OH OH - Brian Shaffer, 27, Columbus, 1 April 2006 - #2

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Just a quick point on #3- Alexis was out of town visiting her parents in Toledo that weekend, so Brian didn't have to tell her anything to keep her away. This is why I also suspect that maybe they did something else besides just drinking, maybe drugs. Perhaps Brian felt that with his gf away it was "party time" and he'd be able to let loose for a night. This could have possibly led to an overdose and subsequent cover up by Clint or others. There's also the possibility that Clint led Brian to believe that it was "party time" but he was actually setting him up to be attacked/killed.
 
Thanks for that info. I was thinking perhaps she said, "Do you want me to come back and go with you?" which prompted him to offer an explanation.

I do follow your logic about having a more carefree or reckless "guys night out" with his gf out of town. And the overdose theory (or inebriated accident theory) with a coverup seems among the most likely possibilities.

On your last statement about Clint, there's more I'd like to know. Like does anyone know if Clint or Meredith explained why Meredith was called half way through the night? Or did Clint or Meredith explain why they had left that bar and then returned to it later that night? I have to believe both Clint and Meredith's phone records would've been searched to see if they called anyone else to come and confront Brian...?

Thanks for helping me think through this.
 
No problem, I love a good mystery :). Regarding your questions about Clint, I seem to recall reading somewhere that Brian did not like Meredith that much because he thought Clint was acting differently when she was around. Maybe Brian got annoyed that he called her halfway through the night and this lead to a dispute between the 2 guys. Perhaps Brian might have also felt left out that Clint invited a lady friend to come out with them knowing that his was away in Toledo. Once Brian and Clint were a little drunker though, maybe Clint thought Brian wouldn't mind at that point or he was too drunk to care. I find it interesting that when Brian is seen on surveillance camera for the last time he isn't with Clint or Meredith but is seen talking to 2 random girls. I know that it's not uncommon for friends to split up at the bar, but if you take into account that Brian didn't like Meredith, maybe he was intentionally staying away from the 2 of them. One final spin on it is if you use the "Clint is gay" theory. What if Clint invited Meredith to get under Brian's skin as revenge for Brian choosing Alexis over him? Maybe he thought that if Brian was going to date a girl instead of him then he would do the same and wanted to make Brian jealous. In turn, maybe Brian was then talking to those 2 girls (from the tape) to anger Clint. This also could have lead to a dispute between Clint and Brian which could have gotten ugly. I don't personally believe the idea that they were involved romantically at one point, but you never know. If Clint IS gay then it could have just been sheer jealousy- Brian is an attractive guy with a gf and able to talk to girls at the bar while Clint probably needed alcohol just to talk to Meredith.

As for the phone records, I think I read somewhere that Meredith's was checked and I never heard anything about it afterwards. As for Clint's, I don't know.
 
MatthewTyler said:
No problem, I love a good mystery :). Regarding your questions about Clint, I seem to recall reading somewhere that Brian did not like Meredith that much because he thought Clint was acting differently when she was around. Maybe Brian got annoyed that he called her halfway through the night and this lead to a dispute between the 2 guys. Perhaps Brian might have also felt left out that Clint invited a lady friend to come out with them knowing that his was away in Toledo. Once Brian and Clint were a little drunker though, maybe Clint thought Brian wouldn't mind at that point or he was too drunk to care. I find it interesting that when Brian is seen on surveillance camera for the last time he isn't with Clint or Meredith but is seen talking to 2 random girls. I know that it's not uncommon for friends to split up at the bar, but if you take into account that Brian didn't like Meredith, maybe he was intentionally staying away from the 2 of them. One final spin on it is if you use the "Clint is gay" theory. What if Clint invited Meredith to get under Brian's skin as revenge for Brian choosing Alexis over him? Maybe he thought that if Brian was going to date a girl instead of him then he would do the same and wanted to make Brian jealous. In turn, maybe Brian was then talking to those 2 girls (from the tape) to anger Clint. This also could have lead to a dispute between Clint and Brian which could have gotten ugly. I don't personally believe the idea that they were involved romantically at one point, but you never know. If Clint IS gay then it could have just been sheer jealousy- Brian is an attractive guy with a gf and able to talk to girls at the bar while Clint probably needed alcohol just to talk to Meredith.

