Ben Tyner

Status:

Open

Missing From:

Merritt, British Columbia

Summary:

Ben Tyner, 31, was last seen on January 26, 2019, on the ranch he managed near Merritt, British Columbia. A little over a full day later, an experienced tracker and hunter came across Ben's horse, wandering in the wilderness around 15 miles away from Nicola Ranch. Two years later, authorities announced their belief that he had been the victim of homicide, though no suspects have been named. Ben Tyner's case remains open and unsolved. His disappearance is still being actively investigated.

Vital Statistics

Circumstances of Disappearance:

On the afternoon of Saturday, January 26th, 2019, Ben was spotted riding Gunny. He was accounted for that night on the ranch after he was done horseback riding, which would mark the final confirmed sighting of Ben Tyner. No one knew he was missing initially. It wouldn't be until Monday, when hunter Kim Robinson found his horse, that people on the ranch would become aware of his disappearance. Robinson discovered Gunny around 5:30 a.m. on a logging road off Highway 97—roughly 15 miles away from the ranch—in full tack, but with a broken rein. Gunny was in full tack, but one of her reins was broken. It took Robinson approximately 20 minutes to catch the mare, who appeared to be very nervous, although she had no injuries. Robinson made an odd observation about the scene: He was adamant that, aside from his own tracks and those made by Gunny's pacing, there were no other tracks—human or horse—leading either to or away from the site. Which perhaps suggests that whatever happened to Ben didn't occur there, in which case it's unclear how Gunny got to the area or who might have released her there. Uncharacteristically, Ben had neither told anyone he was leaving, nor took his beloved dog Sioux with him. He didn't take his wallet or cell phone with him either.

Additional Details:

Law enforcement soon began canvassing the area in and around where Gunny was found for the missing man. From there, they widened the search and were joined by dozens of search and rescue teams from locations like Chilliwack, Shuswap, Okanagan, Nicola Valley, and Surrey, as well as members of the Lower Nicola Indian Band. Search dogs, drones, and helicopters were utilized as well. What is known is that Ben Tyner himself was never found. The search was eventually called off due to bad weather, but several more searches would be carried out in subsequent weeks and months, to no avail. The Major Crimes Unit was brought in after a week, although it wouldn't be until two years later that the suspicion of foul play was formally announced by authorities. In 2021, the RCMP released a statement to the effect that Ben's disappearance is believed to be the result of foul play. Corporal Jesse O'Donaghey, spokesman for the BC RCMP: "based on those findings, major crime investigators believe that criminality was involved in Ben Tyner's disappearance, and that he is the victim of homicide." It was officially labeled "a suspicious disappearance" on March 19, 2019. According to the Whose Crime Is It Anyway? podcast, a source approached them with troubling information. This person claimed that Ben's cell phone turned up at a business in Merritt. Investigators used a Find My Phone app to locate the phone, which was allegedly found in the possession of a teenage boy who was working in the shop. They also offered a $15,000 reward for information. 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.

Case Last Updated:

Nov 06, 2026