Today, we’re exploring one of the most haunting mysteries of modern times- the disappearance and tragic deaths of two Dutch students, Kris Kremers and Lisanne Froon.
Their story begins with adventure, optimism, and cultural exchange, but it ends in a fog of unanswered questions, strange discoveries, and theories that range from tragic accident to sinister foul play.
So grab your backpack, lace up your hiking boots, and join me as we walk the trail into Panama’s cloud forest… and into the mystery of Kris and Lisanne.
Part 1: The Journey Begins
In 2014, Kris Kremers, 21, and Lisanne Froon, 22, both students from the Netherlands, set out for the trip of a lifetime. They’d spent six months planning, eager to immerse themselves in a new culture, volunteer, and sharpen their Spanish skills.
The pair traveled to Panama, where they backpacked, volunteered, and eventually settled in the town of Boquete. There, they stayed with a local host family while helping out at a small school.
By all accounts, the girls were bright, adventurous, and responsible. They were known for their close friendship and their excitement about experiencing everything Panama had to offer.
On April 1st, 2014, they set off to hike a popular trail: El Pianista.
They never returned.
Part 2: Into the Jungle
The El Pianista Trail is deceptively beautiful. It begins as a well-marked path, winding upward through the misty highlands until it reaches a summit with breathtaking views.
One of the final photos of Kris and Lisanne shows them smiling there—arms wide open, thumbs up, happy and carefree.
But instead of turning back, investigators believe the girls pressed forward. Beyond the summit lies dense, treacherous jungle leading toward the Changuinola River- locals call it “the grinder” for its deadly flash floods and near-impassable terrain.
Hours after those smiling photos, the girls attempted two emergency calls to Dutch authorities. Neither connected.
As night fell, it’s believed they tried to hunker down in the jungle, planning to continue in daylight. But by then, they may already have been disoriented, moving deeper into danger instead of back toward safety.
Part 3: The Search
Some say that it was Azul, the dog of the owners of the cafe at the base of the trail that may have accompanied them that initially sparked the search for the girls, while others say when the girls missed a scheduled coffee farm tour the following morning, alarm bells rang.
Their hiking route exists on paths commonly used by local villagers. If they had not gone too far off the trail, then almost certainly the local inhabitants who utilize these trails to visit neighbors and to access the town would have heard them yelling for help.
A search was quickly launched. Rescue teams combed the jungle, local villages, and rivers. Within days, Kris and Lisanne’s families flew to Panama, bringing Dutch investigators to bolster the effort.
Still—no trace.
The jungle search dragged on, but the rainforest seemed determined to swallow its secrets.
It later emerged that over those desperate days, Kris and Lisanne had made a staggering 77 attempts to call emergency services. Only one call connected -briefly- before dropping out.
For nearly weeks, nothing more surfaced. And then… a discovery.
Part 4: The Backpack
A local woman turned in a blue backpack, claiming she’d found it along a riverbank in the jungle 14 hours on foot from the top of the Pianista Trail.
Inside: two pairs of sunglasses, $83 in cash, bras, a water bottle, Lisanne’s passport, their phones, and her camera.
The discovery was chilling. Not only because of what was inside, but because it was found in a place so remote, so difficult to reach, that even seasoned locals rarely attempted it.
And inside Lisanne’s camera lay perhaps the most haunting piece of evidence in the case: over 90 photographs taken deep in the jungle. Most were black frames or blurred, captured in the dead of night between 1 and 4am on April 8th—seven days after the girls vanished.
Why? What were they trying to show—or who?
Part 5: The Photos
Some images showed their belongings laid out on rocks. Others, plastic bags, candy wrappers, dirt mounds. One disturbing photo appeared to show the back of Kris’s head, with what some believe to be blood on her temple.
Were these photos desperate attempts to create light with the camera flash? Or were they taken by someone else?
One theory, supported by Dutch authors Marja West and Jürgen Snoeren, suggests Lisanne, perhaps alone at this point, was using the flash to illuminate her surroundings, or even to attract attention.
But another, darker theory, claims the photos prove the involvement of a third party. That the girls were not alone. That someone else was behind the camera.
To this day, no one knows for sure.
Part 6: Remains
The backpack triggered renewed searches along the river. Soon, more discoveries emerged.
First, Kris’s denim shorts were found. Then, bones- eventually totaling 33, not all of which were the womens’. Among them, a pelvis and a foot still inside a boot.
Forensic tests revealed injuries but no definitive cause of death. Some bones showed signs of exposure to the elements and even scavenging by animals.
