CANADA Canada - Ben Tyner, 32, cowboy, horse returned w/o him, Merritt, British Columbia, 26 Jan 2019 - #2

[watcher9]

Sorry for having such unpleasant thoughts.
Are there caves up there when a body could be dropped into?
Would the ground be so frozen that someone couldn't dig a hole in it?
Now that it is warming up some, would the decomposition odor be more noticeable?

 

[Trudie]

Sorry for having such unpleasant thoughts.
Are there caves up there when a body could be dropped into?
Would the ground be so frozen that someone couldn't dig a hole in it?
Now that it is warming up some, would the decomposition odor be more noticeable?

Idk about the turf but iirc, the day he was discovered missing & the following days of searching, it was brutally cold.
Another thing, I remember articles quoting LE on the lack of tracks.
Per the dashcam footage requested, I think LE know the exact trailer they’re looking for, either NR or Ben’s. Jmo

 

[watcher9]

It was assumed that Ben went up in the mountain to round up stray cattle. Since we are now not sure, what if we work out from where the horse was first seen and/or captured? We could draw a circle around that area and try to figure where the horse may have come from, if not from the mountain?

 

[MistyWaters]

He definitely could have been killed Friday night. RCMP did ask for footage from Friday Jan 25 - Sunday Jan 27. IMO if he were killed Friday night then the horse could have been taken out soon after. Someone claims to have seen him Saturday riding out on his horse statement is used as decoy for time/sighting. Horse was also dropped as decoy of accident. All my own speculation in this complicated and unfortunate case. I continue to feel so sad about this whole deal. What a loss this man is.

Odd thing but RCMP only asked for dash cam or video footage from Jan 26th or 27th. It appears MSM added the 25th - perhaps due to reference of the weekend. My opinion only, there was a verified “last seen” on Jan 26th. It’s possible there were contractions and false statements on that same day.

BBM

B.C. RCMP - Dash Cam Footage Wanted in Missing Cowboy Investigation
“RCMP in the Southeast District are continuing their investigation into the disappearance of Ben Tyner and are now seeking those with dash cam or other video footage from January 26 and 27 to report to police.

Tyner was reported missing to the Merritt RCMP on January 28, when his rider-less horse was discovered on a logging road off Highway 97c near Winnie Flats. Following his disappearance, RCMP, Search and Rescue, Air Services, Police Dog Services, and Volunteers combed the area, on foot, in vehicles, on snowmobiles, horseback, helicopters and utility vehicles, sadly Mr. Tyner was not located.

The investigation continues to be a priority for the Merritt RCMP and the Southeast District Major Crime Unit (SED MCU), states S/Sgt. Lorne Wood, Merritt RCMP Detachment Commander. Investigators are now asking anyone who was in Merritt on the weekend of January 26 to 27, 2019 and has dash cam or other video footage, to please contact the SED MCU tip line at......

 

[Trudie]

Seems mention of the Friday is a journalistic red herring. This is from the press release:

"RCMP in the Southeast District are continuing their investigation into the disappearance of Ben Tyner and are now seeking those with dash cam or other video footage from January 26 and 27 to report to police."

RCMP in British Columbia - Dash Cam Footage Wanted in Missing Cowboy Investigation

Still, that's a huge amount of footage, many who drive the Coq highway pass thru Merritt.

My guess is they didn't reveal a time frame or road location, to avoid giving away what they're looking for, but most drivers will be asked about time and route, and told their footage isn't needed.

Edited to change, remembered the highway bypasses Merritt, but many stop for gas and snacks.

I’ve often wondered how many drivers actually respond to these type of requests? Do truck lines hear of requests & transmit their data? Hope so. It is quite interesting LE did not give a specific location......tells me there’s several routes a person might have taken & LE wants to review as much footage as they can looking for the trailer they have in mind.
Jmo

 

[Trudie]

It was assumed that Ben went up in the mountain to round up stray cattle. Since we are now not sure, what if we work out from where the horse was first seen and/or captured? We could draw a circle around that area and try to figure where the horse may have come from, if not from the mountain?

