ATM repairman found slain in Saskatchewan farm field

ATM repairman found slain in Saskatchewan farm field For a time, the strange disappearance of Roger ByerATM Parts was considered a sad consequence of harsh prairie weather.

But with the discovery of the expert’s body in a farmer’s field this week, police are investigating a far more sinister possibility.

Heavy snow fell throughout Melfort, Sask., in late January, right around the time Mr. Byer was last seen. The Prince Albert resident was spotted in town fixing one of the small ATM machines that occupy dusty corners of general stores and service stations throughout the remote region 175 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon.

As one of the few people certified to repair in northern Saskatchewan, the 57-year-old lived much of his work life driving his black GMC pickup along precarious prairie grid roads in the area.

When his family reported him missing six days later, on Jan. 26, the RCMP traced as many of his out-of-the-way routes as possible, but came up with nothing.

“It is a very rural area,” said Saskatchewan RCMP Corporal Bill Betker. “We had no tips.”

That’s when some locals started suspecting the worst of Mr. Byer. A few online comments suggested that a man with Mr. Byer’s ATM expertise might be tempted to make off with a few bags of cash.

But family members wrote in to refute those online theories.

“If you knew anything about Roger you would know he would not run with the money,” opined one commenter on the Prince Albert Daily Herald website. “Who cares about the money we have a Dad, Son, Brother and Uncle missing.” Another wrote “something is not adding up!!!! We won't ATM Partsgive up on you uncle.”