The bones were discovered a 14 hour hike north and past two rivers from where the two girls originally known to be, which means that Kris Kremers and Lisanne Froon had somehow traveled much further than planned. Investigators concluded the girls likely followed the riverbed, sustaining injuries along the way, before succumbing to exhaustion, exposure, or accident. April is on the verge of the start of the rainy season, at which point the river was relatively shallow. Later in April the river multiplies in size. Increased rains drastically increase the depth and movement of the river.
Corpses float due to gasses that are internally released postmortem. If they died on the bank of the river, it’s likely that their remains were eventually swept away as the rainy season took hold, depending how high the remains were on the bank of the river.
But this “accident theory” has never silenced the speculation.
Criminologist Octavio Calderón said on the case “Two bones from different parts of the body, from two people, never end up together on a sandbar. This shows that someone placed them there. There is no other reason.”
Kris Kremers bones are discussed less often regarding the disappearance case of Kris Kremers and Lisanne Froon. When Kris Kremers bone fragments were found, forensic investigators claimed that Kris’s bones were bleached in some fashion, that phosphorus was discovered on her bones and the experts also suggested the possible use of lime. No phosphates were found in soil samples from the area, however the utilization of phosphorus and lime together is common. When soils grow too acidic, lime is added to the soil to balance the PH, which therefore enables phosphorus to be more easily absorbed by plants. Lisanne Froon’s bones were not bleached.
Only two bones from Kris Kremers body were found: A piece of her pelvis (hip bone) and a rib bone (rib #10). The rest of Kris’s bones were never found.
Also, something more disturbing was found. In late August of 2014, 5 month from when they believe the women passed away, a large lump of Lisanne’s skin was found and it was still in an early state of decomposition. In other words, the chunk of her flesh was relatively “fresh”. This points to the idea that the body is or was kept in a humid place, under shadow and in low temperatures, according to the reports.
Somehow Kris’s bones had disconnected from all flesh and “aged” rapidly, but Lisanne’s bodily tissue was discovered intact and in relatively fresh condition. Kris’s bones had no flesh attached. Lisanne Froon’s bones still had flesh attached. So, given the inconsistency between the states of the bodily tissue of the two girls, we can assume that the conditions of decay were quite different, for reasons that we do not know.
Additionally, a Panamanian IMELCF Forensic Anthropologist said “There are no discernible scratches of any kind on the bones, neither of natural nor cultural origin- here are no marks on the bones at all. There’s no evidence that animals scavenged the Holandesas.“
Certainly it’s possible, even likely, that the bodily remains could be spread a far distance from each other in a river. Rivers move objects and debris, including corpses. But what doesn’t make sense is that many of the bones washed-up on the same exact small bank of the river, many kilometers downstream.
Panama conducted multiple searches in the area. But there was more than one issue:
- The evidence collection procedures were poor.
- The locals often disrupted the investigation sites, such as the “folded” jean shorts that were supposedly found in the river.
- Many pieces of evidence weren’t followed up on, such as the fingerprints.
- The case was closed before questions could receive appropriate answers.
- Communication with the public was sub-par. No information was made directly available to the public.
Part 7: Theories
Over the years, countless theories have swirled.
Some say Kris and Lisanne were victims of foul play- perhaps targeted, kidnapped, even trafficked.
Others point to the possibility of planted evidence arguing the backpack’s pristine condition was too suspicious for weeks in the rainforest.
Still others, including Marja and Jürgen, believe the truth is far simpler: that two inexperienced hikers ventured too far, lost their way, and suffered a tragic series of accidents in an unforgiving environment.
Yet even they admit there are many unknowns.
Why were the nighttime photos taken? Why did one phone suddenly switch on days later? And why did it take so long for their remains to be found in such a concentrated area?
Part 8: Legacy of a Mystery
It has now been more than a decade since Kris and Lisanne’s final hike. Their story endures because it is more than a mystery, it’s a reminder of how fragile the line is between adventure and tragedy.
Two young women set out with excitement, determination, and trust in the world. And in return, they were swallowed by the jungle and by a mystery that refuses to let go.
Whether accident, foul play, or something in between, the disappearance of Kris Kremers and Lisanne Froon is one of the most chilling reminders that sometimes, the most dangerous places are not haunted by monsters or criminals- but by silence, isolation, and the unknown.
Thank you for listening to this episode of Strange Sisters. If you have your own theory about what happened on the El Pianista Trail, we’d love to hear it! Drop us a a comment below.
Until next time Stay Strange!
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