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

[MistyWaters]

Possible someone seen him at 2pm and then someone talked to him on phone / texted saturday night?

Possibly. But if it’s a text message, the question could be who was in possession of his cellphone at the time?

 

[zecats]

Merritt Herald from same date March 19. And my point for all these articles is the wide variation of factual info.

*Interesting comments at end of article.

Ben Tyner’s disappearance deemed suspicious - Merritt Herald

 

[Trudie]

Possible someone seen him at 2pm and then someone talked to him on phone / texted saturday night?

Sure, very possible.

Maybe Ben went for a brief ride around NR Saturday. It is moo a seasoned cowboy did not set out for the mountains @ 2pm on a cold winter day.

I also think it is possible LE don’t actually know when Ben went missing. Just because someone reported a sighting doesn’t make it so. As we know, people get mixed up, forget or have nefarious reasons to make untrue statements to LE. Any claim of a sighting has to be verified the best it can be. That is a feat in itself. If only one person reported seeing Ben at point A @2, LE has to be able to put that person at point A @2.

 

[rb63]

Sure, very possible.

Maybe Ben went for a brief ride around NR Saturday. It is moo a seasoned cowboy did not set out for the mountains @ 2pm on a cold winter day.

I also think it is possible LE don’t actually know when Ben went missing. Just because someone reported a sighting doesn’t make it so. As we know, people get mixed up, forget or have nefarious reasons to make untrue statements to LE. Any claim of a sighting has to be verified the best it can be. That is a feat in itself. If only one person reported seeing Ben at point A @2, LE has to be able to put that person at point A @2.

True and what they thought verified his location saturday night may have proved false.

 

[Trudie]

True and what they thought verified his location saturday night may have proved false.

Absolutely. All sightings might now be considered “false sightings”.
Moo

 

[Satchie]

What the pieces are that don’t quite fit, we don’t know. It could be a witness “last seen” statement or it could be something else entirely. Lots of unanswered questions but I suppose LE doesn’t intend to disclose all they know while the investigation is still ongoing.

“Sometimes at the onset of an investigation there are pieces that don’t quite fit and while there is nothing definite, they warrant further investigation, says BC RCMP Media Relations Officer Sgt, Janelle Shoihet. Now having had the opportunity to review all the pieces, we believe that the circumstances surrounding Mr. Tyner’s disappearance may involve criminality.”
RCMP in British Columbia - Ben Tyner’s disappearance deemed suspicious

The big missing piece, aside from where was Ben, was why his horse was up the mountain: perhaps they got a break in their request for dashcam footage and believe they've identified the vehicle.

There was a earlier question about traffic cams: I don't think there would be any, but to get from Nicola Ranch to 97C North and the logging road, you'd normally drive right through town, including past the police station!
I've added in yellow hatches to indicate the ranch land, I don't know the boundaries but it's likely all the prime flat land, since it was acquired so long ago .

 

[otto]

Did the horse go home? Was the horse driven partway home? Do they know where the horse was before it got home?

I followed this at the beginning, but not up to date with the facts. Can someone please fill me in?

 

[Satchie]

This site has a photo of the route through Merrit from the ranch,
British Columbia Highway 97C (Nicola Highway & Mamit Lake Road) Photographs - Page 2 - History of Ontario's Kings Highways

ETA: likely many cameras

 

[otto]

This site has a photo of the route through Merrit from the ranch,
British Columbia Highway 97C (Nicola Highway & Mamit Lake Road) Photographs - Page 2 - History of Ontario's Kings Highways

ETA: likely many cameras

Does this mean that they have information about a horse trailer on the highway near the ranch on the day that the horse came home?

 

[Satchie]

Did the horse go home? Was the horse driven partway home? Do they know where the horse was before it got home?

I followed this at the beginning, but not up to date with the facts. Can someone please fill me in?

No, the horse was found running loose up in the mountain, on a logging road. As a horse-experienced poster noted, most horses would be able to retrace their steps and go home, this one didn't.

 

[Satchie]

Does this mean that they have information about a horse trailer on the highway near the ranch on the day that the horse came home?

We believe, reading between the lines, that's what they've been looking for in their request for dash cam videos, and, possibly, found:

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

RCMP in British Columbia - Ben Tyner’s disappearance deemed suspicious

 

[otto]

No, the horse was found running loose up in the mountain, on a logging road. As a horse-experienced poster noted, most horses would be able to retrace their steps and go home, this one didn't.

Even if the horse had only been at the ranch for a month, it would still go to that ranch? Or would the horse stay at the place where it last saw the rider - especially if horse and rider were close?

Does anyone have a location for where the horse was found? I'm curious and would like to look at the area with the highway and ranch in mind? Thanks

 

[otto]

We believe, reading between the lines, that's what they've been looking for in their request for dash cam videos, and, possibly, found:

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

RCMP in British Columbia - Ben Tyner’s disappearance deemed suspicious

Deemed suspicious is not good. Last time I was reading here, it was still assumed that he got lost or injured in an accident.

