In March 2022, we published a journalistic investigation regarding the activities of the WorldTeach Romania Association, which had been promising for seven years to open a rescue center for trafficked women. Despite receiving generous funding from the American organization UNCAGED in Atlanta, the association neither had the necessary authorizations and accreditations nor the required personnel for the Butterfly Sanctuary, as they named the location in the village of Zolt, Timiș County.
The mentioned investigation can be read HERE.
With inflated prices, Beniamin Lup, the head of the association, continued to request millions of dollars from the funder for the former guesthouse in Zolt, which was purchased for just over $300,000, as shown in the documents.
In April 2022, during an interview broadcast on the American podcast Vinelife, Kim Westfall, CEO of UNCAGED, mentioned that they managed to pay $1.8 million for the former guesthouse. The discrepancy is enormous, but our questions sent to Mrs. Westfall remained unanswered.
Our investigation resonated not only with the public in Romania but also within Romanian communities in the USA and Republic of Moldova, where Beniamin Lup extended his influence by leveraging his affiliation with the Baptist Church.
On September 28, 2024, we began receiving messages from several individuals alerting us that Beniamin Lup’s third wife, Rodica Guțan from the Republic of Moldova, had suddenly passed away at the age of 45 in the presence of her husband, in Chișinău.
Investigation by: Brîndușa Armanca and Sorin Istrate
We recalled a message we received in 2022 from V.R., who asked us to investigate the suspicious death of Beniamin Lup’s first wife, Eugenia Lup, who died at the age of 42 in 2016 under similar circumstances—alone with her husband at their home in Oțelu Roșu. At the time, we were not interested, as our focus was elsewhere. However, given the similarities, we have now decided to follow this lead.
The field of human trafficking and the rescue of trafficked individuals is a sensitive one, and suspicions surrounding the head of an anti-trafficking organization could negatively impact the entire sector.
We mention that most of the information was obtained either by contacting people from the entourage of the two women or through the relevant authorities, as well as from open sources, such as Facebook. Some individuals requested that we not reveal their real identities, while others fully stood by their statements.
Article 7 of Law No. 190/2018 states that journalistic activity is exempt from certain provisions of the GDPR Regulation, as long as a balance is maintained between freedom of expression and the protection of personal data. The information in this article is of public interest and was obtained from public sources.
Two Investigation Cases for Suspicious Deaths
At the Caraș-Severin County Prosecutor’s Office, case number 1619/315/P/2024 for involuntary manslaughter has been opened which is being handled by the Oțelu Roșu Police. The case concerns the circumstances surrounding the death of Eugenia Lup at the age of 42. The 2016 case was opened following a detailed report, as the investigating officer, with whom we spoke on-site, confirmed. The first witness hearing took place on October 17.
Involuntary manslaughter is stipulated under Article 192 of the Criminal Code and is defined as an offense against a person’s bodily integrity and health, with penalties ranging from 5 to 7 years of imprisonment.
The General Prosecutor’s Office in Chișinău received multiple reports regarding the suspicious death of Rodica Guțan Lup, immediately after her death on September 28, 2024. According to official information, the case has been assigned to the Buiucani Office of the Chișinău Municipal Prosecutor’s Office under file number 5961/8.10.2024. The investigation has already begun, several people have been questioned, and a search was conducted at the home of Rodica Guțan and Beniamin Lup.
From unofficial sources, we know that on Friday, October 11, 2024, the exhumation of Rodica Guțan took place for a post-mortem autopsy.
The Eugenia Lup Case: “An angel in human form”
Eugenia attended university courses and completed a master’s degree in social work at the West University of Timișoara. Married to Beniamin Lup since 1993 and mother to a daughter, Cristiana, she was a publishing director and the coordinator of the social work department at the WorldTeach Romania Association, which they founded in 2003, with its headquarters in their home on G. Coșbuc Street No. 4 in Oțelu Roșu.
