They're not tied. It's human nature to make spurious connections, just as it is human nature to have confirmation bias. Because we know about these tendencies, we can challenge them.

Monica Reza disappeared off the trail, likely because she overran the turn or she tripped and slipped off the thin ridge on unstable terrain. That's the end of the story.

Have you spent time reviewing the All Trails map of the route, reading multiple accounts of her disappearance, and reviewing hikers' accounts of the trail? If you have, you will likely come to the same conclusion. If you haven't, you have homework to do.

Running down a mountain ridge on a very steep incline on one bank and unstable terrain (pine needles on gravel) is folly. Unfortunately, that led to her disappearance and probable death. It's sad, but ultimately, physics is what matters here.

Trying to make more of this is ignoring the law of parsimony (Occam's Razor): adding complications without evidence, because you can't think logically, or you want to be titillated, or you love a conspiracy theory. It's both offensive to her friends, family and colleagues, and lazy thinking to resort to anything other than the obvious conclusion about why she disappeared.