So one (drunk?) Mansi confessed to a man that they killed the hikers yeras ago. This story is on these pages to be found. Why do we not believe him? Why are we even discussing any other theories? No other theory answers every guestion, like the Mansi theory.
The Mansi even boasted about it. Hikers had gone and messed before the Mansi's holy place, where mansis had hidden their gold and furs, that were expensive to them. They probebly thought mistakenly thet the hikers had stolen them. Also they may have feared the hikers were about to go to their holy mountain and cause trouble and bad hunting luck to them. It doesn't even mean that the mountain they had put the tent was that holy mountain, but that mansis may have feared they were going to there later.
The hikers had one photo taken from the mansi holy hiding place. They had gone to look it closer. Big mistake.
The mansi said that their hunters hunted the hikers and gave them to their holy men who killed them.He said that they dropped a dope in to their tent.
Well, I believe the story may have been exaggerated a little bit like usually happens. I think the mansi hunters found the hikers, dropped the dope (that had some nerveagent) in to the tent, that forced the hikers out quickly, by cutting the tent. Then they were surrended by mansi hunters who forced them to leave the area immediately. They may have stayed by the tent to guard that the hikers aren't coming back. Then when they were killed by cold, they left, and made their ski marks disappear with branches etc. It is not difficult to do.
This theory is the best, we have confession, it explaines everything. Russian officials said mansis couldn't keep a secret, but I think they got really scared when russian officials made a big deal about it, and decided to shut up about it. Until one drunk man decided to boast about it.