OH OH - Brian Shaffer, 27, Columbus, 1 Apr 2006 #5

[MerryB]

I don’t want to spend too much time on this because many have their minds made up regarding Brian’s fate and it’s perhaps an exercise in futility, but I want to clarify a few things in response to the suggestion that I (and others) are suspending facts in favor of wishful thinking.

I have always said I don’t know what happened to Brian. I’m open to all possibilities. I think we have to be if we ever want answers. I try to look at what the evidence (or lack thereof) tells us, while keeping an open mind.

Until recently, I’ve leaned towards the theory that Brian took an alternate exit and something either happened on his way home or the next day. After seeing the new angle of CCTV footage however, I do not think we should be so quick to dismiss it and state with certainty that it’s not what many think it looks like.

Alone, this may not be too compelling. But I encourage you to look at that with these other facts in mind:

*Brian was talking with the girls at 1:55 AM (if you watch the footage, the girls are really talking with each other & he’s lingering close by). They are standing right by the door to the hallway where the stairwell and service elevator are. We know there were multiple exits once on the first floor, not all with cameras.

*Brightan & Amber are seen leaving at 1:59 AM. At 2:00 Clint & Meredith are seen on the escalator. This only gives Brian a minute or two to leave the area and not be seen by his friends as they were leaving.

*Brian’s phone went straight to voicemail at 2:01 AM when Meredith called from the street.

*Brian’s phone was on and pinging at 2:12 AM when Clint texted him.

*Dogs picked up Brian’s scent in the back of Wendy’s parking lot which sat behind the building. Police surmised he may have urinated in the bushes where dogs picked up his scent.

*Brian’s phone continued to ping in the campus area and then in Hilliard near the end of the month.

*The owner of the purse in question had ties to both locations.

If you’re still with me and open to considering this as a possibility, also factor in these facts:

*Brian asked Alexis to run away with him, then shortly before his disappearance told her she should find someone else because he was having a hard time dealing with his mother’s death.

*Brian did not turn in the check for spring tuition before the deadline. He had it in his possession in plenty of time to do so.

*His mother passed away 3 weeks before his disappearance and he was extremely close to her.

*Brian had a tumultuous relationship with his father.

*Brian attempted to gather many high school and med school friends that evening, including his brother. This was unusual.

*There have been unverified sightings of Brian through the years. While I do not put too much stock in these, we can’t completely discount them seeing as there's never been a body nor signs of a crime discovered. There is a very compelling photo of a lookalike that has been circulated amongst those close to the case.

IMO all of this is hard to ignore.

I should add this does not necessarily mean Brian is off on a beach playing Jimmy Buffet covers somewhere. Many of us who feel he may have intentionally slipped out of the bar and perhaps misdirected the search do not necessarily think he’s alive and well.

Something I hope you will consider.

 

[MysteryMaven]

I an open to all possibilities!
Merry I know you are very well versed in this case and I have a question about Brightan, maybe you have some insight.
I came across an interview with Brightan where she said LE advised her not to discuss what she, Amber and Brian talked about at the bar. I have also read that she said she couldn’t remember. I am not sure what is accurate here. I know ppl on here want sources for everything but I have read and listened to so much about Brian that I can’t remember where that came from. Just wondering if you knew anything about her statement about what they were chatting about. Also have we ever heard from Amber?

 

[MerryB]

I an open to all possibilities!
Merry I know you are very well versed in this case and I have a question about Brightan, maybe you have some insight.
I came across an interview with Brightan where she said LE advised her not to discuss what she, Amber and Brian talked about at the bar. I have also read that she said she couldn’t remember. I am not sure what is accurate here. I know ppl on here want sources for everything but I have read and listened to so much about Brian that I can’t remember where that came from. Just wondering if you knew anything about her statement about what they were chatting about. Also have we ever heard from Amber?

