Case of missing Nicola Ranch cowboy might have criminal links, RCMP say

SURREY — The case of a rancher who has been missing in British Columbia since January is being treated as a suspicious disappearance by the RCMP.

Sgt. Janelle Shoihet said members of the southeast district major crime unit have reviewed the evidence that has been collected since Ben Tyner went missing and have determined the case might involve criminal activity.

Tyner, 32, was the manager of the Nicola Ranch, about 300 kilometres northeast of Vancouver, and was last seen on Jan. 26 as he rode out on horseback, possibly to search for cattle in the surrounding hills.

He was reported missing two days later when his saddled horse was found wandering on a logging road off Highway 97 northwest of Merritt.

An extensive search that included RCMP and volunteers on foot and horseback, as well as in helicopters, vehicles and snowmobiles, found no trace of Tyner.

Shoihet said early on investigators requested assistance from major crime detectives, but until this week police had said their was no indication of foul play.

“Now having had the opportunity to review all the pieces, we believe that the circumstances surrounding Mr. Tyner’s disappearance may involve criminality,” Shoihet said Tuesday.

Shoihet would not reveal details but she said the latest announcement “reinvigorates” the investigation.

Officers are asking people who might have information to come forward. “That one missing piece might be something you think is insignificant, but could really be the turnkey piece of information for an investigation like this,” Shoihet said.

Before they left for their home in Wyoming in midFebruary, Tyner’s family renewed their plea for any tips that might help the police investigation into his disappearance.

“Our hearts are shattered and our lives have been thrown into turmoil,” Tyner’s mother, Jennifer, told a news conference. “To think that I will never again see his smile, or hear his infectious laugh, never see him realize his dreams, never have him wrap his arms around me again, is unthinkable.”