I don’t think this is assumed @watcher9
IMO, someone suggested this theory to LE & media ran with it.
Again, jmo
Iirc, Jack, Ben’s brother commented on this, kind of in agreement but not convincingly. Almost as if he was merely going along with someone’s theory.

 

[MistyWaters]

It was assumed that Ben went up in the mountain to round up stray cattle. Since we are now not sure, what if we work out from where the horse was first seen and/or captured? We could draw a circle around that area and try to figure where the horse may have come from, if not from the mountain?

This media report is from Feb 13th but the RCMP seem to have reason to believe there’s a connection to the truck and trailer and either of these two locations mentioned below. Was the reason because the horse was found in that general area, hoping someone here knows?

“A police spokesperson said a truck and trailer may have transported him to the Swakum Mountain or OK Forest Service Road, and investigators are asking anyone who may have seen the vehicle or Tyner on the weekend of Jan. 26 and 27 to contact the Merritt RCMP detachment.”
'He would help anyone for whatever they needed': Missing rancher's family pleads for any information | CBC News

 

[MistyWaters]

Sorry for having such unpleasant thoughts.
Are there caves up there when a body could be dropped into?
Would the ground be so frozen that someone couldn't dig a hole in it?
Now that it is warming up some, would the decomposition odor be more noticeable?

Merritt is not located in a populated area of BC. In every direction there’s at least 60 miles of backcountry, low lying mountains, ravines, valleys, rivers, creeks, small bodies of water including sloughs and probably muskeg too. Anybody with intent to hide a body would have unlimited opportunities in finding an isolated location through familiarity of backroads and logging roads IMO. Not much further away are huge and very deep lakes aside highways that don’t freeze over.

 

[Satchie]

"A police spokesperson said a truck and trailer may have transported him to the Swakum Mountain or OK Forest Service Road, and investigators are asking anyone who may have seen the vehicle or Tyner on the weekend of Jan. 26 and 27 to contact the Merritt RCMP detachment.”

I think the issue is that where the horse was found, somewhere off 97C NW of Merritt according to the post above, is just not a reasonable ride from Nicola Ranch. If I have my geography right, it would mean crossing the Coquihalla Highway (a major trucking route), and going over a mountain.

 

[Tripod]

It was assumed that Ben went up in the mountain to round up stray cattle. Since we are now not sure, what if we work out from where the horse was first seen and/or captured? We could draw a circle around that area and try to figure where the horse may have come from, if not from the mountain?

That's a good and very logical thought, watcher9. I've wondered the same. I'm not at all versed in SAR techniques, but certainly have heard of LE and SAR using grid patterns to search, among others. I imagine drawing out ever-increasing circles around where the horse was found might require a ton of people- but perhaps not? Maybe it's a technique that's already been used? If anyone knows, I'd love to learn more details.

 

[zecats]

It was assumed that Ben went up in the mountain to round up stray cattle. Since we are now not sure, what if we work out from where the horse was first seen and/or captured? We could draw a circle around that area and try to figure where the horse may have come from, if not from the mountain?

Here's one account of where the horse was found.

https://www.columbiavalleypioneer.c...-merritt-cowboy-now-deemed-suspicious-police/

"Tyner was reported missing on Jan. 28 when his riderless horse was found on a logging road off Highway 97 near Winnie Flats in Merritt. Originally from Wyoming, Tyner was a manager at Nicola Ranch."

My notes, from previous MSM reports - Also, KR, a hunter who caught the horse and called it in made a statement that he had been out in the area for a few days and never saw no tracks from the ranch. Also that he did track Ben's horse back from where it came and ended up losing the trail because apparently Gunny had been hanging with wild horses for a bit, until probably chased off by them.

