aren’t the best.

The Calidonia district in the southern part of the city occupies a grid of streets from Plaza 5 de Mayo to Calle 42 Este. Avenida Central bustles with market stalls, and the roads to the south are dotted with budget-friendly hotels.

The district is also near plenty of Metro trains and buses . You can pick up cheap street food during the day when kitchens open for local hospital staff and civil servants. After dark, however, Calidonia becomes shady and downbeat with limited dining options.

To the east of Calidonia, the so-called banking district is a patchwork of several districts or corregimientos , including modern and emerging neighborhoods that host the lion’s share of high-end lodgings and Airbnb rentals.

There are a few hostels and not nearly enough economical hotels. Many decent restaurants are dispersed throughout the banking district but are not always within walking distance.

If you’re in town to party, the Marbella and Bella Vista neighborhoods have great access to the bars and clubs on Calle Uruguay. El Cangrejo is an entertainment zone with a casino, good Metro train links on Vía España and a parade of restaurants on Vía Argentina. 

Dancers in traditional costume at the carnival in the streets of Panama City

2. Time your visit for budget-friendly deals and great weather

The high season coincides with the dry season  – mid-December to early April – when prices are generally higher. The major festivals of Christmas, New Year, Carnival and Semana Santa see a price increase in the capital, but not as much as the beaches , where most city-dwellers spend the holidays.

Mid-April to early December is the cheapest time to visit Panama City, as long as you don’t mind getting soaked by the rain.

Most deluges last only an hour or two in the afternoon, but the season gets wetter as it goes on. In the depths of it, the skies can be overcast for days, but the rains are usually intermittent and the cloud cover can bring relief from the relentless Panamanian sun.

3. You're better off with a Metro card than a car

Although a car is good for day trips out of town, don’t plan on driving much in the city. The one-way road system is baffling, city thoroughfares are often congested, and diversions are par for the course.

Instead, use Panama City’s public transport system , which includes a fleet of air-conditioned buses and Central America’s first-ever Metro train. Buy a three-in-one “RapiPass” upon arrival and gain access to Metro trains and buses, and the departure gates at Albrook bus station. 

4. Always keep a stash of low-denomination bills

You'll need to show your ID and sign a register if you pay for anything with a higher bill than US$20. Counterfeit money is an issue in the country, so all $50 and $100 bills will be scrutinized in Panama.

5. Don’t smoke in public

Legislation introduced in 2008 banned smoking in public places. People who smoke in non-designated areas are subject to fines of $25–100.

Two people wearing brightly colored clothing walk down a street smiling

6. Dress for comfort but look sharp

Panamanians like to dress up and look their best. The ostentatious displays of fashion on display in Obarrio include stiletto heels that somehow survive the assault course of the city’s pavements.

When socializing, casual attire is fine, but avoid wearing shorts and sandals to nice restaurants or social functions.

7. Tip hotel cleaning staff

If you stay in a hotel, leave a tip for the person who cleans your room – US$2–3 a day is fine. A 10% tip is often added in good restaurants, but not always – check the bill before paying.

In low-key local eateries, you may leave some loose change for the server. Unless they help with luggage, taxi drivers don’t expect a tip.

8. Don’t use drugs

Although Panama City is steeped in narco dollars, Panamanian society frowns on drug use, and the law does not tolerate it. If the police find you in possession of even small quantities of marijuana, you could spend several years in a Panamanian prison.

9. Don’t expect people to speak English

Panama City Spanish is Caribbean Spanish – extremely fast and heavily laden with jerga (slang). If Spanish is not your first language, you may struggle to catch it.

Don’t expect to find many English speakers during your day-to-day transactions. English is widely spoken in the business community, but not much outside of it, and mastering a few basic Spanish phrases  will help you get around.

10. It's safe to drink tap water

The tap water in Panama City is perfectly safe to drink. Save on plastic waste by refilling water bottles at a faucet. If you prefer purified water, you can refill at the 20-liter garrafones in most hotel lobbies.

