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

[MatthewTyler]

My thinking is along the same lines. I mean if what Clint says is true and he really did go and speak to the band then how could they have no knowledge of him whatsoever? It's not like the band members are going to be staggering drunk after playing a gig and unable to remember something so close to the end of the night. Even if he chatted to them for less than 5 minutes it was so close to closing time you'd definitely remember the guys face at least. Of course he could have said he was going over to chat to them but then got distracted or diverted by someone/something so never made it across to them and headed out of the service exit or something.

You'd also assume that if he did go chat to them , as he didn't know any of them personally, that it was to ask them something specific about their music or about where they'd be playing next or something. I doubt this band is super famous and has hundreds of groupies and fans approaching them for idle chat and autographs etc all night. I just don't see how they could not remember him.

Well a popular theory is that Brian went with the band afterwards and something happened to him there, or that something happened to him at the bar and his body was taken out in an instrument case. Only problem with this is that Clint should have been able to see if Brian went out with the band or not, since apparently at 2:00 am the band was still there when he was looking for Brian at closing. I personally don't believe the band was involved in any way, but it's still really frustrating that no matter where you look on the internet you CANNOT find the name of the band that was playing that night.

 

[John.121]

Yes, i have looked extensively for any details on the band (you'd assume they would have had a myspace or something at that time) and you can't find anything. I did come across the name of one band though who have a history of playing at that particular Ugly Tuna bar quite regularly but this was around 2011. Whether they'd have played the same place 5 years earlier is doubtful but who knows. Can't find anything older than that. I don't think the band had anything to do with it either though, but yeah it would be nice to be able to clear up that little aspect of this case.

 

[Alleykins]

I don't see why someone just doesn't call the bar and ask. Even though it's been almost 11 years, you may get lucky and find someone who still works there, who was there that night. My mom worked at the same bar, under the same owners and management, for 20 years, so it is possible.
But, you'll never know if you don't call and ask

 

[dotr]

https://melmagazine.com/a-guy-walks-into-a-bar-53c784e7369b#.snijqmdht
rbbm.

Brian and Randy Shaffer | Photo credit: Where is Brian Shaffer?

Ohio brims with tales of young men who go missing, and Brian was just another case number: MP#1709. He was an everyman, any man; average weight, average haircut, regular clothes. Two identifiers distinguished him from the other FBI profiles: in his left iris, a small black speckle no bigger than a centimeter; on his right bicep, a tattoo of the stickman pictured on the CD-case for Pearl Jam’s debut single “Alive.” Brian, a devoted fan, planned to see them in Cincinnati. He never made it.

On May 6, 2010, four years after he went missing, the group performed “Come Back” at Columbus’ Nationwide Arena, two miles from the Ugly Tuna. Eddie Vedder dedicated the track to Brian: “Wherever you are, we’re still thinking about you,” he said. The song’s lyrics — “There must be an open door for you to come back” — paralleled the “runaway” narrative: Brian was out there, somewhere, breathing, living.

 

[Deleted member 155000]

I come back and read every so often, hoping maybe something new will turn up. It seems like we just recycle the same theories--he was set up, he left with the band, he OD'd and someone covered it up, someone wanted him out of the way, he went off by himself due to stress. But while we all have our favorite theories, this many years later, it's difficult to turn up anything new to weight one hypothesis more heavily than another.

It always occurs to me that people who know what happened may even visit this site from time to time. It seems like if you were involved in such a high profile, memorable case, your mind would occasionally return to whatever happened that night...like it or not. If there's some unknown party, Clint, or Brian himself coming on here, I wonder if there's any way to anonymously give police information to help bring closure for Brian's family and friends. In addition to his fiance, brother, and family friends, many strangers and police officers have devoted a lot of time to this. I would hope if there was some sort of accident, or if this was an intentional disappearance, someone might find it in their heart to gift these people with closure and free them up to do other things with their time and energy.

Sure that's wishful thinking, but can't help hoping.

