It makes more sense to me that he was not pursued the whole time. Someone familiar with the area, who had enough time to traverse down and then back up the mountains should have also been able to evade pursuers, particularly over more than a single day of sunlight. (Even if injured). Remember, there were no helicopters then, and maybe not even tracking animals.
Perhaps. But to me shot in the back, being chased for robbery or murder, who knows.
He would not have been the only one that knew that area.
Heck, could have been killed by his “friends.”
We will never know.
Next debate, how many Angels can dance on the head of a pin.
😉