Her obituary describes her as a devout, introverted, and gentle woman, “an angel in human form,” with artistic talents. She was baptized into the Baptist faith following a personal disappointment: an accident prevented her from continuing to play handball, a sport she had pursued with passion and talent.
She was 42 years old when she died under unknown circumstances.
Based on testimonies from close acquaintances and discussions with several doctors, we have put together a timeline of the death:
February 9, 2016 – Eugenia falls into a coma at home. Her husband, Beniamin Lup, claims he attempted resuscitation for 45 minutes but did not call the ambulance. Their daughter, Cristiana, arrives from Glimboca and calls the ambulance. Eugenia is taken to the Caransebeș Emergency Municipal Hospital.
February 10-11 – Eugenia partially recovers. It is recommended that she be transferred to the County Hospital in Timișoara. The discharge papers from the Caransebeș hospital indicate Grade III coma, „accidental poisoning with secobarbital.” The discharge documents from the Caransebeș hospital are signed by Dr. Ilie Buru.
February 12 – The patient is transferred to the County Hospital in Timișoara, Neurology Department.
February 23 – Eugenia is discharged from the Timișoara County Hospital on her feet, fully recovered, with a diagnosis of „Encephalitis,” but with the presence of „barbiturates” in the toxicology reports. Her tests are good. A follow-up and re-evaluation are recommended after one month. She is only prescribed thyroid medication.
February 25 – In the evening, Eugenia dies at home in Oțelu Roșu, in the presence of Beniamin. No autopsy is performed. The death is confirmed by Dr. Valentin Boșneag, who authorizes the funeral home to take her to the chapel.
February 28 – She is buried in the Oțelu Roșu cemetery.
What Do the Doctors Say
We called Dr. Ilie Buru, a senior doctor who has been retired for over five years. The doctor did not remember the case and was unaware that a patient who had passed through the Caransebeș hospital, where he worked as an internist, had died. He assumes that he only filled out the discharge papers and that someone else from the ICU handled the patient.
Neurologist Daniela Reisz, a senior doctor at the Timișoara County Hospital in 2016, told us that the case concerned her, and she pondered what might have led to the death.
„I was shocked to hear that the patient had died. The case troubled me. I usually treat elderly patients, but she was young, just over 40 years old. She was discharged from the hospital rehabilitated, with good test results. There were no indications that she would die,” Dr. Reisz told us.
The neurologist claims that she did not see the discharge sheet from the Caransebeș Municipal Hospital with the discharge diagnosis of „accidental poisoning with secobarbital.” „If I had seen that, I would have requested additional tests,” she emphasized.
From our checks, the medical documents, observation sheets, tests, discharge forms, etc., are stored in the archives of the two hospitals and can be officially requested by the authorized investigative institutions.
Secobarbital, a Passport to Assisted Death
According to specialized descriptions, secobarbital/seconal is a barbiturate, meaning a sedative, a strong sleeping pill with a high risk of dependency and potentially fatal overdose.
In Romania, it has not been used or available in pharmacies since 2000, when Law no. 143/2000 regarding the prevention and combat of drug trafficking and illicit drug use was enacted, followed by Law 339/2005 on the legal regime of narcotic and psychotropic plants, substances, and preparations.
It is listed in both laws under the annexes of prohibited substances, Table II. Secobarbital is banned in several countries or strictly controlled.
In some countries like the Netherlands, Switzerland, or Oregon, USA, it is the substance used for euthanasia. It is preferred because it induces death relatively quickly—30 minutes at a high dose or an hour at a moderate dose. It is soluble in water and alcohol and does not require large amounts of liquid to ingest.
The Deathbed Photograph
Thanks to new technologies, we spoke with numerous individuals who knew Eugenia and Beniamin Lup in 2016. We met some of them face-to-face. Several of our interlocutors expressed doubts about Eugenia’s premature death. As members of a religious community, they were content at the time to attribute Eugenia’s passing to God’s will. However, the 2024 death of Rodica Guțan at 45 years old, under similar circumstances, reignited questions that had only been whispered in 2016.