 

[otto]

Does that mean that police suspect that the horse was transported in a horse trailer to the area where it was found? Was the rider killed maybe at the ranch ... and "lost on a horse ride" is a fairy tale?

When was the last time anyone saw him? It sounds like no one saw him leave for his horse ride. Who was the first person to report that he was riding the outback solo on vacation?

 

[Trudie]

IMO if dash cam footage revealed the trailer LE believes was used, there’d be an arrest.
I think maybe LE got fingerprint or DNA evidence from the saddle & bridle on Gunny.
Info from Ben’s electronics should be available by now, imo.
Info from countless interviews likely led LE down a certain trail.
All .MOO

 

[otto]

IMO if dash cam footage revealed the trailer LE believes was used, there’d be an arrest.
I think maybe LE got fingerprint or DNA evidence from the saddle & bridle on Gunny.
Info from Ben’s electronics should be available by now, imo.
Info from countless interviews likely led LE down a certain trail.
All .MOO

Is it assumed that the horse was transported to the area where it was found, and Ben ran into trouble before he allegedly left for his ride that morning?

I'm curious who was last with him, when that was, and who first reported that he was riding outback with a plan to stay overnight.

 

[Satchie]

Does anyone have a location for where the horse was found? I'm curious and would like to look at the area with the highway and ranch in mind? Thanks

RSBM

I keep burrowing on that. The most precise info is from another RCMP Bulletin:
"The RCMP is asking anyone who may have seen Ben Tyner during the weekend of January 26 and 27 or a truck and trailer that may have transported him to the Swakum Mountain or OK Forest Service Road off Mamit Lake Road, to contact the SED MCU tip line.

Note Mamit Lake Road is another name for 97C North.

I picked up another clue from reviewing a Global T video, around 26 secs it shows a map with a SAR coordinator showing where they were searching:



Beside her face you can see Highway 5 and 5A converging, just north of Nicola Ranch
Search for missing Merritt cowboy suspended after 7 days amid frigid conditions

So my best info is on this map:

S=Swakum Mountain
Orange is where the SAR search was happening
?L= logging road, exact location unknown
U=highway underpass (approx), where I presume Ben would have to head north to Swakum Ridge, where the cattle could have strayed.

IMO if dash cam footage revealed the trailer LE believes was used, there’d be an arrest.
I think maybe LE got fingerprint or DNA evidence from the saddle & bridle on Gunny.
Info from Ben’s electronics should be available by now, imo.
Info from countless interviews likely led LE down a certain trail.
All .MOO

They need to prove murder and they need to find Ben, arresting someone for maybe transporting the horse won't prove anything.

ETA forgot to add map!

 

[otto]

RSBM

I keep burrowing on that. The most precise info is from another RCMP Bulletin:
"The RCMP is asking anyone who may have seen Ben Tyner during the weekend of January 26 and 27 or a truck and trailer that may have transported him to the Swakum Mountain or OK Forest Service Road off Mamit Lake Road, to contact the SED MCU tip line.

Note Mamit Lake Road is another name for 97C North.

I picked up another clue from reviewing a Global T video, around 26 secs it shows a map with a SAR coordinator showing where they were searching:

View attachment 178635

Beside her face you can see Highway 5 and 5A converging, just north of Nicola Ranch
Search for missing Merritt cowboy suspended after 7 days amid frigid conditions

So my best info is on this map:

They need to prove murder and they need to find Ben, arresting someone for maybe transporting the horse won't prove anything.

It doesn't have to prove anything, but it does suggest culpability and conspiracy to commit murder. Finding a driver transporting Ben's horse is enough to charge the driver. I'm going to look at the map - thank you!

 

[zecats]

RSBM

I keep burrowing on that. The most precise info is from another RCMP Bulletin:
"The RCMP is asking anyone who may have seen Ben Tyner during the weekend of January 26 and 27 or a truck and trailer that may have transported him to the Swakum Mountain or OK Forest Service Road off Mamit Lake Road, to contact the SED MCU tip line.

Note Mamit Lake Road is another name for 97C North.

I picked up another clue from reviewing a Global T video, around 26 secs it shows a map with a SAR coordinator showing where they were searching:

View attachment 178635

Beside her face you can see Highway 5 and 5A converging, just north of Nicola Ranch
Search for missing Merritt cowboy suspended after 7 days amid frigid conditions

So my best info is on this map:

They need to prove murder and they need to find Ben, arresting someone for maybe transporting the horse won't prove anything.

I think if they find a trailer on camera being hauled anytime during that timeframe, it at least provides a starting point. If license plate is visible then a person could be questioned. Don’t know Canada’s protocol for searching, but possibly trailer can then be searched trace evidence. Or if person seen driving claims to have been occupied somewhere else at the time, there’s a red flag. Imo

 

[otto]