Case overview
On April 1, 2014, Dutch tourists Kris Kremers, 21, and Lisanne Froon, 22, left their host family’s home in Boquete, Panama, to hike the Pianista Trail. They never returned. Ten weeks later, scattered remains and dozens of night photos raised more questions than they answered.
The last confirmed day
Kris Kremers and Lisanne Froon arrived in Panama on March 15, 2014, for a six-week trip combining volunteer work and travel. They planned to work at a local school in Boquete, a small mountain town near the Costa Rican border known for its cloud forests and hiking trails.
On the morning of April 1, the pair told their host family they were going on a day hike. They carried Lisanne’s Canon Powershot camera, both of their phones, and a small backpack. Witnesses reported seeing them on the Pianista Trail that afternoon. A local guide later confirmed he passed them near the trail’s summit around 2:00 p.m., heading toward the Continental Divide.
That sighting remains the last confirmed observation of either woman alive.
What the phones recorded
Both women carried mobile phones: Kris had a Samsung Galaxy S3, and Lisanne had an iPhone 4. The devices became critical evidence after investigators recovered them weeks later.
The first emergency call was placed from Lisanne’s iPhone at 4:39 p.m. to 112, the Dutch emergency number. The call did not connect. A second attempt was made at 4:51 p.m. to 911, Panama’s emergency line. It also failed. Over the following days, both phones showed repeated attempts to reach emergency services, all unsuccessful due to lack of signal.
The phones were powered on and off intermittently through April 6. On April 3, Kris’s phone was used to dial 911 at 9:32 a.m., 10:53 a.m., and 1:56 p.m. None connected. On April 6, the iPhone was turned on briefly at 10:26 a.m., then again at 1:37 p.m. No calls were made. Kris’s Samsung showed no further activity after April 5, likely due to battery depletion.
Lisanne’s iPhone remained functional through April 11. That day, it was powered on at 10:51 a.m. and used to open the phone’s photo gallery, but no calls were attempted. The phone was never turned on again.
The 77 night photos
Lisanne’s camera contained 90 photos. The first images from April 1 showed the women on the trail, smiling and relaxed. The final daytime photo was taken at 1:54 p.m. and showed a rocky area beyond the trail’s marked endpoint, near the Continental Divide.
No photos were taken between 1:54 p.m. on April 1 and 1:29 a.m. on April 8. That gap spans nearly seven days.
Beginning at 1:29 a.m. on April 8, 77 photographs were taken in rapid succession over three hours. All were taken in complete darkness using the camera’s flash. The images show fragmented views: tree branches, rock faces, plastic bags, a makeshift trail marker made from red material, and the back of Kris’s head with her hair obscuring most of the frame.
No faces were visible. No clear surroundings could be identified. The photos appeared to have been taken while the camera was in motion, some pointed at the ground, others upward into dense foliage. The photos ended abruptly at 4:00 a.m., with no further activity recorded on the camera.
What was recovered
On June 14, 2014, a local woman found Lisanne’s blue backpack on a riverbank near the village of Alto Romero, several miles downstream from the Pianista Trail. The bag was in relatively good condition. Inside were both phones, the camera, two pairs of sunglasses, $83 in cash, Lisanne’s passport, and a water bottle. Kris’s passport was not present.
The condition of the contents raised immediate questions. The electronics, though exposed to Panama’s tropical humidity for more than two months, were still functional enough for forensic analysis. The backpack showed minimal wear despite being found along a riverbank in a region known for heavy seasonal rains.
Human remains began appearing in the same area shortly after. On June 19, a pelvic bone was discovered. A rib and a boot containing a foot, later identified through DNA as belonging to Lisanne, were found nearby. Over the following weeks, additional remains were recovered, including parts of both women’s skeletal structures. A total of 33 bone fragments were eventually identified. Most were found scattered along the Culebra River and its tributaries.
Forensic examination determined that some bones showed signs of bleaching, a process consistent with prolonged exposure to sunlight and water. No soft tissue remained. No clothing was recovered apart from the boot. The condition of the bones made it difficult for pathologists to determine a conclusive cause of death.
The search and official response
Kris Kremers and Lisanne Froon were reported missing on April 2, one day after they failed to meet a scheduled appointment. Panamanian authorities, local volunteers, and indigenous guides conducted extensive searches of the Pianista Trail and surrounding jungle. Search dogs were deployed. Helicopters surveyed the area from above. Nothing was found.
The search was scaled back after ten days. It resumed briefly following public pressure from the families and media attention in the Netherlands. Dutch investigators later traveled to Panama to assist, but no new leads were developed.
After the backpack and remains were discovered in June, the search shifted to the riverbanks and downstream areas. Investigators theorized the women may have become lost after wandering off the trail, eventually succumbing to exposure, injury, or dehydration.
Panamanian authorities ruled the deaths accidental. The official conclusion stated that Kris and Lisanne likely became disoriented after crossing into unmarked terrain beyond the trail’s official endpoint, were unable to call for help due to lack of signal, and died in the jungle. The remains, according to this theory, were carried downstream by the river during seasonal flooding.
What remains unresolved
The disappearance of Kris Kremers and Lisanne Froon generated sustained attention in the Netherlands and among online communities focused on missing persons cases. Several elements continue to draw scrutiny.
The seven-day gap between the last daytime photo and the night photos has no documented explanation. Why the camera was not used during that period, and what prompted its sudden use in the early hours of April 8, remains unclear.
The night photos themselves have been analyzed extensively. Some observers noted that the sequence appeared deliberately structured, with certain images repeated or overlapping. Others questioned whether the photos were taken as a signal for help, an attempt to illuminate surroundings, or for another purpose.
The condition and location of the backpack also raised questions. How it remained intact and relatively dry after more than two months in a tropical river environment has been debated. The absence of Kris’s passport, despite Lisanne’s being present, has not been explained.
Local residents and independent investigators have pointed to inconsistencies in the official timeline, including reports of the backpack’s exact discovery location and the sequence in which remains were found. Some have questioned whether the women encountered another individual on or after April 1.
Panamanian authorities have maintained that no evidence suggests foul play. Forensic reports concluded the remains showed no signs of trauma inconsistent with environmental exposure. Dutch investigators who reviewed the case supported the accidental death determination.
The families of Kris Kremers and Lisanne Froon have expressed frustration with the pace and transparency of the investigation. Both have called for additional review of forensic evidence, particularly the digital data recovered from the phones and camera.
Where to look next
- Documentary: “Disappeared” (Investigation Discovery)
- Book: “Lost in the Jungle” by Marja West and Jürgen Snoeren
- Podcast: “The Disappearance of Kris Kremers and Lisanne Froon” (“True Crime Garage”, Independent)
