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

[Trudie]

I don't know who owns the Nicola Ranch, that's not published anywhere. Unless the owner wants to make it known, it's the kind of info that locals may know but it stays private.

IMO the owner is not likely to live locally. Sometimes these places are owned by, eg, Japanese investment companies or something equally remote, given the amount of money needed to buy such a large amount of land.

I agree with Trudie that there's always the possibility, if there's an absentee owner, that things might be happening under the table and an outsider is brought in to clean things up.

However, people stealing don't normally take such drastic action, unless they have serious mental health problems or are part of a ruthless gang. Fortunately, most people know that murdering someone will not solve their problems and will instead make things infinitely worse. However, anything is possible, for example if Ben had confronted and fired someone that day, and they became violent.

Actually, the owner is absentee part of the year, due to multiple addresses, biz dealings, etc. he’s very much known. I have his name, idk if we can post it?? Do you?
NR operates under a different name.

 

[Satchie]

Actually, the owner is absentee part of the year, due to multiple addresses, biz dealings, etc. he’s very much known. I have his name, idk if we can post it?? Do you?
NR operates under a different name.

That's fab, but I'm sure you could only post a link to a media article that mentions it.

I agree with you that the silence of this person is revealing. I would think they're working closely with police.

 

[Trudie]

This article from 2017 in the local paper is interesting, the previous manager didn't think a new manager would be necessary:

"The ranch will retain a full-time cowboy crew of four to manage its cattle, Williams said.
It’s also keeping a full-time lawns and maintenance person and an officer administrator, he said.
....Williams said he doesn’t think his position as ranch manager will be refilled as it will be redundant with the leasee."
Bradner R Farms assumes haying operation at Nicola Ranch - Merritt Herald

So maybe the ranch that was running the haying was overseeing the cattle business too? Doesn't sound very workable to me.

I'm imagining a tight group of local guys who've worked together for years, most of them are abruptly laid off, eventually half get their jobs back, but the rest are unemployed and then this highly paid outsider is brought in. I've worked in organizations where this has happened and it's ugly. But again, never lead to murder. It could cause some loyalty conflicts, though.

Satchie the owner has his name listed as contact person for the gift shop. The ranch is owned by a wealthy Asian family that own apps 1200 properties in Merritt. The patriarch of the family died in 2016. A son (co-owner) immediately began making changes, after his father died.
The big change was farming the hay out & eliminating the “ranch manager” position/salary. Evidently, things didn’t work out as well as expected or problems necessitated the need for someone with Ben’s experience. IMO, someone felt slighted by not being promoted to manager.
As I’ve previously posted, I’m curious, did Ben uncover some illegalities & someone felt threatened?

 

[Trudie]

I see that. I'm not sure he needed to stay though. Here's an article from 2008 that says he has been a ranch manger for 26 years. And your article is from April 2017. He helped transition someone that summer (who might that have been?). Because Ben didn't start until late fall 2018.

So MW has been a ranch manger for 35 years already at this time.

PressReader.com - Your favorite newspapers and magazines.

You have to search for the article because it's from 2008. Says he was a farmer for 30 years and a ranch manager for 26. Not sure if entirely on Nicola Ranch

If you google this, it will come up, but my point is still would he have been upset that Ben was hired a year and a half later? Was he headed for retirement anyway? (which is what I previously saw reported.

struggling raanchers say BC carbon tax could drive them out of business

A local told us on the first thread the former manager did in fact go to work for a different ranch.
I don’t think he had any animosity. As an experienced ranch manager, I’m sure he could read tea leaves & knew NR was not in the black & the industry as a whole was suffering. Jmo
IMO only, I think the owner thought the ranch could run without a manager but soon discovered it could not. That’d be a whole lot of chiefs, imo. I can’t find info but I’m guessing they run several thousand head.

 

[Trudie]

That's fab, but I'm sure you could only post a link to a media article that mentions it.

I agree with you that the silence of this person is revealing. I would think they're working closely with police.

Nicola Ranch cuts hay production, lays off nine employees - Merritt Herald
The decision to no longer grow hay, however, is not exactly set in stone.

Williams said that while the ranch has ceased those operations for 2017, it will revisit the decision on a year-to-year basis.

Read the comments after main article.

 

[Trudie]

Nicola Ranch Seeking Cow Boss/Cowboys

 

[zecats]

Nicola Ranch Seeking Cow Boss/Cowboys

I wonder if they are also seeking a new manager? With LE stating criminality is involved in Ben's disappearance, and pretty much confirming he is deceased, wouldn't there be a time when his replacement is needed?

Also curious about the need for more employees, as in is someone vacating a position? Being laid off? Or just need for additional due to work load? JMO

 

[Trudie]

I think out of respect they’ll not fill Ben’s position, yet.
I guess the owner anticipates some departures. I sure do.

 

[Trudie]

'Now it's just gone': Wildfire evacuees with destroyed property grapple with future | CBC News

Shortly after the farm took over hay operations for NR, they suffered this catastrophe!
So much has went on surrounding NR the last couple of years, seems chaotic, imo.

 

[Trudie]

Paragraph 6 under Land Rush tersely discusses NR.
An Urban Guide to Investing in Land - Welcome to NIHO Land & Cattle Company Ltd.

ETA link

 

[Satchie]

As I’ve previously posted, I’m curious, did Ben uncover some illegalities & someone felt threatened?