Thank you @MysteryMaven. I appreciate you keeping an open mind.
Brightan did an interview with Kelly on the Dead or Alive podcast and stated that she didn’t remember a lot of specifics about the night because she and Amber had been drinking.
She did clarify that the flirty behavior and conversation where she put her number in his phone took place inside the bar, in the presence of others.
In the footage we see of them outside the bar, she stated that Brian had offered to walk them to their car in the parking garage, but then changed his mind for some reason and they left him at the top of the escalator where he’s last seen. She said she did not look back as they left to be able to say if he stood there or went in a particular direction.
There is footage of the girls going down the escalator. Clint & Meredith followed about a minute later.
When asked, Brightan told Kelly that they had talked about how sad Brian was about his mother’s death and how stressed he was about the MCATs. This might be the conversation you are referring to that she has been less forthcoming about. Whether it’s because she does not remember or has been advised not to discuss it, I don’t know. I’ll leave it up to you to decide if that’s something two people who have just met and are together in a bar with other friends for less than 45 minutes might discuss.
As for Amber, she has spoken to Kelly but has offered very little pertinent information. She was Clint’s TA at the time and she, Clint, and Brian all studied microbiology in undergrad at OSU.

 

[MysteryMaven]

Thank you @MysteryMaven. I appreciate you keeping an open mind.
Brightan did an interview with Kelly on the Dead or Alive podcast and stated that she didn’t remember a lot of specifics about the night because she and Amber had been drinking.
She did clarify that the flirty behavior and conversation where she put her number in his phone took place inside the bar, in the presence of others.
In the footage we see of them outside the bar, she stated that Brian had offered to walk them to their car in the parking garage, but then changed his mind for some reason and they left him at the top of the escalator where he’s last seen. She said she did not look back as they left to be able to say if he stood there or went in a particular direction.
There is footage of the girls going down the escalator. Clint & Meredith followed about a minute later.
When asked, Brightan told Kelly that they had talked about how sad Brian was about his mother’s death and how stressed he was about the MCATs. This might be the conversation you are referring to that she has been less forthcoming about. Whether it’s because she does not remember or has been advised not to discuss it, I don’t know. I’ll leave it up to you to decide if that’s something two people who have just met and are together in a bar with other friends for less than 45 minutes might discuss.
As for Amber, she has spoken to Kelly but has offered very little pertinent information. She was Clint’s TA at the time and she, Clint, and Brian all studied microbiology in undergrad at OSU.

Thanks for this information!
I am gonna mull all of it over!
I am open minded and open to all theories. I am not here to promote one or the other. I think an argument can be made for walk away, foul play or accident. Maybe someday we will know!

 

[george14]

I hate to say this, but I have also reconsidered the possible involvement of Brian’s father and brother. I find it extremely odd that his brother fired the investigator and seemingly does not take any more calls about the case. If it were my brother I would never stop looking. Granted, maybe he has been harassed enough.

It has also been troubling to hear about the relationship Brian had with his father. Apparently it was rocky and they had a big disagreement about the life insurance money.

Not throwing around accusations and I’m sure they have been “cleared” but looking back, I do wonder how closely they were looked at.

 

[Kaie]

I hate to say this, but I have also reconsidered the possible involvement of Brian’s father and brother. I find it extremely odd that his brother fired the investigator and seemingly does not take any more calls about the case. If it were my brother I would never stop looking. Granted, maybe he has been harassed enough.

It has also been troubling to hear about the relationship Brian had with his father. Apparently it was rocky and they had a big disagreement about the life insurance money.

Not throwing around accusations and I’m sure they have been “cleared” but looking back, I do wonder how closely they were looked at.

Brian's father was one of the people who gladly took a polygraph.

I got the feeling that ending the working relationship with the private investigator could have been a compatibility issue. I believe Brian's brother very much wants answers as to what happened to Brian, but he just wants the investigation to be in the hands of police.

I agree that he probably has been harassed enough. He also went through a lot of loss in a short amount of time back then.

 

[justinkjones1993]

Don't get me wrong, I am open to all possibilities as well, everyone should be. This is about solving Brian's case and bringing closure to his living relatives. But once you closely examine some of these theories, they fall apart pretty hard for various reasons.

For example, lots of people suggested for years that Brian was still inside the bar, possibly entombed in the walls because he was buried in concrete from the construction workers. As someone who did concrete for the better part of 12 Years, I Can essentially guarantee you that didn't happen, because as I have stated in this forum, before you pour concrete you don't just start dumping material in a hole, you have to take exact measurements, you have to check the hole for debris, and there is absolutely no way in hell those people would overlook a 6ft2 body lying there. It just wouldn't happen and I can't logically get my head around any situation where that would make sense.

