Inve□tigatorslearnedt□□tthe□rou□hadb□enfri□n□sfor□e□rs,butrec□ntlytherehadbeente□sionamo□gthem.Rumorsofdis□gre□□e□tsandargume□□sdu□ingthetripbegantos□rface,leadingauthori□□estospe□ulatewhether□oulp□aywas□nvolv□d.Eac□memb□rofthegrouphad□□iffe□entstory□otell,andthein□□nsistenc□esintheirac□o□□tso□lyadded□□the□y□te□yoft□emissingnin□. Investigators□earne□thatt□egr□uphadbeenfrien□sfory□ars,butrec□ntlyth□reh□d□e□ntension□mongth□m.Rumorsofd□sagr□e□entsandar□umentsduring□he□□i□□egantosurface,l□adi□g□uthori□iestos□ecula□ewh□therfoulplaywasinvolved.Ea□□memberof□heg□ouphadadi□ferentst□rytote□□,andthe□□□ons□stenc□esinth□irac□□untson□yaddedto□□emyste□yofthem□ssin□nine. In□estigato□□learnedth□tthegrouphadbeenf□ie□□□□oryears,but□e□ently□h□rehadbeente□□ionamongthem.□umorsofdisagreements□ndargum□ntsd□r□ngt□etrip□egan□□surface,leadingauthoritiestosp□□ulat□whe□herf□□lplay□asinv□lved.E□c□mem□erofthe□rouphadadifferentstorytote□l,□ndtheinconsis□enci□sintheiraccount□onlya□□edt□□he□yste□y□□themissingnine.□> Inve□□igatorslearnedt□atthegro□□hadbeenfrien□□□oryears,butr□centlyt□erehadb□entensiona□□n□them□Rumorso□disa□reementsa□dar□□□entsdu□ingthetripbeg□ntosurf□c□,l□ad□n□aut□or□ties□o□p□culat□wh□t□erfoulp□aywasinvo□v□d□□a□hmemberoft□egrouphad□differ□nt□□orytotell,□ndtheinconsis□□nciesintheiraccoun□sonlyad□□dtothe□yst□ryofthemis□ingnine.