I agree that a connection with his work seems very likely to me, especially as the person evidently knew how to outfit the horse in a convincing way, and could trailer/release it. Seems like the kind of idea that would occur to a cowboy, but not, for example, a logger.

Still, I think it would have to be someone very disturbed to do such a thing for that kind of relatively trivial reason. For example, everybody gets upset over child custody disputes, but only exceptionally freakish people kill the other spouse, the child, or other members of the family.

 

[Trudie]

I agree that a connection with his work seems very likely to me, especially as the person evidently knew how to outfit the horse in a convincing way, and could trailer/release it. Seems like the kind of idea that would occur to a cowboy, but not, for example, a logger.

Still, I think it would have to be someone very disturbed to do such a thing for that kind of relatively trivial reason. For example, everybody gets upset over child custody disputes, but only exceptionally freakish people kill the other spouse, the child, or other members of the family.

We just never know the breaking point. Maybe someone was involved in nefarious activity & felt threatened with a new manager. From all I've read about Ben, he’d leave no stone unturned. He seemed very serious about his work, I’ve read impeccable things about him. In my previous post I mentioned Ben would be mostly in an office for the winter, learning about NR, inventorying equipment, cattle, making budgets, schedules, looking for places to save a buck or two, etc. I think his first priority was to establish an exact cattle count. Without a manager for nearly two years, I’m concerned many went missing, and I don’t mean they strayed. Just pure speculation, MOO

 

[Trudie]

I agree that a connection with his work seems very likely to me, especially as the person evidently knew how to outfit the horse in a convincing way, and could trailer/release it. Seems like the kind of idea that would occur to a cowboy, but not, for example, a logger.

Still, I think it would have to be someone very disturbed to do such a thing for that kind of relatively trivial reason. For example, everybody gets upset over child custody disputes, but only exceptionally freakish people kill the other spouse, the child, or other members of the family.

Self delete

 

[Trudie]

I agree that a connection with his work seems very likely to me, especially as the person evidently knew how to outfit the horse in a convincing way, and could trailer/release it. Seems like the kind of idea that would occur to a cowboy, but not, for example, a logger.

Still, I think it would have to be someone very disturbed to do such a thing for that kind of relatively trivial reason. For example, everybody gets upset over child custody disputes, but only exceptionally freakish people kill the other spouse, the child, or other members of the family.

D

 

[zecats]

I agree that a connection with his work seems very likely to me, especially as the person evidently knew how to outfit the horse in a convincing way, and could trailer/release it. Seems like the kind of idea that would occur to a cowboy, but not, for example, a logger.

Still, I think it would have to be someone very disturbed to do such a thing for that kind of relatively trivial reason. For example, everybody gets upset over child custody disputes, but only exceptionally freakish people kill the other spouse, the child, or other members of the family.

Agreed. Even if he discovered someone "cooking the books" or selling off cattle, or growing pot...whatever...that's still not even close to the mess someone would be in for murdering someone. I guess it depends on if he found something bad enough to cause him to be a target. I'm racking my brain trying to figure what that could be, if it is indeed work related.

Of course, in an alternate direction, it could also be a personal vendetta, revenge, or woman/ex/jealousy scenario, someone's hurt feelings. All speculation of course, which is what we have at this moment. I believe RCMP may have more to go on, hopefully.

 

[Satchie]

Nicola Ranch Seeking Cow Boss/Cowboys

Jeepers, I guess that's current. Funny that, again, none of the current cowboys will be promoted to boss.

I have an idea: RCMP don't want to just arrest someone, a lawyer will tell them to plead not guilty. They want to locate Ben first.

 

[Brubon]

Jeepers, I guess that's current. Funny that, again, none of the current cowboys will be promoted to boss.

I have an idea: RCMP don't want to just arrest someone, a lawyer will tell them to plead not guilty. They want to locate Ben first.

 

[Trudie]

Jeepers, I guess that's current. Funny that, again, none of the current cowboys will be promoted to boss.

I have an idea: RCMP don't want to just arrest someone, a lawyer will tell them to plead not guilty. They want to locate Ben first.

The cowboys might like what they do & not wanna advance or maybe not qualified. Moo
As far as manager, like Ben’s position, none would qualify.
Ben’s degree coupled with his experience provided him with a desirable resume, imo.
I just wish this would end and his family can have resolution, and someone pays dearly for apparently killing a fine young man with a heart of gold.
In the US, if there’s evidence to make an arrest, it will be made, body or not. The location of the body can be used as a bargaining chip, to avoid the death penalty, in many states. If RCMP have a suspect in mind & don’t arrest, idk how they’d keep him under surveillance, preventing him from fleeing.

 

[Brubon]

I hope that the RCMP are visiting MW in Alberta where he works now. I'm hopeful MW will shed some much needed light on the situation at the ranch in Merritt. He would certainly have first hand knowledge of the cowboys at the ranch.....and the cowboys who lost their jobs at the ranch.
Rest in peace Ben. MOO

 

[Trudie]

Agreed. Even if he discovered someone "cooking the books" or selling off cattle, or growing pot...whatever...that's still not even close to the mess someone would be in for murdering someone. I guess it depends on if he found something bad enough to cause him to be a target. I'm racking my brain trying to figure what that could be, if it is indeed work related.

Of course, in an alternate direction, it could also be a personal vendetta, revenge, or woman/ex/jealousy scenario, someone's hurt feelings. All speculation of course, which is what we have at this moment. I believe RCMP may have more to go on, hopefully.

Yea, all we can do is speculate. Most of us ruled out accident on horse. Nothing left except foul play.