As for the phone records, I think I read somewhere that Meredith's was checked and I never heard anything about it afterwards. As for Clint's, I don't know.
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Thanks so much, Matt. You seem to have a strong grasp on this case. Did you know Brian at one time or have you just been researching this? I really appreciate the additional insights.

I found an article that is no longer online, but was originally posted here: http://www.dispatch.com/news-story.php?story=dispatch/2006/10/01/20061001-A1-01.html

It was called Waiting for Brian and was published Sunday, October 01, 2006. It was written by Kristy Eckert and included in THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH.

This article is one of the most comprehensive I've seen from that time period, so I'm going to mention a few things it clarified that I've seen people question in this forum.

1. Alexis handled the bill for Brian's phone after he disappeared.

2. On the night he disappeared, Alexis called Brian while he was out and he said, "I'm out with the guys...it's my chance to talk about you." (So that DOESN'T seem like he was making it out to be a serious conversation about his relationship to me. It seems more like he was trying to make her feel good that he was talking well about her. Let's also mention that when he said this, by other accounts, he was not out with "the guys," but just with Clint. Am I right about this? I saw someone suggest before that Alexis didn't particularly like Clint, so maybe he was purposefully masking who he was with...or maybe there were other guys present we don't know about?)

3.The article also said it was "electronics" that were stolen from Brian's apartment? Does anyone know if this included a computer? If so, it may have been lifted (either by Brian or someone else) to ensure information on it was not discovered...or, if by Brian, because he wanted/needed info on it.

4. Alexis also reported that a discovered email password, found written on an index card, was "AlexisLoveMarry" which seems to suggest he truly intended to do so.

5. The article also says that Cingular, Brian's cell company, said it was not Brian's phone that rung, but was a glitch.

Also, Matt, do you believe there's a possibility Brian is alive? Most of your comments seem to suggest you think he met his demise. Just wondering if you are open to that outcome or have reason not to be? Thanks.
 
One more thing, the article also affirmed what I heard another woman say, which is one of the security cameras panned and could possibly be controlled by security guards, so it's possible it just missed Brian's exit while panning.
 
Actually I don't know Brian at all, nor am I even from Ohio- I live in New York. I was only 11 at the time he disappeared, but became interested in the case after seeing it on Dateline or one of those types of shows, not sure which exactly. I forgot about it for awhile but then heard about the case again online from like a "Top 10 mysterious disappearance" articles and regained interest. Everything that I know about it is just stuff that I read about or that I've seen others talk about in the thread and from those I spun my own theories.
I can answer one of your questions, though. Brian's apartment had a dvd player and a small tv stolen from it. There's an article (I'll link it below) that contains the transcript that Randy Shaffer gave in an interview to a radio show, and he answered that question. Regarding Brian's password, then it is completely possible he really did love and intended to marry her, though I don't know if a ring was ever bought (I'm sure a bank check would confirm this or not?). Like I said, I don't personally believe that Brian was gay and using Alexis as a cover up. The cell phone thing I would likely consider a glitch. It could happen, especially in 2006 when phone technology wasn't at the peak it is at now. Same with the security cameras, it's totally possible that it malfunctioned and just didn't pick him up leaving. I would say less likely though given all the other options he had for exit.
Now for your very loaded question haha- do I believe Brian could be alive? Well I do know that I'd LIKE for him to be alive, that's for sure. I can only guess as much as anyone else can. There is some evidence to suggest it could be a runaway situation, but the fact that he hasn't surfaced for ten years just shatters the hope of that. I entertain a lot of theories and look at it from all angles but my biggest belief is that he somehow ended up being constructed over. Whether he was put in there post mortem with evil happenings, or if he fell in a drunken state is up more for debate. Like I said though, I hope I'm wrong and that he's living a nice peaceful life somewhere. There will forever be evidence to point to any of these possibilities though
 
Another article suggests Cingular offered two explanations for why Brian's phone could've rang months later:

"Cingular, Brian's cell phone provider, offered two possible explanations. The most logical was a computer glitch that caused a dial tone to be heard. However, there was a possibility that Brian's phone was turned on and working for at least a short period of time in September. Sadly, Brian's phone did not have GPS capabilities and could not be located by Cingular."


