□□v□stiga□orslearnedt□atth□group□□dbee□friendsfo□years,butre□entl□t□erehadbee□te□□ion□mo□gthem.Rumorsofdisa□reements□ndargum□n□s□uri□gthetripbe□ant□surf□ce,le□ding□ut□or□□ie□tospec□la□e□hetherfoulp□□yw□sinvolved.Each□emberoft□□g□ouph□dadiff□r□□tsto□□totell,andth□inc□ns□stencie□□ntheir□ccou□tsonly□ddedtoth□mysteryofthem□ssingnine. I□vestigator□learned□hatthegrouphadbee□fr□endsfor□e□rs□but□ecentlythereha□beentensiona□ongthem.Rumo□sof□isagreem□ntsa□dargument□during□h□tripbe□antosurface□leadin□authoritiesto□peculatewh□therfo□lplaywasinvolv□d.Eachme□berof□hegrouphadad□fferentstor□totell,□ndtheinc□nsiste□ciesin□heirac□ountsonlyaddedtothem□steryo□the□is□i□gni□e. Investigators□earnedthatt□egroupha□beenf□□end□forye□rs,butre□entlythereha□be□n□ensiona□□ngthem.Rumorsofdisagreem□ntsandargumen□sdu□ing□hetripbe□a□t□s□□face,lead□ngauthoritiestosp□cu□atewhetherf□ul□□□□wa□i□volv□d□E□chmemberofthegr□uphada□iffere□tstoryto□e□□□andt□□incon□istenciesi□theiraccountson□□a□□e□t□th□mysteryo□themi□□ingnine.
Investigato□slearne□tha□t□egrouphadbeenfriend□foryea□s,□utrecent□y□he□ehadbeenten□ionamongthem.Rumor□ofdisagreementsandargum□n□sduringthetripbegant□surface,leadingau□horitiest□spe□□latew□etherf□ulplaywasinvolved.Eachmemb□□□fthe□rouphadadi□fe□entstory□otell,andthei□con□□□tenciesint□eiracc□unt□onl□addedtothemyst□r□ofthemissingnine.