We received both information and photographs, screenshots from phones, and videos that could support their suspicions, with permission to publish them.
A disturbing image had been circulating for several years among members of the Oțelu community: Eugenia, deceased in bed, her hair spread out on the pillow, her face swollen and marked by red blotches extending down her neck and arm.
The photograph was taken with a phone by Mircea Lup as soon as he arrived at his brother Beniamin’s home on February 25, 2016.
“Mircea took the picture out of shock and sent it to me. We were together at the time, and we talked a lot about the situation, which didn’t seem normal to us. I had thought about going to the police to request an investigation, but since Mircea did not want to, I dropped the idea as well,” Costina Stuparu, a friend of Eugenia, told us. She also informed us that Eugenia had been experiencing dizziness in the mornings, upon waking, about a week before falling into a coma on February 9.
“I was not home when Eugenia died, I was working in Italy, but I kept in touch and knew that after her hospitalization, she was doing well. I even saw pictures and a video of her, in good spirits, talking on the phone with her dog beside her, just a day before she died,” Costina added during our conversation, noting that she allowed us to use her real name.
Eugenia received visits at both the Caransebeș and Timișoara hospitals, and her condition was visibly improving. Her husband, who never left her side, stayed with her, and occasionally, their daughter as well.
“Let us continue to pray for our dear Eugenia Lup. Her condition is good, considering she came out of a coma, meaning: she recognizes us, we can mostly understand her when she manages to say something, she struggles to swallow drops of water or tea, she opens her eyes and, with great effort, sees me double and blurry,” wrote Carla von Brock, a close family friend, on Facebook on February 11, when Eugenia was still in the Caransebeș hospital.
On February 21, Ellen Tuttle visited Eugenia at the Timișoara hospital and noted that she was doing well, communicating with those who came to see her, as confirmed by a photograph posted on Facebook. Many other images found on social media show Eugenia Lup recovering, with dark circles under her eyes but in good health.
“Ciprian,” who has known the family for many years, told us that he had suspicions from the very beginning. Eugenia had never complained of illness and was very mindful of her diet.
Matrimonial Epilogue
Shortly after his wife’s death, Beniamin Lup proposed to C.A., who refused him. He then married Oxana, a young woman from the Republic of Moldova. The marriage did not last long, as a beautiful blonde woman from Chișinău, Rodica Guțan, had already appeared on the horizon.
It is noteworthy that there is a pattern in Mr. Lup’s relationships, as described by several acquaintances. The women are tall blondes with long hair. Almost all of them were baptized into the Baptist faith after meeting him.
Valentin Malanca, the husband of one of Beniamin Lup’s employees at the WorldTeach Association, believes that for him, religion is a tool to manipulate those around him, especially women. He also emphasized that the new conquests receive expensive gifts that make an impression.
Lup often presented himself as a pastor, among other professional and religious identities, but our investigations show that he was at most a missionary in the Baptist Church, ordained by Pastor Ionel Țuțac. Ligia Dugulescu, president of the association Jesus Hope of Romania, also confirmed this for us.
“He is a typical sexual predator,” Valentin Malanca boldly stated, following his recent divorce from his wife, whom he suspected of having an affair with Lup. The conflict between the two men is more extensive and has escalated to the police in Timișoara, with both sides filing reports.
The Rodica Guțan Case: „A Beautiful Soul”
Beniamin Lup met Rodica Guțan during visits to the Republic of Moldova, either through religious activities or other engagements. Rodica left behind two orphaned daughters: Kornelia, 23, a teacher, and Sofia, 15, a student.
They were married in March 2018, according to Rodica’s Facebook page, but not before she was baptized into the Baptist faith in the fall of 2017.
We learned of Rodica’s sudden death from a brief announcement on Beniamin Lup’s Facebook page. On Saturday, September 28, 2024, at 10:55 AM, a photo of her was posted with the following text printed on the image: „Rodica, farewell in heaven!” and the comment, „From today, Rodica has been taken to the God she served and loved! Rest in peace and glory, Rodi!”
