They were murdered
I stopped following this case after the statement of the mother of one of the Boquete gang members who was murdered by his gang after confessing everything to his mother. The gang members lured the girls to their party after they started the hike, and killed the girls because they didn’t want to sleep with them. I guess you’re all familiar with this story? I think it’s by far the most credible explanation, no reason for this mother to make this up. It also explains the bleeched skeleton, and the smoke screen of ‘evidence’ left behind. The main perpetrator was the son of that creepy local guide.