Read more: http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/161801#ixzz4WWBoHbWn
 
MatthewTyler said:
Actually I don't know Brian at all, nor am I even from Ohio- I live in New York. I was only 11 at the time he disappeared, but became interested in the case after seeing it on Dateline or one of those types of shows, not sure which exactly. I forgot about it for awhile but then heard about the case again online from like a "Top 10 mysterious disappearance" articles and regained interest. Everything that I know about it is just stuff that I read about or that I've seen others talk about in the thread and from those I spun my own theories.
I can answer one of your questions, though. Brian's apartment had a dvd player and a small tv stolen from it. There's an article (I'll link it below) that contains the transcript that Randy Shaffer gave in an interview to a radio show, and he answered that question. Regarding Brian's password, then it is completely possible he really did love and intended to marry her, though I don't know if a ring was ever bought (I'm sure a bank check would confirm this or not?). Like I said, I don't personally believe that Brian was gay and using Alexis as a cover up. The cell phone thing I would likely consider a glitch. It could happen, especially in 2006 when phone technology wasn't at the peak it is at now. Same with the security cameras, it's totally possible that it malfunctioned and just didn't pick him up leaving. I would say less likely though given all the other options he had for exit.
Now for your very loaded question haha- do I believe Brian could be alive? Well I do know that I'd LIKE for him to be alive, that's for sure. I can only guess as much as anyone else can. There is some evidence to suggest it could be a runaway situation, but the fact that he hasn't surfaced for ten years just shatters the hope of that. I entertain a lot of theories and look at it from all angles but my biggest belief is that he somehow ended up being constructed over. Whether he was put in there post mortem with evil happenings, or if he fell in a drunken state is up more for debate. Like I said though, I hope I'm wrong and that he's living a nice peaceful life somewhere. There will forever be evidence to point to any of these possibilities though
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I share your belief that the most likely outcome is he met with an accident or was attacked.

While I can see how people, especially regulars, might pop out a back entrance to smoke or something, it seems more likely to me that the panning cameras just missed his exit and he ran into trouble after he left.

But it is interesting that Clint and Meredith couldn't find him, allegedly. If the bar was closing and everyone was being forced to leave, it would've likely been emptying out which would make it easier to spot him if he was visibly around. So did he leave before them?

Man, the construction thing, I get how it could be the case...but...it still seems unlikely to me given that they took cadaver dogs through there. What are the chances that the construction was in the exact phase where it would've been possible to fall into a concealed area and not be discovered? Any mentions of it in articles just said the construction area would've been difficult to navigate. But they didn't say "there were open pits" or "it was soon after sealed by concrete." I wish the detective would've commented on this in the article, because it seems like if there was a chance his body was concealed by construction, it would've been mentioned by those investigating.
 
MatthewTyler said:
There is some evidence to suggest it could be a runaway situation, but the fact that he hasn't surfaced for ten years just shatters the hope of that.
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What is some of the evidence that suggests runaway? Do you recall? I know he had been under stress and had allegedly said he sometimes craved a simpler life playing in a band in some tropical area. Also, Alexis said at one point during that time, he had told her it might be better to move on because he was so wounded from his mom's death.

But was there any circumstances or evidence brought up that suggested he may have intentionally planned an exit? Thanks, Matt.
 
That's true about the construction site, they never really explain to what extent the construction was consisting of. If not an accident involving a gaping hole then maybe it would be a place to commit a crime undetected (like murdering someone). But I agree with you that whatever happened likely happened outside the bar, due to the cadaver dogs not picking up a scent. Because of the lack of scent, I also suspect Brian may have possibly gotten into a car, which would obviously make his scent trail go cold. If he did in fact exit through the emergency exit or construction zone and entered the car this could also be why an extra person wasn't accounted for on the video tape. Whoever Brian met may have never gone inside but instead waited for him in the car. This could also be why Brian didn't make a scene, seeing as he could have believed he was getting in the car of someone he knew/trusted. Depending on where this car was waiting, that could also explain why Brian wasn't seen anywhere on camera in the pedestrian mall- going straight from the construction exit into the car. A 6 ft 2 athletic guy would be pretty tough to kidnap forcefully, even with alcohol in him, so luring him in the car would be the best bet.