There are articles posted in this thread previously for all of the above. If you need, I'll try to find them.

 

[zecats]

It was assumed that Ben went up in the mountain to round up stray cattle. Since we are now not sure, what if we work out from where the horse was first seen and/or captured? We could draw a circle around that area and try to figure where the horse may have come from, if not from the mountain?

And here's another account

UPDATE: Ben Tyner confirmed missing by Nicola Ranch - Merritt Herald

"However, anyone with information or who may have seen a male riding in the Swakum ridge area on Saturday or Sunday is asked to contact the Merritt RCMP at 250-378-4262."

I've heard Swakum ridge many times as well as a logging road near Winnie Flats (as per my previous post). Locals? Are these in the same general area? @MistyWaters

 

[MistyWaters]

And here's another account

UPDATE: Ben Tyner confirmed missing by Nicola Ranch - Merritt Herald

"However, anyone with information or who may have seen a male riding in the Swakum ridge area on Saturday or Sunday is asked to contact the Merritt RCMP at 250-378-4262."

I've heard Swakum ridge many times as well as a logging road near Winnie Flats (as per my previous post). Locals? Are these in the same general area? @MistyWaters

I’m somewhat familiar with the area but definately not local. Wish I was though.... I’d so whatever I could to help the Tyner family.

This report below has the horse found right on a logging road. Looking in the map, the ranch is just east of Merritt and yes, the horse found area is quite a distance to the northwest so I see why LE would believe a truck and trailer had to have been involved. As the killer appears cunning enough to have staged the horse to bring search teams into that particular area, it’s quite possible the body was put somewhere entirely different so as not to be found.

“He was reported missing two days later when his saddled horse was found wandering on a logging road off Highway 97 northwest of Merritt.”
Case of missing B.C. cowboy Ben Tyner 'may involve criminality': RCMP

 

[Trudie]

"A police spokesperson said a truck and trailer may have transported him to the Swakum Mountain or OK Forest Service Road, and investigators are asking anyone who may have seen the vehicle or Tyner on the weekend of Jan. 26 and 27 to contact the Merritt RCMP detachment.”

I think the issue is that where the horse was found, somewhere off 97C NW of Merritt according to the post above, is just not a reasonable ride from Nicola Ranch. If I have my geography right, it would mean crossing the Coquihalla Highway (a major trucking route), and going over a mountain.

@Satchie iirc, the fact it is not a reasonable ride, therefore casting suspicion on the theory he rode off, hence the trailering theory. Especially if someone said he rode off the ranch @2. In your quote notice asking for anyone who may have seen “the” vehicle......
IMO, what we have here is LE getting two dif sightings of Ben (neither true), when questioning two individuals separately. Moo—someone is hiding the truth, they know what happened to Ben but are covering for each other. And, as usually the case with lies, things get screwed up.

 

[Trudie]

I’m somewhat familiar with the area but definately not local. Wish I was though.... I’d so whatever I could to help the Tyner family.

This report below has the horse found right on a logging road. Looking in the map, the ranch is just east of Merritt and yes, the horse found area is quite a distance to the northwest so I see why LE would believe a truck and trailer had to have been involved. As the killer appears cunning enough to have staged the horse to bring search teams into that particular area, it’s quite possible the body was put somewhere entirely different so as not to be found.

“He was reported missing two days later when his saddled horse was found wandering on a logging road off Highway 97 northwest of Merritt.”
Case of missing B.C. cowboy Ben Tyner 'may involve criminality': RCMP

IMO, Ben left in the trailer, with his beloved Gunny. Only Ben was taken to a completely different area. Possibly someone hopes to relocate him as the weather changes.
I also wonder about trail cameras in the area. They are very popular in the US.
A logger or more may have noticed a truck/trailer unit, too.
I’m hoping LE had a lot of witnesses report to them.
There’s so little we can do w/o someone seeing us. Possibly, if a trailer hauled them to the logging area, the driver met oncoming vehicles and one of them needed to pull off to the side to allow the other to pass. That would give police some valuable info, imo.