He later announced on Facebook the wake for Sunday, September 29, at the Hope Church. The wake was broadcast live and posted on YouTube (see HERE). She was buried on Monday, September 30, at noon.
At the wake, Beniamin Lup recounted the story of his wife’s death: „That evening, it seemed like she didn’t want to go out. She was supposed to meet friends in town, but she came home and said, ‘I want to stay with you.’ We prayed together. She told our neighbor, ‘Let’s go for another walk, let’s stay a little longer, I know you’re tired, but I want to keep spending time.’ We looked through the photos you all have seen, the vacation photos, and she said she wanted to fill the wall with those pictures. But at 4:10, God called her home, and the heavens opened…”
The shock spread through the community in Chișinău and crossed the ocean to Romanian communities in the USA. Several friends and acquaintances began to comment on the unbelievable situation. Rodica’s manicurist expressed her astonishment in a Facebook comment: „Rodica was our client at the salon, she was at the manicure at 6:00 PM, full of life… the next day we found out about her death, we were all in shock!„
Among friends and relatives, a strange 12-second video is circulating, showing Rodica in bed, breathing heavily. From those close to her, we learned that the video was recorded on the night of Rodica Guțan’s death, close to midnight, on her phone, and sent to Sofia, her youngest daughter. We do not know what it represents, but the investigative authorities may be able to unravel the mystery.
The Similarity Between the Two Deaths Raises Suspicions
Among the dozens of condolence messages sent to the husband and daughters, suspicious comments also emerged. At the wake, someone noticed that Rodica’s grieving mother was repeatedly kept from getting too close. Aliona B. wrote to V.R.: „Rodica had bruises on her face and hands, and they wouldn’t allow her mother to uncover her to caress her hands… they placed her at her feet, like a stranger.„
Laurențiu Bobaru commented on Lup’s Facebook page: „Your wives died under suspicious circumstances, with many unanswered questions,” while Denisa Deny warned, also on Facebook, that messages will be sent asking people not to post anything about Rodica’s death: „Don’t be intimidated, post, and at the same time try to do everything possible to uncover the cause of death. Mr. Beniamin will try to mislead the relatives, friends, and the whole world into thinking she died from a heart attack, just like the first wife… If you have the power or knowledge, don’t let Rodica’s death be hidden like the first wife’s! Something happened, and the autopsy will reveal the truth.”
A day before Rodica’s death, on Friday, September 27, Beniamin Lup posted on his page an image of three wolves and a text in both Romanian and English, which some acquaintances found odd in this context: “Being prepared for the ‘unexpected’ is part of our preparation. We are always ready for ‘unexpected’ situations.” The next day, the post received an accusatory comment from Adelina Zafiu: “You prepared well to make her go, didn’t you? We can’t wait to see what inspirational quotes you’ll write for us from prison!”
The community of Chișinău is in turmoil, and communication with people in Romania and the USA is active. News has spread that the Chișinău prosecutor’s office has received several reports. AdyNick and Rex Geller find the situation „fishy” due to the similarity between the two deaths, while V.R. noted on Facebook: „You left us too strangely, Rodica Guțan Lup, just like Eugenia Lup did. Did you meet in heaven? Did you talk? Too painful, too sudden, too sad…!„
Rodica Was Afraid, and Her Friends Knew
People close to Rodica and Beniamin, such as T.C., blamed Rodica’s friends on Facebook: „You all knew she had problems with Beni and did nothing. Now it’s too late… demand investigations and evidence!„
Another message posted in the comments on Facebook caught our attention before we contacted its author, Valentin Malanca: „I am the husband of the woman suspected of being Beni’s mistress; he brainwashed my wife, made her believe she was God’s chosen one, and bought her with expensive gifts. Rodica called me on July 2 to tell me that she saw love messages between them on his phone, plans for his birthday, knowing I was on shift that day, plus many other things.„
We contacted Valentin Malanca, a firefighter with ISU Timișoara, employed at the 112 Emergency Service, with whom we had several conversations. He informed us that he fully stands by his statements and allows us to make both his declaration and the documents he holds public. We learned that his wife, Denisa, works at the WorldTeach Association as the Program Director, and they have a daughter.