In terms of the suggestion of runaway, you sort of answered that for me. The high stress and the death of his mother would be good cause for him to want to drop out of life. Again, if you look at his Facebook pictures he speaks very well of his mother who he obviously loved a lot. His father, he says nice things but definitely didn't seem as close to him. Maybe he felt that his mother's death was a chance to split. Plus what you said also about Alexis mentioning that she should move on and find someone else. That was only a couple of weeks before he vanished. She also mentioned somewhere that he had made a joke about the two of them just running away together and starting a new life.

I realize too that I forgot to link the article that had Randy's interview transcript- http://missingpiecesshow.homestead.com/missingpiecesepisode64archive.html . it's an interesting read but it's kind of long.
 
MatthewTyler said:
That's true about the construction site, they never really explain to what extent the construction was consisting of. If not an accident involving a gaping hole then maybe it would be a place to commit a crime undetected (like murdering someone). But I agree with you that whatever happened likely happened outside the bar, due to the cadaver dogs not picking up a scent. Because of the lack of scent, I also suspect Brian may have possibly gotten into a car, which would obviously make his scent trail go cold. If he did in fact exit through the emergency exit or construction zone and entered the car this could also be why an extra person wasn't accounted for on the video tape. Whoever Brian met may have never gone inside but instead waited for him in the car. This could also be why Brian didn't make a scene, seeing as he could have believed he was getting in the car of someone he knew/trusted. Depending on where this car was waiting, that could also explain why Brian wasn't seen anywhere on camera in the pedestrian mall- going straight from the construction exit into the car. A 6 ft 2 athletic guy would be pretty tough to kidnap forcefully, even with alcohol in him, so luring him in the car would be the best bet.

In terms of the suggestion of runaway, you sort of answered that for me. The high stress and the death of his mother would be good cause for him to want to drop out of life. Again, if you look at his Facebook pictures he speaks very well of his mother who he obviously loved a lot. His father, he says nice things but definitely didn't seem as close to him. Maybe he felt that his mother's death was a chance to split. Plus what you said also about Alexis mentioning that she should move on and find someone else. That was only a couple of weeks before he vanished. She also mentioned somewhere that he had made a joke about the two of them just running away together and starting a new life.

I realize too that I forgot to link the article that had Randy's interview transcript- http://missingpiecesshow.homestead.com/missingpiecesepisode64archive.html . it's an interesting read but it's kind of long.
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Thanks so much. I still have some unanswered questions. I read in one article that Clint said they had about one shot at each bar. If that's true, that's not THAT many shots for a guy who is 6'2"--especially over a few hours of time and especially if (?) he was eating as well. When I see the footage of him leaning backward against the moving escalator rail, it doesn't suggest to me he was tipsy. I see young kids try to do that sometimes, completely sober of course, and they falter a little. He looked like he had his balance under control.

I guess what I might do is go back to the original articles and the first thread here (which I haven't read much of) and try to reconstruct the timeline given everything that's been discovered since then. Please feel free to help. I know we're strangers, and strangers to him, but it never hurts to have fresh eyes on things...and, at the very least, it puts some goodwill out there that people continue to care and notice his absence.
 
I felt that way as well with the alcohol consumption. There is this video from MSNBC-- http://www.nbcnews.com/video/dateline/12679376#12679376 around the 2:35 mark Clint says that he and Brian had 3-5 shots at one place. If they did that at each of these places that could be potentially harmful, but if it was 3 shots in a span of a longer time then that's different. I also lean on escalators when I go up them sometimes completely sober, so I never thought that him leaning indicated intoxication. Some people suggest that Brian might have died from alcohol poisoning and it was covered up by the bar, but I just don't see that being likely. Around the 3:30 mark of that video it shows the security tape of Brian at 1:55 am and he seemed pretty stable. There's obviously no way to tell how drunk he was but he was standing upright so he couldn't be too belligerent. 1:55- 2:09 am is too short of a time to go from fine to overdose.
 