 

[neesaki]

Could be, but the problem is without knowing anything, we can't come up with a motive. I believe that if someone did intentionally kill Brian, then it was personal. His cards/phone were supposedly never used and he didn't carry cash. Whoever hurt Brian probably just wanted him out of the way and didn't care about robbing him. The two girls were questioned, but it was never revealed to the public what they were talking about. They said that neither of them were asked to take Polygraphs

I forget, was it established that he never carried cash? Back then, it's hard to believe people didn't carry cash. So they paid for everything with a credit card? I'm just thinking, this was eleven years ago. Was it then like today? I always tell my son who is early 30's, you should always keep cash on you. You never know when the systems may crash, or your cards could get hacked and you can't use them. Brian was a med. student, it seems he would have known better. But then I'm one of those with somewhat of a survivalist mentality who wouldn't dream of being totally dependent on my credit or debit cards, maybe I'm in the minority? LOL

 

[MatthewTyler]

I forget, was it established that he never carried cash? Back then, it's hard to believe people didn't carry cash. So they paid for everything with a credit card? I'm just thinking, this was eleven years ago. Was it then like today? I always tell my son who is early 30's, you should always keep cash on you. You never know when the systems may crash, or your cards could get hacked and you can't use them. Brian was a med. student, it seems he would have known better. But then I'm one of those with somewhat of a survivalist mentality who wouldn't dream of being totally dependent on my credit or debit cards, maybe I'm in the minority? LOL

Well his dad I believe had said in an interview that he didn't carry much cash at any given time. Plus him and Clint were drinking all night, so he obviously would need a card more than cash, because Clint had said they were opening tabs at each bar. He might have carried some money, but possibly not a significant amount. Can't say for sure. But again, if he was robbed I find it strange that whoever did it wouldn't use his cards for at least one night and then chuck it as to not be traced

 

[Alleykins]

Once debit cards became popular, I stopped carrying cash.
I have a dollar or two here and there, but the bulk of my transactions has been electronic for some time now, long before Brian went missing.

 

[John.121]

One thing i don't see brought up often with regards to Brian is if anything in particular made them go back to the Ugly Tuna after already being there at the start of the night. I mean i know it's not unusual to return to a bar you were in earlier and finish the night there, or maybe the band he wanted to see didn't start playing until later etc, but it would be interesting to know what the atmosphere was when they started the night there. Maybe Brian wanted to leave and go somewhere else because something made him uncomfortable but then he was convinced by Clint to return there later on? If he did want to disappear willingly maybe he went back there because he knew how the cameras worked or something. I dunno, but i'd like to know if there was a particular reason for them returning to that bar specifically towards the end of the evening.

 

[MatthewTyler]

One thing i don't see brought up often with regards to Brian is if anything in particular made them go back to the Ugly Tuna after already being there at the start of the night. I mean i know it's not unusual to return to a bar you were in earlier and finish the night there, or maybe the band he wanted to see didn't start playing until later etc, but it would be interesting to know what the atmosphere was when they started the night there. Maybe Brian wanted to leave and go somewhere else because something made him uncomfortable but then he was convinced by Clint to return there later on? If he did want to disappear willingly maybe he went back there because he knew how the cameras worked or something. I dunno, but i'd like to know if there was a particular reason for them returning to that bar specifically towards the end of the evening.

I'm not sure how bars are in Columbus, but around where I am (suburban area) bars don't really get lively until at least 11 or midnight. Clint and Brian were there first around 9:30, so I imagine it was pretty tame. They probably just had their drinks and quickly went elsewhere on a bar crawl. By the time they were already fairly drunk and it was later, Ugly Tuna would definitely seem more lively. I get the feeling that despite there being many bars in the area, THAT was the one that all the younger crowd flocked to. Or perhaps it was Meredith that suggested they return there, since they met up with her at a different location. She probably hadn't been there yet that evening and wanted to go.

See this is why I personally don't believe that Clint was directly involved in Brian's disappearance. If he had set something up to happen at the Ugly Tuna, that would have been quite a gamble because nobody could be sure that they would actually end up returning there that night. There could be no guarantee that Clint would be able to convince him to go, so there's some variables in that plan that could have thrown off his plan.

 

[John.121]

I feel like if Clint was involved it would more likely to be in the event that Brian disappeared willingly and he made some sort of pact with him to keep quiet about it after.

That email that Clint's lawyer did saying that the detective believed Brian was still alive is strange as hell to me and i can't believe more hasn't been made of it. Seems like an odd thing for a lawyer to come out and just outright imply. Unless at that time the detective he was referring to just had no reason to believe Brian met with foulplay so the lawyer was assuming the detective believed him to be alive. But still, it sounded like the lawyer was directly implying that the detective had actually told him Brian was alive.

