Investiga□ors□earnedthatthe□roupha□□eenfr□ends□oryea□s,bu□r□cen□lytherehadb□en□ension□mon□them.□umo□sofdi□agr□ementsandargumentsdu□i□gthetripbeganto□urf□ce,le□ding□uthoritie□t□sp□cula□ewhethe□f□u□□lay□□□□nvolved□□achme□berofthegro□pha□adi□ferent□□or□totell,andtheinconsistenci□sint□eira□coun□□onlyadded□□th□mysteryo□the□i□si□gnine. In□estig□torslearnedthatth□g□o□p□adbeenfriendsfor□ears,□□t□ec□ntlythereh□db□□nte□sionamon□t□em.R□morsofdisagreementsanda□g□□entsduringth□tripb□g□□tosu□face,□eadingauthoritiest□specul□t□whet□erfoulplay□as□□volv□d.Eachmembe□ofthe□rouphadadifferents□orytotell,andthei□consistenci□si□theiraccountson□yaddedtothe□y□te□yofthem□ss□ngnine.<□□> Investi□a□o□slear□e□thattheg□oupha□beenfriend□fo□□ears,b□tr□cen□□□therehadbeente□s□onamongth□m.Rumorsofdisa□ree□□n□san□argument□duringt□etri□begantosu□fac□,□ead□ngautho□itiestospeculatew□□the□f□ulplaywa□involved.Eachmem□eroft□□g□oup□adadif□erentsto□ytotell,□ndthein□onsistenciesinthe□raccount□only□ddedtothemyst□ryofthemi□singnine. Inves□igat□rslearne□tha□t□egrouphadbe□□frien□sfo□yea□s,butr□cent□□therehadbeen□en□ionamongthem.Rum□r□ofdisag□eementsandargument□du□□ngt□etripbegan□osurface,lea□i□gautho□i□iestospeculatewhe□her□oulpl□yw□sinvolved□□ach□emberofth□gr□upha□adiffer□ntstoryto□e□l□□ndt□ein□o□si□□e□ciesintheiracc□untsonlyadde□□othem□ster□o□themissingnine.□□ Inv□stigatorslearnedtha□thegrou□hadbe□nf□i□ndsforyears,bu□recen□l□thereh□dbeent□□s□ona□on□them.Rumorsofdi□agreementsan□ar□u□en□sduringt□□□ripbega□tosurfa□e,leadingauthoritiestospeculatewhetherf□ulp□aywasinv□lved.Ea□□□emberoftheg□□uphadadifferentst□rytotel□□andthei□con□i□tenciesintheiraccountsonlyaddedtothem□stery□fthemissin□nine.