The other theory that I'm seeing more recently is that Brian took off to start a new life. The problem with this is the circumstances of that night.

When someone is going to take off and start over completely, you're going to see some evidence of planning. I know some of you are probably familiar with the Maura Murray disappearance, and in that case I can somewhat believe the theory that she voluntarily disappeared. She packed a bunch of belongings, she was calling about cabin reservations in another state, she was withdrawing money from an ATM, she was driving towards some destination, so on and so forth. These are signs but she clearly had some sort of plan. Now whether or not she actually ended up where she was going, I don't know. And I also don't think she voluntarily disappeared for other reasons I won't get into.

If we look into Brian's case we can look for those same signs and they simply aren't there. He isn't packing his belongings, he isn't withdrawing large sums of money, he isn't calling hotels or anyone that he normally doesn't speak to, he isn't doing anything that he wouldn't normally do. He is in a crowded bar at 2 AM and he is intoxicated. The big mystery in this case starts right after 2 when we see the other people leave the bar, but not Brian.

I think he got out of the bar, he was trying to get home, and something happened. What that was, I don't know. But there's a strong possibility he died that morning and I think if it were not for all the red herrings in this case like the CCTV footage that we have spent way too much time dissecting, everything about this case would scream foul play or accidental drowning.

 

[MerryB]

Don't get me wrong, I am open to all possibilities as well, everyone should be. This is about solving Brian's case and bringing closure to his living relatives. But once you closely examine some of these theories, they fall apart pretty hard for various reasons.

For example, lots of people suggested for years that Brian was still inside the bar, possibly entombed in the walls because he was buried in concrete from the construction workers. As someone who did concrete for the better part of 12 Years, I Can essentially guarantee you that didn't happen, because as I have stated in this forum, before you pour concrete you don't just start dumping material in a hole, you have to take exact measurements, you have to check the hole for debris, and there is absolutely no way in hell those people would overlook a 6ft2 body lying there. It just wouldn't happen and I can't logically get my head around any situation where that would make sense.

The other theory that I'm seeing more recently is that Brian took off to start a new life. The problem with this is the circumstances of that night.

When someone is going to take off and start over completely, you're going to see some evidence of planning. I know some of you are probably familiar with the Maura Murray disappearance, and in that case I can somewhat believe the theory that she voluntarily disappeared. She packed a bunch of belongings, she was calling about cabin reservations in another state, she was withdrawing money from an ATM, she was driving towards some destination, so on and so forth. These are signs but she clearly had some sort of plan. Now whether or not she actually ended up where she was going, I don't know. And I also don't think she voluntarily disappeared for other reasons I won't get into.

If we look into Brian's case we can look for those same signs and they simply aren't there. He isn't packing his belongings, he isn't withdrawing large sums of money, he isn't calling hotels or anyone that he normally doesn't speak to, he isn't doing anything that he wouldn't normally do. He is in a crowded bar at 2 AM and he is intoxicated. The big mystery in this case starts right after 2 when we see the other people leave the bar, but not Brian.

I think he got out of the bar, he was trying to get home, and something happened. What that was, I don't know. But there's a strong possibility he died that morning and I think if it were not for all the red herrings in this case like the CCTV footage that we have spent way too much time dissecting, everything about this case would scream foul play or accidental drowning.

I agree with you about a lot, but would like to point out that it’s also an assumption he took off that night. His apartment was a very short walking distance from the bar, and Pearl Alley would have provided him a way home that would not have had security cameras and people around like High St. did. I believe he easily could have left after a good night’s sleep. No one was there to know.

And while there’s nothing he did to “plan” that we are aware of, he did not pay his upcoming tuition, he did not use the money his mother gave him to buy Alexis an engagement ring, he happened to disappear while Alexis was out of town, and he attempted to see many of his friends from high school and college as well as his dad and brother that night.

I’d also like to mention that he was very familiar with Puerto Rico and had been there several times as part of his studies.

Just a few things to consider.

