I□v□□tigators□□arnedthat□he□roup□adbee□f□i□ndsfor□ea□□,□utr□cen□lyth□rehadbeentens□onamongt□em.□umorsof□is□greem□ntsandar□u□e□□□duringthetrip□eg□□□osur□ac□,leadingauth□ritiesto□□□cul□tew□et□erfoulp□aywa□i□volv□□.Eac□m□□ber□fthegrouphadad□ffer□n□st□rytot□ll,andtheinconsistenc□e□in□h□ir□ccountsonlyadde□tothemyste□□oft□emissingni□□. Investigatorslearnedt□atthegrouphad□□enfriends□oryea□s□but□e□□ntlytherehadbeenten□ionamo□gthem.Rumorsofdisa□□eem□nt□a□dargumentsduri□gthetripb□g□nt□surface,□□□dingau□horit□est□speculatewhe□herfoulplaywasinvolv□d.□achmembe□oft□□grouphadadifferentstoryt□tell□an□□□einc□nsi□tenciesin□h□□raccou□tsonlyaddedtothemysteryofth□miss□ngnin□. Inv□stigators□ear□edtha□thegroup□adbeenfrie□d□foryears,butrecentlytherehadbe□n□ensionam□ng□h□m.Rum□rsofd□sagr□ementsanda□gumentsduri□□t□e□ri□□e□□ntosurfac□,leadingaut□or□ti□stospeculatewhetherfou□pla□wasinvolved.Eac□membe□o□th□gro□ph□dadi□ferentst□ryt□tell□andtheinc□nsistenciesintheir□ccountsonlyaddedtothemyste□yofthe□iss□ngnine□ I□ve□tigator□lear□edtha□th□grou□hadb□enfri□n□sfo□years,□ut□ecentlyth□rehadbeentensionamong□hem.Rumo□sofdisagr□□ments□ndar□uments□uringthetr□pbegant□surface,leadingauthoritiestos□eculatewhether□oulplayw□sinvolve□.Eachmemb□rofthegro□p□ada□iffer□ntstorytotell,andtheinconsistenciesintheiraccounts□nlyad□edt□the□y□teryofth□missin□nine. Investigat□rslearnedt□atthegrouphadb□enf□□en□s□ory□□rs,butrecentlythe□□h□db□□ntensionamon□the□.R□mo□sofdisagre□mentsanda□gumentsdurin□th□tripbe□□ntosurface,□ea□i□gauthoritiestospec□la□ewhetherfoulpla□wasinvol□ed.Eachmem□eroft□egrouphadadifferentsto□y□otell,andt□ei□consistenc□e□intheir□ccoun□sonlyaddedtothemys□er□o□themi□□□ngn□ne□