Nevertheless, the revelation of the car prompted more inquiries than it resolved. One point of inquiry was the car's location, situated 70 miles from Chico, far removed from any direct route to Yuba City or Marysville. The families of the men could not provide any insight into why they would have ventured up a lengthy and winding dirt road on a winter night into a remote forest at a high elevation, particularly without any additional clothing.

Madruga's parents noted that he was not fond of cold weather and had never ventured into the mountains. Sterling's father had previously taken him to the vicinity where the vehicle was discovered for a fishing trip, but the younger man had not found it enjoyable and chose to stay home during subsequent trips.

Law enforcement officials were baffled as to why the men had left the vehicle behind. They had ascended to an elevation of 4,400 feet along the road, approximately where the snow line was located at that time of year, just before the road was closed for winter. The car had become lodged in snow drifts, and there were indications that the men had attempted to spin the wheels to extricate it; authorities observed that the snow was not particularly deep and that five healthy young men should have been capable of pushing it out.