Chapter 3: The Theories

The girls were abducted and murdered

The story of Kris and Lisanne’s disappearance was like a dirty little secret in Boquete, and everyone had a theory about it. But a lot of locals, as well as the Dutch investigators, believed that there was foul play involved in their disappearance.

Could their dialing the emergency number be consistent with spotting someone suspicious and walking away from the trail for safety? Would that explain why Lisanne Froon couldn’t just try and get help if Kris Kremer was injured?

The Pinasta Trail wasn’t considered particularly dangerous, and there were often other people on it, including villagers walking their cattle. Their phone and camera evidence prove that one or the other was alive till day 11. There was certainly an overlap between when the girls were still alive and the search operations. Investigators found it strange that despite the huge rescue effort, no evidence was found while they were still alive. Why were they not found? It was almost like they were purposely kept away from certain spots.

Then, there is the strange case of photo 509 being missing from Lisanne’s camera. This would have been the photo taken just after the normal daytime shots and the strange nighttime photos. Even if a photo was deleted from the camera, retrieving it is usually easy. Yet, apart from the file name, the experts could not retrieve the photo at all. It was as if someone with access to a computer had deleted the photo manually.

A bigger conspiracy? Drug and human trafficking

There are rumors about government corruption, drugs, and human trafficking in the area. Award-winning journalist Mariana Atencio found out that there were more than 50 cases of missing women and girls within that 40-mile corridor of Panama. Kris and Lisanne were young, blonde, and got worldwide media attention. The rest of the women, often darker, indigenous Spanish local women, hardly get any mention at all. They have disappeared without much ado.

Certain individuals close to the case cast doubt on the “hiking accident” explanation. They propose a more sinister narrative involving potential sexual assault and murder, allegations that authorities either overlooked or concealed. According to this conjecture, the remains and possessions could have been disposed of in the river to conceal evidence. Some suggest the culprits intentionally placed them as part of a cover-up.

Lisanne Froon and Kris Kremers Were likely Victims of a Tragic Hiking Accident.

The most likely explanation that most experts agree on, but none can prove, is that Kris Kremers and Lisanne Froon died as a result of an accident. The women were inexperienced, unprepared, and got lost. They tried calling for help, but it didn’t work. They panicked and hiked the wrong way instead of waiting for rescue. Tragically, both died as a result of falling by accident.

The trail the girls continued after reaching the summit is considered dangerous, especially in the rainy season. It did rain heavily in the days after the girls disappeared. The trail, too steep even for mules, extends from Chiriquí into Bocas del Toro, crossing steep river gorges up to 70 feet deep. These ravines require crossing via unstable cable bridges, rendering the trail inaccessible even to search dogs.

Thomas Coyne, a well-known wilderness survival expert says that catastrophic falls are one of the main reasons trekkers get stuck, and is also one of the leading causes of death in hikers. There is a strong possibility that maybe Kris fell, and Lisanne climbed down and got stuck as well. Coyne believes that whatever went wrong immobilized both of them.

According to, most people who get lost in the jungle usually try to preserve their phone batteries, intermittently turning them on. According to Coyne, Lisanne and Kris were probably stranded in one area, unable to keep moving to search for better phone reception after suffering a fall/accident. That is maybe the reason they didn’t repeatedly try and call emergency numbers.

The Panamanian authorities concluded that they fell from a cable bridge almost 20 ft above the Rio Culebra River while attempting to cross it. This cable bridge is supposedly in the background of one of the night photos in the camera.

The facts that back up the accident theory

Kris and Lisanne, vulnerable and unprepared, were at the mercy of the jungle. They had no rain gear, warm clothes, enough water, or food. Nor were they used to the topography of the area.

The strange camera pictures could be explained as the girls trying to see what is around them or possibly as markers to help recognize the way. Even attempts to attract the rescue team with flashes.

According to forensic photography analyst Keith Rosenthal, the women displayed resourcefulness by using available items to signal rescuers. They crafted a directional marker from sticks and plastic and spelled out messages with toilet tissue and a mirror. Their journey downstream likely led to their remains being scattered along the riverbank. Lisanne’s last efforts to signal for help possibly occurred when her injuries left her unable to proceed further. Despite multiple theories, most attribute the tragedy to the challenges of the jungle.

Lisanne probably fell from a cable bridge while attempting a risky river crossing and seriously injured herself, as evident from the multiple fractures in her foot found inside the shoe. That would have made her unable to move on. This could also be the place where she would eventually die, her remains scattered on the river. The last time the iPhone was turned on was perhaps her last attempt for help.

We will probably never know what happened to Lisanne and Kris, whether it was foul play or the jungle that claimed the young lives. Their families, despite accepting the authority’s report of them dying in a tragic accident, still long for definite answers.

What remains mysterious is why the two young girls, intelligent and ambitious, with so many plans ahead and so much life left, decided to walk past the summit into the unknown jungle trails!