 

[george14]

And while there’s nothing he did to “plan” that we are aware of, he did not pay his upcoming tuition, he did not use the money his mother gave him to buy Alexis an engagement ring, he happened to disappear while Alexis was out of town, and he attempted to see many of his friends from high school and college as well as his dad and brother that night.

I don’t think the engagement ring is relevant. It’s obvious Brian was not as invested in his girl as people would like to believe. Also, they were together for less than a year (I could be mistaken)? I don’t think this means anything really. He was flirting with women and from the sounds of it, he wasn't exactly “faithful.”

The tuition part is interesting. Could that have been a mistake or laziness? Maybe he neglected it and simply forgot. Maybe he just didn’t want to return?

The gathering of friends also seems benign to me. He wanted to celebrate and what better way to do that than with your friends?

I agree these are things to consider. My personal opinion is Brian vanishing is a 1 in a million shot. Just seems like an implausible scenario at this point.

 

[MerryB]

I don’t think the engagement ring is relevant. It’s obvious Brian was not as invested in his girl as people would like to believe. Also, they were together for less than a year (I could be mistaken)? I don’t think this means anything really. He was flirting with women and from the sounds of it, he wasn't exactly “faithful.”

The tuition part is interesting. Could that have been a mistake or laziness? Maybe he neglected it and simply forgot. Maybe he just didn’t want to return?

The gathering of friends also seems benign to me. He wanted to celebrate and what better way to do that than with your friends?

I agree these are things to consider. My personal opinion is Brian vanishing is a 1 in a million shot. Just seems like an implausible scenario at this point.

IMO the ring is relevant because he had money.

 

[neesaki]

IMO the ring is relevant because he had money.

And it seems obvious to me that he wasn’t ready for a long term commitment. Otherwise he wouldn’t have told Alexis she should move on, etc. He was trying to let her down easy? I also think he may have been regretting the planned trip to, was it Miami? If he was as flirtatious as it seems he was, maybe he would have preferred to go as a free and single man. Jmo

 

[justinkjones1993]

Here's where I am on this case.

Things that are frequently discussed but I think are unimportant:
Construction at the UTS.
Clint Florence hiring a lawyer.
Brian not being faithful or committed to Alexis.
Brian idolizing Jimmy Buffett and making offhand comments about wanting to escape to a beach and play music.
Brian talking to the band.
The CCTV footage.

Things that I think are extremely important to the case and could potentially solve it:
Brian's cellphone activity after 4/1/06.
The fact that Brian was drunk.
Water sources near the UTS or in the general Columbus, OH area.
The possibility of Brian being involved with drugs or drug dealers.
Someone coming forward with information or confessions.

(my opinion only)

 

[MysteryMaven]

Here's where I am on this case.

Things that are frequently discussed but I think are unimportant:
Construction at the UTS.
Clint Florence hiring a lawyer.
Brian not being faithful or committed to Alexis.
Brian idolizing Jimmy Buffett and making offhand comments about wanting to escape to a beach and play music.
Brian talking to the band.
The CCTV footage.

Things that I think are extremely important to the case and could potentially solve it:
Brian's cellphone activity after 4/1/06.
The fact that Brian was drunk.
Water sources near the UTS or in the general Columbus, OH area.
The possibility of Brian being involved with drugs or drug dealers.
Someone coming forward with information or confessions.

(my opinion only)

I agree with all of this. Especially the first paragraph.
I was set for a while on Brian winding up in the Oletangy or Scioto. However the phone pings throw me off because it would be likely his phone would have been on him if he accidentally fell into the water and would have been destroyed by the water and unable to ping.
What is bothering me is that the phone would need to be powered on to ping (per Brightan who worked in the cel phone industry).
Brian’s phone pinged more than once after he was last seen. Once could be a glitch but several times apparently not.
Phones could ping off towers within 20 miles at that time (per Det. Hurst.) If the closest tower was “busy” the phone would go to the next tower. If I remember correctly Brian’s pings were within that 20 mile radius from the Toona. Which put Brian and/or his phone possibly still around the area he was last seen in.
He could have dropped or ditched his phone after leaving the bar. But it would have died after a day or 2 without being charged.
The pings are telling a story but what that is I don’t know.

 

[Ozoner]

What is bothering me is that the phone would need to be powered on to ping (per Brightan who worked in the cel phone industry).

