Inve□tigatorslearnedt□atthe□rouphadb□□nfr□endsfo□yea□s,butrecen□ly□he□eha□b□entens□o□amongthem.Ru□orsofdisagr□ementsa□darg□ment□dur□ngthetripbegantosurf□ce□l□a□i□gauthori□□e□tospecu□atewhetherfoulp□aywa□inv□lved.Eachmemberofth□groupha□□differentsto□ytote□l,an□theinconsistenci□si□theira□□o□nts□nly□ddedtot□emyst□ryo□themissingnine.□□p> I□□estigato□s□earnedthatthegr□uphadbeenfrie□□sfory□□rs□butrecentlyth□r□hadb□e□ten□□on□mon□them.Rumorsofdisagreementsandarg□□en□sduringth□tripbegantosurf□ce,□ead□ngauthorit□es□□speculat□wh□therfoulplaywasinvol□ed.Each□□m□□r□fth□gr□u□hadadiffer□n□stor□totell,□ndth□inconsistencies□ntheirac□ount□onlyaddedtothemys□eryof□□emi□singnine. Inve□□□gatorslear□e□thatthegroupha□□□enfriendsforye□rs,bu□r□centlyt□erehadbe□□ten□io□amon□them.Rumor□o□disagre□ments□ndargum□□ts□ur□ng□h□tripbegan□o□urface,leadingauthoritiestos□eculatewhet□erfoulplaywasinvolv□d.E□chmemb□rofthe□rouphadadiffe□entst□ryt□tell,an□theinco□sistencie□in□heir□□c□□ntsonlya□de□tothemys□eryofthemissingnine. □nves□igato□slearnedthatth□g□oup□adbeenfr□endsf□r□ea□s,butrecentl□ther□hadbee□tensiona□ongthem□Rumorsofdisagreementsandargu□ents□uringthet□i□b□gan□□□urface,lead□n□a□th□ritiestospeculatew□□t□erfoulplaywas□nv□lved.Eachmemberofthegrou□had□dif□e□entsto□ytot□ll,andthein□ons□□tencie□inthe□racc□□nt□onlyadde□□othemyst□ryof□hemissin□□ine.