A woman takes a photo of the city skyline viewed from within dense foliage

11. Prepare for environmental hazards

Panama City is an urban hothouse scratched out of the jungle. The elements are fierce – humidity is often 100%. You should take a day or two to relax and acclimate to the heat if you come from a cold-weather country.

Always apply sunscreen before going outside and keep an adequate water supply handy. Wear light clothes and a hat to keep the sun off your face. Bring a sturdy umbrella if you visit during the wet season.

Panama City suffers from flash floods during heavy downpours. If you get caught in a storm, you could end up wading through deep puddles. Traffic is generally heavy, and many parts of the city are not pedestrian-friendly. People living with asthma may find their symptoms are aggravated by fumes.

Sadly, the Bay of Panama is a dump for industrial effluence and untreated sewage, so the oceanfront malecón sometimes reeks.

12. Be aware of common scams

Scammers operate in all big cities and some target tourists. Be wary of strangers who tell unfortunate and earnest stories that end with them asking for money. If it seems suspicious, it probably is. Watch out for fake tour guides who ask for payment in advance and then stand you up.

Old-school taxi scams that involve going around the houses to increase the fare can happen anywhere in the world, but in Panama City, it’s common for taxis to simply overcharge. There are no meters in the cabs.

Fares are supposed to be based on zones, but in practice, they rarely are. If you look foreign, taxi drivers will bump up the fare. It's best to negotiate and agree on the price beforehand.

Two women wearing colorful tradition garb and head scarves pose for the camera in Panama City

13. Solo women travelers may receive unwanted attention

Panama City is typically safe for solo women travelers, but it's best to avoid walking alone at night in Casco Viejo, Santa Ana or Calidonia. Women may receive attention from chatty men on Metro trains or buses. If a man won’t leave you alone, ask a nearby older woman to assist.

14. Steer clear of sketchy neighborhoods

Thirty years ago, Casco Viejo was dicey. Today, things have somewhat improved, but there are still pockets of the old neighborhood where you should exercise caution.

If you’re staying in Casco Viejo, the 20-minute walk from the nearest Metro train station, 5 de Mayo, is risky at night. Use a taxi or an Uber instead. To the west of Casco Viejo, the neighboring El Chorrillo district is very dangerous and neglected. You should avoid this neighborhood entirely.

The district of Santa Ana, north of Casco Viejo, is bisected by the pedestrianized peatonal , a lively shopping street that is safe to walk during the day; stay alert in the crowds. The side roads east of the peatonal are sketchy, and you shouldn’t wander around them.

At its north end, the peatonal connects with Plaza 5 de Mayo, the National Assembly, a Metro station, a bus terminal and a grimy confluence of roads and flyovers. The area is lively into the evening, but stay alert and use a vehicle after 11pm.

North of 5 de Mayo, Avenida Central strikes into Calidonia district with street vendors and hustle. It's fine to explore in the day, but don’t flaunt expensive equipment or jewelry. Calidonia is spooky and seedy after dark. Avoid run-down or poorly lit streets.

15. Keep your documents handy

Everyone is legally required to carry a photo ID at all times in public in Panama. Tourists should carry their passport or a photocopy of their passport with the photo page and immigration entry stamp.

16. LGBTIQ+ travelers are welcome

Attitudes in rural Panama are somewhat conservative but less so in Panama City. LGBTIQ+ travelers are unlikely to encounter prejudice, and discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity is prohibited by Panamanian law. There’s a lively gay scene in Casco Viejo and El Cangrejo.

This article was first published August 2022 and updated March 2024

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Update January 10, 2024

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Panama Travel Advisory

Travel advisory july 17, 2023, panama - level 2: exercise increased caution.

Reissued with obsolete COVID-19 page links removed.

Exercise increased caution in Panama due to  crime . Some areas have increased risk. Read the entire Travel Advisory.

Do not travel to:

  • Parts of the Mosquito Gulf due to  crime .
  • Parts of the Darién Region due to  crime .

Read the  country information page  for additional information on travel to Panama.

