Investigators□e□rn□d□hatthegrou□hadbee□f□iends□oryea□s,butre□ently□herehadb□en□ensionamongthem□Rum□rs□fdisagreemen□sandargumentsdu□i□gthet□ipb□gantosu□fa□e,leadi□ga□□ho□itiesto□pecu□atewh□□herfoulplaywasinvolve□□Eachme□ber□□t□egrouphadad□ffer□ntstoryt□t□ll□andthein□o□sist□n□iesin□heiracco□ntson□yadded□othem□stery□□themissingnin□.<□p> □nve□tigatorslear□edthatthegro□pha□□e□□friendsforye□rs□but□ecent□ythe□□ha□bee□tensio□□□ongth□m.Rumorsofdis□gree□entsanda□□□mentsduring□hetripb□gantosurfac□,□ea□i□gauthoritiestos□eculatew□□therfoul□laywasinvolv□d.Ea□hmemberofthegroup□adadiffer□n□story□otell□andt□einc□nsistenci□□□nt□eiracc□untsonl□a□de□tot□□m□st□□yofthemissingni□e. Inves□igatorslear□e□□hatthegrouphadbeen□r□□ndsforyears,b□tr□□ently□hereh□□b□entensionamongthem.Rumor□ofdisagre□mentsandargumen□sduringthetrip□□gantosurface,leadingaut□oritiestospecu□atewhetherfo□lplayw□si□volved.Eac□m□□bero□t□eg□ouphadadi□f□ren□□tory□□t□ll,andtheinco□sisten□iesintheir□ccountso□lyaddedtothemyst□ry□f□hemis□ingnine.<□p□□p□Inv□□tigatorsle□r□edt□□tth□grouphadbe□nfrie□d□foryears□butrecen□lytherehadbeente□□i□namongthem.Rumor□ofd□sagreemen□s□nd□rg□men□sduringt□□tripb□gant□s□rface,le□□i□gauth□ritiest□specula□ewhethe□foulplaywasinv□lved.Eachme□berofthe□r□uphadadif□e□ent□torytotell,and□hei□consistenciesinth□iracco□ntsonly□dde□□othem□s□eryo□□hemissingnine.
Inves□igatorslearnedthatthe□rou□hadbeenfriendsfory□ars,butrecen□ly□here□adbeentensionam□ngthem.□umo□s□fd□sag□eementsandargum□nt□duringthet□ipbeganto□urface,le□din□authoritiestos□ec□latewhe□□□rfo□lplayw□s□□□□lve□.Eachmembe□ofthegrouphadadiffere□tstory□ot□ll,andth□inconsistencie□□□theiraccounts□□□yad□ed□othem□stery□fthemissi□g□□ne.