The family of Ben Tyner, who went missing from a ranch near Merritt more than two years ago, has made another plea for information into the man’s disappearance.
They’ve also increased the amount of a reward offered, for clues that would lead to a conviction of anyone responsible for Tyner’s presumed death.
“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. 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, stated Cpl. Jesse O’Donaghey, spokesman for the BC RCMP in the Southeast District, in a release to the media.
Tyner’s rider-less horse, discovered on a logging road off Highway 97 near Winnie Flats, prompted a large scale search effort, which spanned multiple days and involved countless police and search and rescue resources. Merritt RCMP was supported early on in its investigation by the BC RCMP Southeast District Major Crime Unit, who maintains conduct of the still ongoing investigation into the disappearance.
The family is offering a $15,000 reward, and according to a social media post John Liu, owner of the Nicola Ranch in Merritt, recently added $15,000 for a total of up to $30,000.
Anyone with any information is urged to call their local RCMP, the Southeast District Major Crime Unit information line at 1-877-987-8477 or BC Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).
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