If you decide to travel to Panama:

  • Enroll in the  Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP)  to receive Alerts and make it easier to locate you in an emergency.
  • Follow the Department of State on  Facebook  and  Twitter .
  • Review the  Country Security Report  for Panama.
  • Prepare a contingency plan for emergency situations. Review the  Traveler’s Checklist .
  • Visit the CDC page for the latest  Travel Health Information  related to your travel.

Parts of the "Mosquito Gulf" – Level 4: Do Not Travel

The “Mosquito Gulf” is an extremely remote and inaccessible area along part of the north (Caribbean) coast.

Do not travel within 10 miles of the coastline, from Boca de Rio, Chiriqui to Cocle del Norte. Drug trafficking and other illicit activities occur in this area.

The U.S. government has limited ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in this region as U.S. government personnel must obtain prior approval before traveling there and face additional restrictions before such travel is approved.

Visit our website for  Travel to High-Risk Areas .

Parts of the Darién Region – Level 4: Do Not Travel

Do not travel to the following areas of the Darien:

  • All areas south of Jaque to Manene to Yaviza to Lajas Blancas cities to the Colombian border
  • The city of Lajas Blancas
  • The city of El Salto

Criminal elements and drug and human trafficking networks operate in these areas. Police presence and emergency response are extremely limited.

The U.S. government has limited ability to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens in these regions as U.S. government personnel must obtain prior approval before traveling there and face additional restrictions before such travel is approved.

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COMMENTS

  1. The Creepy Last Photos Of The Hiking 'Panama Girls' Who Went Missing

    Updated July 6, 2023. In April 2014, two Dutch tourists named Kris Kremers and Lisanne Froon went hiking in Panama and never returned. Months later, officials found their bleached bones and disturbing pictures. On April 1, 2014, Kris Kremers and Lisanne Froon left their host family's home to take the family's dog on a walk through the ...

  2. The Missing Panama Girls: A Closer Look At One Photo

    Even the cheap pair of sunglasses are in perfect condition. Police can't be that stupid, but they hope that we are that stupid. I think this was a setup for the 2 girls from the beginning. I think they were murdered and their greatest mistake was to travel to this little town in Panama. They could have been a target early on.

  3. Deep Inside the Panama 'Paradise' Murder Mysteries

    BOQUETE, Panama—The travel ads and tourist brochures all call Panama a paradise. High in the pristine cloud forests of the Talamanca Cordillera, near the Continental Divide, it's easy enough ...

  4. The Baffling Mystery of the Lost Girls of Panama Unravels

    Nadette De Visser. Updated Nov. 26, 2022 11:23AM EST / Published Aug. 22, 2021 5:00AM EDT. A MSTERDAM—On a sunny day, the first of April 2014, two 20-something girls went for a hike in the ...

  5. Deaths of Kris Kremers and Lisanne Froon

    Status. Deceased (human remains found) Height. 184 cm (6 ft 0 in) Kris Kremers and Lisanne Froon were Dutch students who disappeared on 1 April 2014, while hiking the El Pianista trail in Panama. After an extensive search, portions of their bodies were found a few months later. Their cause of death could not be determined definitively; Dutch ...

  6. 3rd suspect arrested in Panama mass murder

    Published 10:59 AM PST, August 5, 2020. PANAMA CITY (AP) — A third suspect in the killings of seven young people in Panama has been arrested, authorities said Wednesday. Panamanian prosecutors said via Twitter that the suspect was arrested in Espinar, in Colon province. A second suspect had turned himself in to police earlier this week.

  7. The Lost Girls, the Bones, and the Man in the Panama Morgue

    Slain Georgia Student's Mom Skewers Biden for Getting Daughter's Name Wrong. Josh Fiallo. Unsolved murders and disappearances in Panama have baffled authorities, claiming the lives of two ...

  8. Chilling True Crime Tells Story Of Two Hikers Who Vanished In ...

    A chilling true crime documentary tells the tragic story of two Dutch hikers who vanished during a trip in Panama. Kris Kremers, 21, and Lisanne Froon, 22, were both keen travellers who travelled to the town of Boquete in Panama's western highlands to do social work with children. Boquete is a popular location thanks to its idyllic views of ...

