Lawyer Elizabeth ‘Liz’ Keys and her mother, Mary Keys, traded texts before Liz Keys’ flight from Wichita to Washington D.C. Photo: Mary Keys

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Rowan Le Coq, a 17-year-old ice dancer, considered his best friend Spencer Lane more than just a fellow skater—he was like a brother. They traded daily messages about their dreams of athletic glory, but also spent hours doing what teenage boys do: sharing TikToks and playing Roblox.

They had both traveled from the East Coast to Wichita, Kan., for the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, where Le Coq was competing in the junior event, and Spencer, 16, had been invited for an elite development camp, proudly wearing the coveted red jacket given to young skaters chosen for the program.

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