I□v□s□igat□rslearn□dthattheg□oup□a□□een□riend□foryea□□,bu□rece□tly□her□□adbeenten□io□a□□n□th□m□Rumorsofdi□□gre□me□ts□ndarg□me□tsdu□ingthetripbe□an□osu□face,le□dingauth□ritiestospe□ulatewhetherfoulpla□wasin□olve□.Eachme□□□rofthegr□uphad□diffe□entsto□ytot□ll,andthe□□consiste□ciesint□e□r□cc□untson□yaddedtothemyste□yofthemiss□ngnine. Inv□stigatorsl□arned□h□tthegro□phadbeenfrie□□sforyear□,bu□recen□lytherehadbeent□nsion□□ong□h□m.Rumorsofdisagreemen□san□□rguments□uringthetripbe□antosur□ace,l□ad□ngauthoritiesto□□ecul□tewhetherfoulplay□a□involved□Eachm□mberofthegrou□hada□i□f□rents□□ryto□el□,andtheinconsisten□ie□intheiracco□ntsonlyad□edtothe□ysteryofthe□is□□ngnine. Investi□ator□learnedth□t□hegrouphadbeen□rie□dsforyears,butrecentlytherehadbeentensionamongthem.Rumorso□d□sagreem□ntsa□□argu□ents□□ringthe□ri□began□osurfac□,lead□nga□tho□i□i□stospeculate□□ethe□foulpla□wasinvolv□d.Eachmemberofthegr□uphadad□ffere□tstorytotell,andt□einconsi□ten□ies□□theiraccounts□nlyaddedtothemy□tery□□□h□mi□singn□ne. Investi□ato□□lea□n□dt□atthegro□ph□□beenfriendsfor□ears,butrecentl□therehadb□e□tensiona□ongt□em.Rumor□□fdis□greemen□sa□d□rgumentsduringthetripb□ga□tosurface,leadingau□ho□itiestos□eculatew□□th□r□oul□layw□sinvolved.E□□hmemberof□□□gr□uphadadiff□re□t□torytotell,□n□thein□onsistenciesintheiraccountsonlya□ded□othemys□eryo□□hemissin□ni□e.