Image Credit: Facebook / Ben Tyner

By James Peters

Rancher Disappearance

VIDEO: Two years after his disappearance, Merritt rancher’s family renews plea for information

Jan 26, 2021 | 9:50 AM

MERRITT, B.C. — Two years after the manager of the Nicola Ranch near Merritt went missing, his family has renewed its plea for information into his disappearance.

Ben Tyner disappeared from the ranch on Jan. 26, 2019. His horse was found fully geared off Highway 97 near Winnie Flats but with Tyner nowhere in sight.

The search was suspended on Feb. 6 due to poor weather. The Southeast District’s Major Crimes Unit (MCU) was called in to assist the investigation on Feb. 13.

The MCU still has conduct of the investigation, and RCMP spokesman Cpl. Jesse O’Donaghey says investigators believe his disappearance was criminal.

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“To date, numerous investigational avenues have been explored, and in order to protect the ongoing investigation police are unable to share those findings publicly at this time,” said O’Donaghey in a statement. “However, based on those findings, major crime investigators have reason to believe that criminality was involved in Ben Tyner’s disappearance, and is the victim of a homicide.”

WATCH: (Video Credit: Merritt RCMP)

In a video posted to the Merritt RCMP YouTube channel, Tyner’s father Richard reads a statement, accompanied by Tyner’s mother Jennifer and brother Jack.

“Ben’s disappearance has dramatically affected us; the last two years have been filled with horrendous heartache, continued hope and many, many prayers,” Richard says.

The Tyner family is offering a $15,000 reward for information that leads to Tyner’s location and to the arrest and conviction of the individuals responsible for his death.