The more I talk about this the less sure I get about anything lol. I think the 2 of us can solve it eventually! Or at least come up with a theory :p
 
How often did he frequent this particular bar, does anyone know? I wonder if he met a girl there and wanted to run away with her and since she worked there, possibly, they snuck out a different way? Maybe even one of the two girls on the camera footage. And that could be why his girlfriend could not come. Maybe he had depression from his mom passing and wanted to escape his life as it was. I know people who get depressed and want to mask their pain with: new women/men, drinking, gambling, leaving jobs, school, etc. to escape their lives - thinking they will be better off. Maybe the theory of him being on some random island somewhere is a possibility? Just thinking out loud.

If it was a murder, how could that have happened and no camera footage to be found. Maybe the bar owner new something and erased footage?
 
HelpingHeart said:
How often did he frequent this particular bar, does anyone know? I wonder if he met a girl there and wanted to run away with her and since she worked there, possibly, they snuck out a different way? Maybe even one of the two girls on the camera footage. And that could be why his girlfriend could not come. Maybe he had depression from his mom passing and wanted to escape his life as it was. I know people who get depressed and want to mask their pain with: new women/men, drinking, gambling, leaving jobs, school, etc. to escape their lives - thinking they will be better off. Maybe the theory of him being on some random island somewhere is a possibility? Just thinking out loud.

If it was a murder, how could that have happened and no camera footage to be found. Maybe the bar owner new something and erased footage?
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It has been suggested that the bar owner or a construction supervisor, who didn't want to deal with liability, could have covered it up. But...it still seems like police dogs would've caught onto something in that case.
 
@HelpingHeart, according to Clint they were regulars at the bars on that strip, not just Ugly Tuna Saloona I guess. The idea about running away with a girl there is interesting, yet personally I don't find it very plausible- she would have likely been reported missing as well. All the staff was questioned and it was never brought up about any girl that worked there disappearing. As for the two girls on the tape, both were questioned by police but couldn't provide any useful information. The security tape was CCTV I think, and it maybe was owned by the plaza? I don't know if the bar owner would have access to security tapes. As for living on a tropical island, Brian had no records of buying plane tickets to anywhere except Florida so I don't know about that. Unless he left for Florida that Saturday without Alexis (he already had the ticket), laid low there for a bit and headed to an island from Florida after awhile. His Facebook shows that he's been to Puerto Rico and loved it, so maybe he went back there? If he were to go somewhere else, it might be somewhere he'd be familiar with
 
Matthew- That makes sense about the women. I still wonder if he wanted to disappear because of depression/overwhelmed.

I actually meant to add that about Florida. I was thinking maybe he got to FL and then maybe took a boat to some island at some point. I did not even know he had a plane ticket already as I did not remember reading that part. Very possible. Cases like this really confuse me. People cannot just vanish! Or can they??
 
Anything is possible. Like I said, I don't really know if he's alive, my cynicism makes me say no, but it sure would be cool if he were. It's definitely a head scratcher
 
I've also considered alcohol poisoning as a possibility. I wonder if they were drinking absinthe or something stronger than regular booze. Also wondered about any drugs being involved. And, could he have gotten together with a prostitute for one last fling, overdone the alcohol mixed with recreational drugs and overdosed. Maybe Clint knew about, possibly even set it up.

And I can't completely discount the running off theory either, from the type of comments he made, it sounds as though he yearned for a sort of freedom he'd never had before. I get that maybe because I'm like that and have always had those sort of thoughts and yearnings but never acted on them. Since he had lost the one he was closest to, his mom, maybe that was the catalyst for him to act on his feelings.
 
Wikipedia states that Alexis, along with families and friends, believed Brian would probably be proposing marriage to her later that year. Most likely on the trip to Miami. Very interesting he disappeared right before that trip. And, that Clint and others believed he was alive somewhere. I have to believe there's a reason for this. I'm leaning more now towards voluntarily disappearing, too escape from expectations and pressures. Maybe he was the type of guy who spent his life being a pleaser while setting his own needs and desires aside. After death of mom, it freed him up.

ETA: Also, he separated from his companions, versus them separating from him. As though intentional, then didn't answer their phone calls. I know this is coming from Wikipedia, but it falls in line with other reports as well.
 
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