What Happened to the Dutch Girls? Questions from Boquete that Continue to Generate Debate 12 Years Later
Twelve years have passed since the young Dutch women Kris Kremers and Lisanne Froon ventured down a path from which they never returned. Since then, the case has generated interest from many quarters. Books have been written, series have been produced, and numerous podcast episodes have been aired on the subject, all of them attempting to unravel the enigma. Theories come and go. Every April, the story resurfaces. Along the way, new hypotheses emerge. What is the most formal explanation? Betzaida Pitti Cerrud, the prosecutor in the case, said in one of her last interviews that her theory is that the young women got lost after making the imprudent decision to venture down a challenging trail without the help of a guide.
According to the former prosecutor, the hypotheses related to a kidnapping or homicide were ruled out when all of their belongings were found intact, including money, glasses and underwear. “Many people disagreed with me, but they were immediately lost. Climbing mountains is very dangerous. I climbed them three times, and on one occasion, I spent more than six hours dehydrated. I had water and food with me. What I mean is, it is a dense mountain range with dangerous animals. The girls didn’t consider the consequences of going in without a guide,” Pitti explained in her last news interview in 2022. The investigator reinforces her hypothesis with the fact that the girls’ cell phone was active for 11 days after their disappearance was reported.
The first traces date back to April 1, 2014, and the last time the device was turned on was April 11, at 11:56 a.m. In addition, experts found attempts to call emergency numbers in the Netherlands. Although it may seem incredible to some that they were lost in the jungle for more than 10 days, Pitti emphasizes that they were two athletic young women. Kris, 21, loved hiking, and Lisanne, 22, played soccer. The details of Pitti’s research are reflected in the work: “Lost in the Jungle”, in which he worked together with the Dutch writers Marja West and Jürgen Snoeren. Beyond Pitti’s theory, some argue that other elements were overlooked or remain hidden.
In 2023, journalists Mariana Atencio and Jeremy Kryt explored these details in a podcast. Its name is “Lost in Panama” and it consists of seven episodes in English, each lasting between 50 minutes and one hour. In the podcast produced by Kast Media, sources who are said to have a relationship with those involved in the incident break their silence, suggesting that what was closed as a hiking accident could be a double femicide. A red pickup truck in which the young women were allegedly seen shortly before disappearing, a group of gang members linked to drug trafficking, the transfer of the girls to another location, an old acquaintance, the subsequent planting of the remains by someone familiar with the area, and the death of five people who were allegedly aware of these events are some of the points explored by Atencio and Kryt, with solid support from sources.
“There were things that didn’t add up. For example, only a few remains of the young women were found, 1% of one and 13% of the other. Then they found a backpack with photos taken at night and working cell phones. That didn’t make sense to me,” Atencio explained. The journalist adds that while developing the investigation she encountered obstacles and stated that “many forensic experts were not allowed to do their work at various points in the government investigation.”
In addition, other works have been published on the case, such as “The Diabolical Hand: The Disappearance of Kris Kremers and Lisanne Froon,” “Disappeared in Panama: The True Tragedy of the Pianist Trail. The Mysterious Case of Kris Kremers and Lisanne Froon,” and “Panama Cold Case: The Puzzling Disappearance of Kris Kremers and Lisanne Froon.” These publications attempt to address a question that still seems to have no clear answers.