Snipped.

Working in the cell phone industry hardly makes Brightan an expert on phone pings. She is not a technical expert of any kind, nor was she ever one.

Your statement about the phone's needing to be powered on in order to ping may be correct—or it may not be—but Brightan is not a reliable source for that information.

 

[MysteryMaven]

Snipped.

Working in the cell phone industry hardly makes Brightan an expert on phone pings. She is not a technical expert of any kind, nor was she ever one.

Your statement about the phone's needing to be powered on in order to ping may be correct—or it may not be—but Brightan is not a reliable source for that information.

BZ stated she worked in cel tech support for something like 7 years.
It is just your opinion that she is not qualified to explain pings circa 2006. If you could find out more about ping mechanics from 2006 and also BZ’s job at the time it might help substantiate your opinion.

 

[Ozoner]

BZ stated she worked in cel tech support for something like 7 years.
It is just your opinion that she is not qualified to explain pings circa 2006. If you could find out more about ping mechanics from 2006 and also BZ’s job at the time it might help substantiate your opinion.

I'm not the one who needs to substantiate my opinion; you need to substantiate yours. You are treating someone as an expert when that person has not been deemed an expert by Websleuths.

Saying that she "worked in cel tech support" sounds like another way of saying that she was a call center employee at a cell phone company. You haven't provided any meaningful qualifications for her or even a job title.

If your statement about pings is true, then you should be able to support it by citing published information from a credible site (such as an online scholarly journal).

It may be true, but the opinion of a call center employee is hardly proof.

 

[MysteryMaven]

I'm not the one who needs to substantiate my opinion; you need to substantiate yours. You are treating someone as an expert when that person has not been deemed an expert by Websleuths.

Saying that she "worked in cel tech support" sounds like another way of saying that she was a call center employee at a cell phone company. You haven't provided any meaningful qualifications for her or even a job title.

If your statement about pings is true, then you should be able to support it by citing published information from a credible site (such as an online scholarly journal).

It may be true, but the opinion of a call center employee is hardly proof.[/QUOTE/]

I do see your point. However it would be helpful if you were able to back up your opinion instead of making assumptions about BZ’s job duties -and actually it sounds like you are insulting her intelligence as well.
I am asking you to come up with some research on BZ’s job or cel phone ping mechanics from 2006. Apparently you are not able to do that. If you are interested in debating every poster on here and tell them they are wrong go ahead. But you are telling everyone they are wrong without presenting counter information that is anything except your opinion.

 

[Ozoner]

I do see your point. However it would be helpful if you were able to back up your opinion instead of making assumptions about BZ’s job duties -and actually it sounds like you are insulting her intelligence as well.
I am asking you to come up with some research on BZ’s job or cel phone ping mechanics from 2006. Apparently you are not able to do that. If you are interested in debating every poster on here and tell them they are wrong go ahead. But you are telling everyone they are wrong without presenting counter information that is anything except your opinion.

I'm not the one presenting Brightan as an expert. The burden of proof is yours.

 

[Ray_of_hope]

I'm not so sure that BS was concerned about hiding his phone to confuse loved ones. Why go to all that bother? Just leave it on the street for someone to steal or shut it off and toss it in the garbage if you're afraid someone will turn it in. Why all of the subterfuge? BS wouldn't have known that the girls would discover it and possibly turn it in right away which would let people know he was missing a lot sooner. And the friends that called him while leaving the bar would have alerted the girls to a ringing phone in the purse. I don't think that's how it happened. I really feel that he was harmed in the bar or on his way home. If he had been injured in a scuffle, he could easily have drowned in shallow water. Somewhere it was written that bodies are found in that area of water. How would they know how many were not found if some were never found? I'm sure there are a lot of missing persons in any area. Just my opinion.

 

[Stella]

I watched the Nightmare version on YT and what I saw was Brian with his hand stuck in his pocket and after looking over at the security guards briefly to see if they were watching, he takes his hand out of his pocket and puts something in the girl's open purse as she turns around to leave. It doesn't look like a phone to me and I had the exact same phone myself back then. It looks like something square and dark brown. Maybe he slipped her a little snack size plastic bag of weed she had scored earlier from him or Clint?