Not that dang need anyone to defend him but I think dangs point is thats the Betteridge meme is a bit tiring in the long run.
After all, this isn't reddit - or slashdot.
After all, this isn't reddit - or slashdot.
I get your point and I don't disagree. Until there is more compelling proof, one way or the other, this story kind of comes across as premature. There is another motivation behind releasing the story now. The word getting out that these guys may have lived could be enough to spark someone's memory. As an example, someone who just assumed that those guys died in the bay might not have paid a second thought to the two hitchhikers s/he encountered around the time it happened.
Fundamentally, it's a mystery story. Just relax and try to enjoy it.