  9. The Baffling Mystery of the Lost Girls of Panama Unravels

    Nadette De Visser. AMSTERDAM—On a sunny day, the first of April 2014, two 20-something girls went for a hike in the Panamanian jungle, and were never seen again. Their names were Lisanne Froon and Kris Kremers, and their sad story struck a chord with people around the globe. After their disappearance, the good weather vanished as quickly as ...

  10. 2 Americans sentenced in Panama for 5 murders

    PANAMA CITY -- U.S. citizen William Dathan Holbert was sentenced to 47 years in prison by a court in Panama for robbing and killing five other Americans in a Caribbean tourist destination ...

  11. Is Panama Safe? 8 Travel Safety Tips You Must Know

    Colón, Panama. Colón is simply a no-go zone day or night, and most government agencies have issued stern warnings about travel to the coastal city. Bastimentos Island, Bocas del Toro. Bastimentos is the largest island in the Archipelago of Bocas del Toro, one of Panama's top tourism destinations. There have been reports of muggings, attacks ...

  12. Panama: Seven young people killed on trip to Gatún Lake

    Police in Panama are investigating the killing of seven young people whose bodies were found in a wooded area near a lake on Saturday. The victims - four women and three men aged between 17 and 22 ...

  13. Panama murder: Man charged in killing of seven youths

    Prosecutors in Panama say an 18-year-old man has been charged following the killing of seven youths who were on a swimming trip to Gatún Lake. The bodies were found in a wooded area near the lake ...

  14. Were the Lost Dutch Girls in Panama really murdered by some ...

    Nonsense, there are many specialists who call bogus on the official reading. The case was first declared "a crime against personal integrity," by Panama's attorney general, but then dropped and discarded as an accident, without providing ANY hard evidence for this scenario.

  15. Is Panama Safe to Visit in 2024? (Our Opinion)

    Panama has an elevated crime rate. In fact, its crime rate is so high that most countries warn about the risk of crime in their travel advisories for the country. Most concerning is the high violent crime rate. According to data from the World Bank, Panama has a homicide rate of 12.73 incidents per 100,000 people. This is much higher than the ...

  16. Murderous Vacations: Serial Killers Stalking the Panama Highlands

    Now a return trip to the scene of events—as well as renewed sleuthing by best-selling author Dr. Kathy Reichs and other forensic specialists—provide a fresh take on this cold case. BOQUETE ...

  17. Panama Travel Guide: Panama Crime & Safety

    Crime and Safety in Panama. Panama is one of the safest countries in Central America. Of course, it is also one of the most economically viable — with the geographical advantage of the Panama Canal, it is considered a world center. It thrives on shipping, banking, commerce, and tourism. This does not mean Panama is free of struggles.

  18. Is Panama Safe for Travel RIGHT NOW? (2024 Safety Rating)

    Generally, Panama is a safe country to visit. When you visit Panama, you can count on friendly people offering you help with anything you need, especially in rural areas. However, crime rates are high, and it's not just the petty crime that's the issue: violent crime is a common issue in Panama, though it's on its way to getting eradicated.

  19. 16 things to know before you visit Panama City in 2024

    Tourist crime here is low and most are of the low-key, opportunistic type you'll encounter in any major city. Keep your wits about you, avoid the more rough-and-tumble parts of town and you'll be just fine. From planning your trip to local etiquette, here's what you need to know before traveling to Panama City. 1.

  20. Panama Travel Advisory

    Exercise increased caution in Panama due to crime. Some areas have increased risk. Read the entire Travel Advisory. Do not travel to: Parts of the Mosquito Gulf due to crime. Parts of the Darién Region due to crime. Read the country information page for additional information on travel to Panama. If you decide to travel to Panama:

  21. Crime in Panama

    In 2012, Panama had a murder rate of 17.2 per 100,000 population. There were a total of 654 murders in Panama in 2012. Kidnapping. Panamanian authorities conducted a study which indicates that almost 90 percent of express kidnappings are unreported due to the threat that thieves impose on the victim and relatives of the victim. The procedure of express kidnapping consist of abducting the ...