In□estigato□s□earnedthat□hegr□uphadb□enfrien□□fory□a□s,butrecentlythe□□hadb□□□tensionamongthem.□umorsofdis□greementsanda□□umentsduringthe□ripbegantosur□a□e,leadingauthori□iestospeculatewhetherfoulplaywasinvolv□□□Eachmemberof□hegrouphadadif□er□ntsto□ytot□ll,andtheinconsis□e□ciesintheiracco□ntsonlyadde□toth□mysteryofth□mis□□ngnine. □nves□igatorslearn□dt□a□theg□oup□adbeenfrien□□fo□year□,□□t□ecentlyth□rehadbeent□nsionamongthe□.Rumorsof□is□greem□ntsanda□□umentsduri□gthe□ripbegantos□rface,leadingauth□r□t□estospeculatewhe□herfoulpla□w□s□nvolv□d□Each□emb□rofthegrou□h□d□differ□nts□□rytotell,an□theinconsiste□cie□in□□eiraccount□onlyadd□□tothe□ysteryof□hemiss□ngn□□e.<□p> Inve□t□gat□□sl□arnedth□tthegrouphadbeenfri□ndsfory□ars,bu□rec□nt□y□he□□□adbeentensi□na□ong□hem.Rumo□sof□isag□eementsandargumentsd□r□ngt□etr□pbegantosurfa□e,□eadi□gauthoritiesto□peculatewheth□rf□ul□l□ywasin□o□□ed.Eachmemb□rof□□e□rouphadadiff□□ent□torytotell,an□theinconsist□nc□es□□theira□□□untson□□addedtothem□s□e□yof□hemissing□ine. Inve□□igatorslearnedtha□t□egrouph□dbeenfriendsforyea□s,butrec□ntlyt□□rehadbeent□nsionamongthem.Rumo□s□fdisagree□e□ts□n□argumentsd□ringt□etripbegan□□su□fa□e,le□d□□ga□thori□□estosp□c□latewhethe□foulplayw□sin□o□v□d.Eachmember□f□h□□r□uphada□if□eren□st□r□□o□ell,andt□ei□consistenc□esint□eira□coun□so□lyadde□tothemystery□fthemis□ingnine. Invest□□ato□slea□nedthatthegrouphadbeenfri□□dsforyears,butrecentlyt□er□hadb□enten□io□amo□gthem.Rum□rsofdisagreement□andargu□ent□d□ri□gthetrip□ega□tosurface,leadingaut□oritiestospe□□late□h□therfoul□laywasinvolved.Eac□m□mberofthegrouph□dadifferentstor□totel□,a□dtheincon□i□tenci□sinth□ira□countsonly□dde□tothem□s□□ryofth□□□ssingnine.