The messages between him and Rodica Guțan, as well as those sent to him by Rodica, were entrusted to us for publication, as they are part of the annexes of some reports.
On July 2, 2024, Rodica Guțan called Valentin Malanca to inform him about the situation between his wife and Beniamin Lup. On August 14, 2024, Rodica reiterated her suspicions about the relationship between Denisa and Beniamin. „She considers this a love story,” Malanca replied.
„Valentin, I didn’t lie, God is my witness, she’s lying so she doesn’t lose her job and money and so she can keep seeing Beni; she has interfered in my family…” Rodica wrote.
Later, she sent him screenshots of her disputes with Beniamin: „You know what I feel? That you and she are the ones who can hurt me and poison me so you can keep the house and do whatever you want with the Americans… you are dangerous.” Beniamin’s response: „I’m not sleeping with her, I’ve had nothing sinful with that woman.„
On August 7, 2024, Beniamin sent his wife the following message, which she forwarded from her own phone to Valentin Malanca: „Rodica, do not talk to anyone about our situation. Kim (Kim Westfall, the head of the Uncaged organization in the USA, ed.) called me last night and told me that you are against me and that we’ve separated. That’s what she told N.Ț. and I., because Valentin told them. N. asked Kim to fire me and shut down the organization (WorldTeach Association, ed.). The attack is against me. Kim will want to talk to you. Please, don’t talk to ANYONE. N. called A. yesterday and told him that Valentin swears he will shut down our organization because we didn’t build that call center. And he believes we’re handling millions of dollars because that’s what I. told him. I’ll come home, and we’ll be fine, just like I told you. Please, don’t side with my enemies.” The names mentioned in the message are abbreviated.
Malanca told us what „expensive gifts” meant for his wife from Lup: „He bought her a 10,000 euro car in my wife’s name, money withdrawn from one of his associations or companies. I went with my wife to the First Bank in downtown Timișoara, where she withdrew money from his card for three consecutive days. I thought the car would be bought under the association. He has multiple associations, not just WorldTeach. I know about one called ProLead. He also had my wife set up an association. I know about ProLead because he told my wife to take all the gas receipts under that association. When I went with my wife to buy the car, I saw that she was buying it in her own name. He called me a few hours later to explain that he had the money from a pastor in America, money sent separately from the congregation. He said the car would still be his, but he was buying it in my wife’s name. I immediately warned my wife that this could turn into a criminal case because of what he was doing.”
The Nissan car was bought in February 2024. In November 2023, Lup gifted them a large plasma TV.
Valentin Malanca recently divorced his wife and, on September 17, filed a complaint for identity theft, for which he suspects Beniamin Lup, while Lup has lodged complaints against him at his workplace.
What Does Beniamin Lup Say
On October 18, we asked Beniamin Lup in a phone conversation what he knew about the exhumation of his wife: „I don’t know what you’re talking about. I don’t have that information. I wasn’t notified, I’ll ask the police if they know anything, but I don’t know anything. I was in Chișinău until yesterday (Thursday, October 17, 2024 – ed.), and I know absolutely nothing. I’ve been to the grave every day. The last time I visited the grave was on Tuesday, February 15. I’ll check this information myself. It’s only been a few days since I buried my wife, whom I loved with all my heart and still love.” He did not wish to answer any further questions.
We note that on October 16, Beniamin Lup was in Romania, in Oțelu Roșu, where he met with several acquaintances and visited a photo studio, which contradicts his statement about being in Chișinău until October 17.
After Rodica’s death, two orphaned daughters remain, Kornelia and Sofia. Both hold Romanian citizenship, and Sofia is enrolled in the 9th grade at the Art High School in Timișoara. The minor was seen at school on October 12, after her mother’s death, brought by Beniamin Lup with a border-crossing power of attorney, which lost its validity after the death of her mother, who had signed the document, according to Romanian laws.
