“whose stories can be easily verified” -— No, they can’t. Do you trust these stories and the government that pushes them? I don’t.
well, I’d just offer, that the bar manager in particular probably knew at least 100 people in person and some 20K online knew his handle, and I doubt all of them would participate in a, ‘where’s wally’ hide the manager on an island and pretend he’s dead, game. Dead is dead.