What started as an exciting adventure soon spiraled into a chilling mystery, leaving a lasting impact on everyone who learns about it.

Wearing shorts and tank tops, on April 1, 2014, Kris Kremers and Lisanne Froon, both in their twenties and hailing from the Netherlands, embarked on a hiking expedition near Boquete, Panama.

The Dutch friends set out from the village dressed casually, carrying only Lisanne’s small backpack, which contained their cell phones, a camera, and a water bottle.

They intended to be away for just a few hours, aiming to reach a scenic viewpoint known as Mirador in the mountains.

“We’ll return before nightfall,” they assured the woman who had rented them the room.

What transpired next remains unknown.

After six months of diligent saving, Kris Kremers, 21, and Lisanne Froon, 22, were excited to embark on their long-held dream of traveling the world.

Kris Kremers was recognized for her creativity, open-mindedness, and strong sense of responsibility. In contrast, Lisanne Froon was an optimistic and intelligent young woman with a fervent love for volleyball.

Kremers had recently completed her studies in cultural social education, specializing in art education at the University of Utrecht. Meanwhile, Froon had just graduated with a degree in applied psychology from Deventer.

Just weeks prior to their trip to Panama, Lisanne moved in with Kris in Amersfoort, where they both worked at a local café. After months of saving, they organized their trip to Panama as a special holiday to celebrate Froon’s graduation.

Their aspirations included learning Spanish, volunteering with children, and making a positive difference in the local community.

Kris Kremers and Lisanne Froon arrived in Panama on March 15, 2014. After spending two weeks exploring the country, they settled in Boquete, Chiriquí, on March 29 to stay with a local family and volunteer with children for a month.

On April 1, at approximately 11:00 AM, they embarked on a hike along the El Pianista trail, nestled in the cloud-covered forests near the Baru volcano, just outside Boquete.

Accompanied by their host family’s dog, they set out to discover the beauty of the area. However, just hours after bidding farewell to their host family, they vanished without a trace.

Their absence went unnoticed at first. That evening, their host family became worried when the dog returned home alone.

The camera was found.

Initially, the family decided to wait until morning, but as time went on, it became evident that something was seriously amiss.

By April 2, the authorities were notified, and a search operation commenced. Locals, police, and even the families of Kremers and Froon, who had traveled from the Netherlands, combed the area for several days.

Weeks went by with no sign of them. Then, nearly two months after they went missing, a significant development occurred.

A local woman stumbled upon a blue backpack in a rice paddy by the riverbank. Inside were several personal belongings: sunglasses, cash, a water bottle, Lisanne’s passport, and two bras. However, it was the discovery of the women’s camera and phones that would alter the course of the investigation.

A chilling truth

The phones told a disturbing tale.

Although they were mostly out of service, the devices had attempted to dial emergency numbers 77 times in the days following their disappearance.

The first attempts were made just hours after their hike, but the thick jungle obstructed the calls. The most unsettling detail? One of the calls connected briefly — for just two seconds — before disconnecting.

On April 6, the phones made unsuccessful attempts to unlock Kremers’ device using the wrong PIN, suggesting that someone — possibly Kremers herself — was trying desperately to access the phone for help.

The correct PIN was never accepted.

The final moments were even more unsettling. Both phones lost power by April 11.

The haunting photos

However, the real terror was hidden within the camera itself. The images it held revealed a chilling narrative of what may have transpired with Kremers and Froon after their disappearance.

Initially, the photos seemed harmless, showcasing the women during their hike — their radiant smiles and carefree demeanor gave no indication of the impending horror.

Yet, it was the images captured on the night of April 8, between 1 and 4 AM, that left viewers feeling uneasy.

These pictures were strange and disturbing: personal items scattered across rocks, plastic bags and candy wrappers oddly stacked, dirt mounds arranged in peculiar formations, and a troubling close-up of Kris Kremers’ head.

The two girls are absent from most of the night photos, with the exception of one possible image. This close-up features blonde hair, likely depicting the back of Kris Kremers’ head. Some observers have speculated that the lower right corner of the image may show traces of blood.

At approximately 2 PM on April 1, 2014, Lisanne captured the final images of Kris.

One of these photos has been analyzed and suggested to depict the girls either anticipating an impending event or indicating that something had already occurred.

In the image, Kris is leaning forward with a distressed look on her face, and it seems as though her hands are tied behind her back.

The nighttime photographs sparked numerous inquiries.

Why were there no pictures captured throughout the entire week following their disappearance, up until the night of April 8? What triggered the intense three-hour photography session? Why are the girls’ faces absent from any of the images? And why did they not leave a message for their families, particularly considering they must have understood the peril they faced in the jungle?

Human remains.

As investigators worked to unravel the enigma, more unsettling findings emerged a few months after the backpack was discovered.

Kremers’ clothing was found neatly arranged along the riverbank. Then, two months later, the most horrifying discovery was made — a pelvic bone and a foot still encased in a boot were located nearby.

The remains were disturbing. Lisanne Froon’s bones seemed to have decomposed naturally, with remnants of flesh still attached.

In contrast, Kris Kremers’ bones were alarmingly bright white, resembling a bleached appearance, which can occur naturally due to sun exposure.

Ultimately, only about 10% of Froon’s bones and 5% of Kremers’ bones were recovered.

A forensic anthropologist from Panama later noted that under magnification, “there are no visible scratches on the bones, whether from natural or cultural sources — the bones show no markings at all.”

Yet, despite thorough investigations, the most haunting question remains unanswered: What happened to Kris Kremers and Lisanne Froon?

There were no eyewitnesses, no suspects, and no clear cause of death.

The photographs, call logs, and the discovery of their remains have raised more questions than they have resolved.

Was it a tragic accident?

To this day, the mystery surrounding the disappearance and deaths of Kris Kremers and Lisanne Froon remains unresolved. Was it simply a tragic accident, a case of getting lost in the jungle? Or was there something more sinister involved?

The precise cause of death for Kris Kremers and Lisanne Froon is still unknown. Dutch authorities, working alongside forensic experts and search-and-rescue teams, initially theorized that the two women might have accidentally fallen from a cliff while lost in the thick jungle. However, despite extensive inquiries, no conclusive determination could be made.

Families in the Netherlands, along with authorities in Panama and many others, continue to grapple with the chilling remnants of the last moments of the two young women. We all find ourselves questioning whether we will ever fully understand what transpired during their ill-fated adventure.