 

[MatthewTyler]

I feel like if Clint was involved it would more likely to be in the event that Brian disappeared willingly and he made some sort of pact with him to keep quiet about it after.

That email that Clint's lawyer did saying that the detective believed Brian was still alive is strange as hell to me and i can't believe more hasn't been made of it. Seems like an odd thing for a lawyer to come out and just outright imply. Unless at that time the detective he was referring to just had no reason to believe Brian met with foulplay so the lawyer was assuming the detective believed him to be alive. But still, it sounded like the lawyer was directly implying that the detective had actually told him Brian was alive.

That could very well be that Clint might have said something to him, but at the same I'm skeptical when it comes to lawyers. His job is to protect Clint and defend his innocence, so naturally he would try to spin it that Brian were alive so LE would leave Clint alone.Of course I can only speak as an outsider looking in and don't actually know what Clint could have told him. I would only hope that if Clint knew Brian was going to disappear that he we would have at least tried to talk him out of it, or if he had his contact info (doubtful) that he would have tried to convince him to come home after seeing the pain his family was in. This is why I find this case more interesting than the Jason Jolkowski case- whereas in that case can pretty much assume Jason is deceased, this one leaves so much more room for all different possibilities- it's beyond frustrating.

 

[John.121]

I wish we knew exactly what the two women he was chatting to at the end said when they were questioned. Simply saying "They were unable to offer any help" is a bit vague considering they were probably the last to see him before he vanished. I mean what was his mood like when he was chatting to them? Did he seem happy? Did he seem agitated? Very drunk? etc. I don't think these two women were involved in his disappearance, but it's odd that for a large piece of that nights puzzle it's just been brushed aside as if it's completely irrelevant.

 

[ekardh]

This is why I find this case more interesting than the Jason Jolkowski case- whereas in that case can pretty much assume Jason is deceased, this one leaves so much more room for all different possibilities- it's beyond frustrating.

Funnily enough, I'm the opposite. While I also believe that Jason Jolkowski is dead, I find the circumstances behind his disappearance extraordinary. Brian, on the other hand, I'm fairly confident is buried somewhere on the old construction site. I don't think there is anything that supports the notion that he left on his own accord to start a new life, etc. There was only one other way out of the bar, and that route would've been hazardous under the influence of alcohol. There could've been foul play but I'm more inclined to believe that he had an accident, his body fell into a blindspot and he was buried over by all the construction work going on.

 

[John.121]

There was only one other way out of the bar, and that route would've been hazardous under the influence of alcohol. There could've been foul play but I'm more inclined to believe that he had an accident, his body fell into a blindspot and he was buried over by all the construction work going on.

Didn't they search the construction part with dogs though? Or is it generally believed that the dogs were unreliable at the time? or they used the wrong type of search dogs, didn't search thoroughly enough etc?

 

[MatthewTyler]

The police did have dogs at the bar and at the construction site and didn't find anything, so I don't know. I just find it strange that construction workers could miss a 6'2 athletically built body, unless they covered it up on purpose. Also, wasn't the construction entrance chained up? I believe that's what they said

 

[John.121]

The police did have dogs at the bar and at the construction site and didn't find anything, so I don't know. I just find it strange that construction workers could miss a 6'2 athletically built body, unless they covered it up on purpose. Also, wasn't the construction entrance chained up? I believe that's what they said

Yeah that's my problem with the theory that he actually left via the construction exit. Even if he'd gone in the construction elevator, how did he get out of the chained doors?

 

[Alleykins]

Is there video footage on line of the guy leaving the bar that investigators thought might be Brian but the family didn't think it was him? I'd like to see it.

 

[neesaki]

Is there video footage on line of the guy leaving the bar that investigators thought might be Brian but the family didn't think it was him? I'd like to see it.

I want to see it too. I wonder why they didn't make it available to the public if for no other reason than to try and ID the guy. I never heard he had been ID'd, only that they didn't think it was Brian.

 

[Alleykins]

I want to see it too. I wonder why they didn't make it available to the public if for no other reason than to try and ID the guy. I never heard he had been ID'd, only that they didn't think it was Brian.

I wonder if it was. I looked right at my brother one time and didn't recognize him because he was wearing a shirt I'd never seen before, so didn't think it was him. It was. LOL.