Speaker 1: Hello friends, Steve Stockton here with you today. We're going
Speaker 1: to be talking about the vanishing Cowboy, the unsolved disappearance
Speaker 1: of Ben Tyner. Join me, let's walk and see now.
Speaker 1: In the vast, rugged expanse of the Nicolo Valley in
Speaker 1: British Columbia, where the rolling grasslands meet the dense, unforgiving wilderness,
Speaker 1: the silence of the landscape holds a chilling secret. It's
Speaker 1: a silence that echoes with the unanswered questions surrounding the
Speaker 1: strange and sudden disappearance of Ben Tyner, a thirty two
Speaker 1: year old ranch manager who rode out on horseback one
Speaker 1: crisp January afternoon in twenty nineteen and vanished without a trace.
Speaker 1: His riderless horse, found two days later, was the first
Speaker 1: clue at a baffling mystery that has sense evolved from
Speaker 1: a missing person case into a homicide investigation, leaving a
Speaker 1: family shattered and a community haunted by the specter of
Speaker 1: the unknown. Ben Tyner, a native of Wyoming, was the
Speaker 1: embo of the modern American cowboy. Strong capable and with
Speaker 1: a deep rooted passion for the ranching life, he had
Speaker 1: recently embarked on a new chapter as the manager of
Speaker 1: the historic nickel Of Ranch near Merit, b c. His
Speaker 1: family described him as a man with a gentle heart
Speaker 1: and a strong handshake, a man who was as comfortable
Speaker 1: in the saddle as he was exploring new cultures and
Speaker 1: meeting new people. His brother Jack Tyner, painted a picture
Speaker 1: of a man of integrity and kindness. He was just
Speaker 1: big and strong and honest as they come, just to
Speaker 1: pure soul. He said. He wasn't the kind of guy
Speaker 1: that would get into any trouble or cause any trouble.
Speaker 1: He would help anybody for whatever they needed. That was
Speaker 1: the kind of guy my brother was. On Saturday January
Speaker 1: twenty sixth, twenty nineteen, Tyner was last seen leaving the
Speaker 1: nickel Of Ranch on a bay horse, presumably to check
Speaker 1: on cattle in the surrounding hills. It was a routine
Speaker 1: task for an experienced rancher, one he had likely performed
Speaker 1: countless time. The vastness of the British Columbia interior, with
Speaker 1: its sprawling logging roads and dense forest, was his new office.
Speaker 1: But as the weekend drew to a close, a sense
Speaker 1: of unease began to settle over the ranch. Ben Tyner
Speaker 1: had in return the alarm was officially raised on Monday,
Speaker 1: January twenty eighth, but a local logger discovered Tyner's horse
Speaker 1: still fully saddled and bridled, on a remote logging road
Speaker 1: in the Swackhen Mountain area northwest of Merit. The discovery
Speaker 1: of the riderless horse, a potent symbol of a cowboy
Speaker 1: in distress, triggered an immediate and massive search and rescue operation.
Speaker 1: For days, the Nicola Valley became the epicenter of a
Speaker 1: frantic effort to find the missing rancher. The effort involved
Speaker 1: search and rescue teams from across the province, alongside the
Speaker 1: Royal Canadian Mounted Police, local ranchers on horseback, and volunteers
Speaker 1: on foot and on snowmobiles combing the unforgiving territory. The
Speaker 1: search was a testament to the tight knit rural community,
Speaker 1: with locals offering their time, resources and intimate knowledge of
Speaker 1: the land. The conditions, however, were brutal. Rigid temperatures, deep snow,
Speaker 1: and the sheer scale of the search area presented formidable challenges.
Speaker 1: Despite the deployment of aircraft, drones, and canine units, the
Speaker 1: search yielded no sign of Ben Tyner, no footprints, no
Speaker 1: discarded equipment, not a single clue to suggest his whereabouts.