 

[Trudie]

I hope with the latest LE press release someone is squirming, thinking of their future, ultimately presenting to LE, to do the right thing for Ben, his family, friends & animals.

 

[MistyWaters]

Reposting the reference to Saturday night.

“Local hunter Kim Robinson, the man who tracked down Allan Schoenborn when he was at large for nine days back in 2008, told the Herald he found Tyner’s horse early Monday morning, around 5:30 a.m.

“It took me about 20 minutes to get him because he was pretty jumpy — something happened to him. He only had one rein,” Robinson said. “But I caught him and tied him up to a tree.”

Robinson called a few local cowboys at that time to notify them.

“When they called me back at 12:30 p.m. — this really pissed me off — they told me that it was the manager of the Nicola Ranch’s horse, who had been missing since Saturday night. I don’t know why nobody knew.”...”
UPDATE: Ben Tyner confirmed missing by Nicola Ranch - Merritt Herald

 

[MistyWaters]

I hope with the latest LE press release someone is squirming, thinking of their future, ultimately presenting to LE, to do the right thing for Ben, his family, friends & animals.

That’s what I hope for too. The one or more involved are likely not hardened career criminals and sometimes it can just be the case where one poor decision after another turns a situation inside out and upside down, making it worse. Our justice system is very supportive of people who fess up to having done bad things and there always comes a time when people can prove their moral decency by stepping up and doing what’s right. That comes before they get boxed in a corner by LE.

 

[Trudie]

Reposting the reference to Saturday night.

“Local hunter Kim Robinson, the man who tracked down Allan Schoenborn when he was at large for nine days back in 2008, told the Herald he found Tyner’s horse early Monday morning, around 5:30 a.m.

“It took me about 20 minutes to get him because he was pretty jumpy — something happened to him. He only had one rein,” Robinson said. “But I caught him and tied him up to a tree.”

Robinson called a few local cowboys at that time to notify them.

“When they called me back at 12:30 p.m. — this really pissed me off — they told me that it was the manager of the Nicola Ranch’s horse, who had been missing since Saturday night. I don’t know why nobody knew.”...”
UPDATE: Ben Tyner confirmed missing by Nicola Ranch - Merritt Herald

Thanks Misty. I’ve read so many differing accounts of time, it boggles my mind.

That’s what I hope for too. The one or more involved are likely not hardened career criminals and sometimes it can just be the case where one poor decision after another turns a situation inside out and upside down, making it worse. Our justice system is very supportive of people who fess up to having done bad things and there always comes a time when people can prove their moral decency by stepping up and doing what’s right. That comes before they get boxed in a corner by LE.

Well, it’s time for anyone with first hand knowledge of the events leading to Ben’s disappearance to step forward. Give the missing puzzle piece to RCMP. Here, in the US, a prosecutor would definitely work with a person that can offer valid info. (In fact, the Patrick Fazee case is an example).
Also if a certain person has knowledge, as I firmly believe, she/he should be concerned for their own well being. Dead men don’t talk. If someone kills once, there’s nothing to say it won’t happen again.
All MOO

 

[Trudie]

Teams from across province continue search for missing Merritt, B.C., cowboy

Bringing this article forward from 01/29. Public was already asked to refrain from searching!
IMO, on this date, at the latest, RCMP considered foul play, just didn’t announce it.
I understand the weather, risk of injuries, etc., to a civilian search team. However, anyone that wished to search is accustomed to the weather & terrain, also would have required clothing & equipment. I also understand the risk of tampering with a possible crime scene, but the brutality of the weather should have brought a greater sense of urgency imo, if LE thought Ben was lying in the wilderness injured.
Like the article mentions, “it’s very unusual for a seasoned cowboy to become separated from his horse.”