Beniamin Lup is not the legal guardian of the minor, Sofia Guțan. An issue will arise regarding the inheritance. The two daughters fully inherit their mother’s apartment, but the villa in Chișinău is in both spouses’ names.
We also learned that Beniamin Lup filed a police complaint against Kornelia Guțan for the disappearance of her mother’s laptop during the search.
The WorldTeach Association Has a Twin Brother
On May 10, 2024, a new organization with the name „WorldTeach Association” appeared on the Ministry of Finance’s website, with a different CUI (unique identification code – ed.) (46097700) than the association of the same name founded in 2003 (CUI 1566653). Its headquarters are in Zolt, with no financial reporting yet.
In April 2024, the original WorldTeach Association, founded in 2003 in Oțelu Roșu, requested several statutory changes in the court of Făget, where it relocated its headquarters. Case 490/832/2024 indicates the update of the General Assembly composition with the following members: Beniamin Lup, Alexandra-Florina Molodoi, Liana-Cristiana Lup, Kimberly Noelle Westfall, Robert Vallen Westfall, Ryan Christopher Walls, Stephen Lee Mansfield, Ionel Țuțac, Mihăiță Bojin, and Vasile Căpitanu. The Board of Directors was also modified: Beniamin Lup as president, Alexandra Molodoi as vice president, and Liana-Cristiana Lup as secretary.
It is specified that Article 12 of the founding act has been amended as follows: „The General Assembly of Founding Members is the supreme governing body, composed of all the association’s members, and is the sole decision-making body regarding the alienation of the Association’s properties.” The association established its headquarters in the village of Zolt, at the Butterfly Center.
On the Ministry of Finance’s website, the financial situation reported for 2023 is flourishing for an NGO, with revenues of 4,341,187 lei (over 900,000 USD).
The company flagged by Valentin Malanca, from which the funds were used to purchase the Nissan car in Denisa Malanca’s name, is ProLead Training, based in Timișoara, registered in September 2023. The net turnover for last year was 328,000 lei, representing income, with a profit of under 60,000 lei. The company has only one employee, and the public contact information matches Beniamin Lup’s phone number.
Although both WorldTeach Association and Uncaged heavily promote the Butterfly Center, Valentin Malanca revealed that during his time collaborating with the organization and being sent to Zolt, he only sporadically saw people there who could be victims rescued from trafficking. Certainly not the dozens as described in promotional narratives.
The American organization UNCAGED remains the main sponsor. According to the publicly available Form 990 in the U.S., the organization has solid revenues, amounting to several million dollars from donations provided by Mr. Bob Westfall’s charity firm, the husband of Kim Westfall. Valentin Malanca told us that, as far as he knows, Kim Westfall receives consultancy fees worth tens of thousands of dollars for her visits to the Butterfly Center.
WorldTeach Association has organized training sessions in Romania and Moldova for various institutions such as prisons, schools, the Police Academy in Chișinău, and has installed anti-human trafficking message monitors in the airports of Bucharest and Timișoara, as well as in Gara de Nord. The contradictory figures being circulated have raised and continue to raise doubts: 800 women saved from trafficking by Beniamin Lup is an unbelievable number for those familiar with the procedures and challenges.
The first investigation into this organization began with doubts expressed by the European Center for Legal Education and Research (ECLER), both regarding the figures and the apparent lack of genuine interest from WorldTeach in the women’s shelter project it boasted about in 2020, as well as Beniamin Lup’s connections with nationalist political parties. „We discovered that the name ECLER and the ROTIP anti-trafficking NGO network were being used, without our consent, in private letters and online communications to raise funds in the United States. We requested the removal of any reference to our organizations and publicly distanced ourselves from any cooperation with these entities (WorldTeach Romania and Uncaged). Additionally, we informed the U.S. Embassy in Bucharest that the funds raised under the pretext of supporting human trafficking victims were most likely being used to finance a political party,” Silvia Tăbușcă, president of ECLER, told us.
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