▁after ▁that ▁point . ▁At ▁their ▁homes , ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁men ' s ▁parents ▁had ▁stayed ▁up ▁to ▁make ▁sure ▁they ▁returned . ▁When ▁morning ▁came ▁and ▁they ▁had ▁not , ▁police ▁were ▁not ified . ▁ ▁Investig ation ▁ ▁Police ▁in ▁But te ▁and ▁Y uba ▁count ies ▁began ▁searching ▁along ▁the ▁route ▁the ▁men ▁took ▁to ▁Ch ico . ▁They ▁found ▁no ▁sign ▁of ▁them , ▁but ▁a ▁few ▁days ▁later ▁a ▁Pl um as ▁National ▁Forest ▁r anger ▁told ▁investig ators ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁seen ▁the ▁Monte go ▁park ed ▁along ▁O ro ville - Qu in cy ▁Road ▁in ▁the ▁forest ▁on ▁February ▁ 2 5 . ▁At ▁the ▁time ▁he ▁had ▁not ▁considered ▁it ▁significant , ▁since ▁many ▁residents ▁often ▁drove ▁up ▁there ▁into ▁the ▁Sierra ▁Nev ada ▁on ▁winter ▁week ends ▁to ▁go ▁cross - country ▁ski ing ▁on ▁the ▁extensive ▁trail ▁system , ▁but ▁after ▁he ▁read ▁the ▁missing ▁persons ▁bullet in ▁he ▁recognized ▁the ▁car ▁and ▁led ▁the ▁deput ies ▁to ▁it ▁on ▁February ▁ 2 8 . ▁ ▁Disc overy ▁of ▁the ▁car ▁ ▁Inside ▁the ▁car ▁was ▁evidence ▁suggesting ▁the ▁men ▁had ▁been ▁in ▁it ▁between ▁when ▁they ▁were ▁last ▁seen ▁and ▁when ▁it ▁was ▁abandoned . ▁The ▁wra ppers ▁and ▁empty ▁cart ons ▁and ▁can s ▁they ▁had ▁purchased ▁in ▁Ch ico ▁were ▁present , ▁along ▁with ▁programs ▁from ▁the ▁basketball ▁game ▁they ▁had ▁watched ▁and ▁a ▁neat ly ▁fol ded ▁road ▁map ▁of ▁California . ▁But ▁the ▁discovery ▁of ▁the