Speaker 1: After a week of exhaustive efforts, official search was suspended,
Speaker 1: a difficult but necessary decision in the face of the
Speaker 1: harsh winter conditions. For the Tyner family, who had rushed
Speaker 1: to Merit from Wyoming, the suspension of the search was
Speaker 1: a devastating blow. Their initial hope of finding Ben alive
Speaker 1: began to fade, replaced by a gnawing uncertainty and a
Speaker 1: desperate plea for answers. In a heart riching press conference,
Speaker 1: Ben's mother, Jennifer Tyner, her voice trimming with emotion, expressed
Speaker 1: the family's anguish to say that we are heartbroken. As
Speaker 1: an understatement, our hearts are shattered and our lives have
Speaker 1: been thrown into turmoil. To think that I will never
Speaker 1: again see a smile or hear his infectious laugh, never
Speaker 1: see him realize his dreams, never have him wrap his
Speaker 1: arms around me again, is unthinkable. As the initial search
Speaker 1: wound down, the nature of the investigation began to shift.
Speaker 1: The RCMP's Southeast District Major Crime Unit took the lead,
Speaker 1: and the language used by law enforcement became more ominous.
Speaker 1: What was once a missing person's case was now being
Speaker 1: treated as suspicious. In March twenty nineteen, the RCMP made
Speaker 1: a significant announcement they believed Ben Tyner's disappearance may involve criminality.
Speaker 1: Sergeant Janelle show It of the BCRCMP stated, now, having
Speaker 1: had the opportunity to review all the pieces, we believe
Speaker 1: that the circumstances surrounding mister Tyner's disappearance may involve criminality.
Speaker 1: This announcement confirmed the growing here's a many, transforming the
Speaker 1: mystery of a lost cowboy into potential murder investigation. The
Speaker 1: question was no longer just where is ben Teyner, but
Speaker 1: what happened to him? And at whose hand. Over the
Speaker 1: ensuing months and years, the investigation continued largely behind the scenes.
Speaker 1: The RCMP remained tight lifted about the specifics of their findings,
Speaker 1: citing the need to protect the integrity of the ongoing investigation. However,
Speaker 1: on the second anniversary of his disappearance, they made another
Speaker 1: grim announcement. Corporal Jesse o'donaghey of the RCMP Southeast District
Speaker 1: Major Crime Unit stated, based on those findings, major crime
Speaker 1: investigators have reason to believe that criminality was involved in
Speaker 1: ben Teyner's disappearance. And is the victim of a homicide.
Speaker 1: With the official declaration that ben Tyner was likely murdered,
Speaker 1: the focus of the investigation intensified on finding his remains
Speaker 1: and bringing his killer or killers to justice, and their
Speaker 1: enduring grief increased the reward for information that would lead
Speaker 1: to the location of their son and the arrest and
Speaker 1: conviction of those responsible. This was a fund that was
Speaker 1: matched by the owner of the Nicola Ranch, bringing the
Speaker 1: total to thirty thousand dollars. Richard Tyner, Ben's father, spoke
Speaker 1: of the enduring pain of not knowing to have to
Speaker 1: live with Ben's loss is the most painful, excruciating experience ever.
Speaker 1: The loss we feel is immeasurable and has left a
Speaker 1: hole in her family that will never be filled. Now,
Speaker 1: in the absence of concrete answers, several theories have emerged
Speaker 1: to explain ben Teyner's disappearance. Theory number one was a
Speaker 1: tragic accident in the wilderness. The most straightforward explanation and
Speaker 1: the initial assumption of many, was that Ben Tyner had
Speaker 1: a tragic accident while riding in the remote backcountry. He
Speaker 1: could have been thrown from his horse, sustained a serious injury,
Speaker 1: and succumbed to the elements. The Nicola Valley is known
Speaker 1: for its rugged terrain, with steep ravines, dense forests, and
Speaker 1: the potential for sudden changes in weather. An experienced rider
Speaker 1: can still be caught off guard. However, several factors cast
Speaker 1: doubt on this theory. The extensive and meticulous search of
Speaker 1: the area where his horse was found turned up no
Speaker 1: sign of him. Searchers were looking for any indication of
Speaker 1: a fall, a struggle, or makeshift shelter. They found nothing. Furthermore,
Speaker 1: Tyner was a seasoned out doorsman, and his family believes
Speaker 1: he would have been well prepared for the conditions. The
Speaker 1: fact that his horse was found in good condition, albeit riderless,
Speaker 1: also raises questions. Had he been thrown, the horse might
Speaker 1: have remained in the vicinity through number two a staged disappearance.
Speaker 1: Another possibility, though considered less likely by those who knew him,
Speaker 1: is that Ben Tyner staged his own disappearance. This theory
Speaker 1: suggests that, for reasons unknown, he wanted to leave his
Speaker 1: life behind and start anew While not in possible, this
Speaker 1: scenario seems incongruous with the man and his family and
Speaker 1: friends described he was excited about his new job at
Speaker 1: the nickel Of Ranch, and had a close relationship with
Speaker 1: his family. There were no apparent signs of personal or
Speaker 1: financial turmoil that would prompt such a drastic and deceptive act.
Speaker 1: The lack of any subsequent sightings or use of his
Speaker 1: personal accounts further weakens this theory. The third theory foul play.
Speaker 1: The theory that has gained the most traction and the
Speaker 1: one officially endorsed by the RCMP, is that Ben Tyner
Speaker 1: was the victim of foul play. This theory posits that
Speaker 1: he encountered someone in the back country who, for reasons
Speaker 1: yet unknown, caused him harm. The motive remains a subject
Speaker 1: of speculation. Was it a random act of violence, a
Speaker 1: dispute over land or resources, or something more personal. The
Speaker 1: RCMP's assertion that his disappearance involves criminality and is a
Speaker 1: homicide suggests they have evidence, though not publicly disclosed at
Speaker 1: points in this direction. This could include witness statements, forensic evidence,
Speaker 1: or information about potential conflicts in Tyner's life, however minor
Speaker 1: they may have seemed at the time. Adding a layer
Speaker 1: of intrigue to the foul play theory is the unsolved
Speaker 1: disappearance of another man in a nearby area. Dean Morrison,
Speaker 1: a forty four year old father of three, banished from
Speaker 1: the Stumped Lake Ranch, roughly forty kilometers from the Nickel
Speaker 1: Ranch in October twenty thirteen. His truck was found abandoned
Speaker 1: at the ranch where he had been working. While the
Speaker 1: RCMP have not officially linked to two cases, the geographical
Speaker 1: proximity and the fact that both men disappeared from rural
Speaker 1: ranching properties have led to public speculation about a possible connection.
Speaker 1: The disappearance of Ben Tyner has left an indelible mark
Speaker 1: on the community of Merit and the wider ranching world.
Speaker 1: The initial outpouring of support the search demonstrated the strong
Speaker 1: bonds that tire rural communities together in times of crisis.
Speaker 1: The ongoing mystery, however, has cast a long shadow. The
Speaker 1: question of what happened to the wyoming cowboy who came
Speaker 1: to British Columbian in search of a new adventure lingers
Speaker 1: in the minds of many. In an effort to keep
Speaker 1: his memory alive and to support others who share his passion,
Speaker 1: the Ben Tyner Legacy Scholarship was established at Laramie County
Speaker 1: Community College and Wyoming. The scholarship supports students pursuing degrees
Speaker 1: in agriculture or related fields, a fitting tribute to a
Speaker 1: man who dedicated his life to the land. The strange
Speaker 1: and tragic disappearance of Ben Tyner is a story without
Speaker 1: an ending at this point. It's a story of a
Speaker 1: life cut short, of a family's und ending grief, and
Speaker 1: of a community's lingering questions. The vast and beautiful landscape
Speaker 1: of the Nicola Valley, the same landscape that Ben Tyner
Speaker 1: so admired, now holds the key to unlocking this heartbreaking mystery.
Speaker 1: For his family, the hope remains that one day someone
Speaker 1: will come forward with the information that will finally break
Speaker 1: the silence and bring their son home. As his mother,
Speaker 1: Jennifer said in or plead for help, any information, no
Speaker 1: matter how insignificant it may seem, could be the missing
Speaker 1: piece to our puzzle. Until that piece is found, the
Speaker 1: question of what happened to Ben Tyner will continue to
Speaker 1: echo throughout the hills and valleys of British Columbia, a
Speaker 1: haunting reminder of the cowboy who vanished into the cold
Speaker 1: winter air. Well, friends, there you have it. If you
Speaker 1: do have any information, no matter how insignificant it seems.
Speaker 1: Please contact the RCMP at the number on your screen.
Speaker 1: I look forward to your comments, but please keep it
Speaker 1: friendly and respectful. Till we meet again. Stay safe out there.
Speaker 1: I'll see you a little further on down the trail.
Speaker 1: I'm Steve Stockton. Tell your animals I said hi.