OH OH - Brian Shaffer, 27, Columbus, 1 April 2006 - #3

[embufum]

I have yet to see any proof that there were two off-duty police officers facing the construction site entrance on the night Brian disappeared. If off-duty cops were present in the bar, they were probably spending their time doing what off duty cops in bars usually do, i.e. hitting on the female patrons.

I also haven't seen proof that the doors were chained that night; someone could have forgotten to chain them altogether, or they could have inadvertently been chained more loosely than usual. The cops should not have assumed that they were in the same state on the night Brian disappeared as they were when checked several days later.

The two "people" at the top of the stairs by the escalator are Columbus police officers. They are hired as security and too keep the patrons to not go into areas that are closed and or off limits.

 

[Ozoner]

The two "people" at the top of the stairs by the escalator are Columbus police officers. They are hired as security and too keep the patrons to not go into areas that are closed and or off limits.

Do we know where the construction site entrance was with respect to the top of the escalator? If not, then we don't know whether the cops would have had visual contact with Brian if Brian slipped into the construction site.

 

[embufum]

bit.ly/2uGby2F

Thank me later lol

 

[embufum]

More, so I am assuming here that the exit door at the top of the escalator leads to the emergency exit door to the outside right of the entrance doors. When I was there I do remember an alarm warning on the exit door. If not I would have gone it lol

 

[embufum]

If this is correct then now we finally see how far Brian would have had to walk to get outside.

 

[XPh]

Three doors in that that little alcove (not counting the one that would have been locked off as the entrance to the construction site). Where do they lead to? Were all 3 in existence in 2006? The one marked with an exit sign necessarily must be a stairwell, since this is the 2nd floor. Would the stairwell also lead up (as in, to the roof)? I know I keep bringing up the roof theory, but I just have a really strong hunch about it.

If you watch the video of Brian when he walks out of view of the camera, it looks like it's equally possible that he headed toward the alcove rather than back toward the bar.

 

[embufum]

Three doors in that that little alcove (not counting the one that would have been locked off as the entrance to the construction site). Where do they lead to? Were all 3 in existence in 2006? The one marked with an exit sign necessarily must be a stairwell, since this is the 2nd floor. Would the stairwell also lead up (as in, to the roof)? I know I keep bringing up the roof theory, but I just have a really strong hunch about it.

If you watch the video of Brian when he walks out of view of the camera, it looks like it's equally possible that he headed toward the alcove rather than back toward the bar.

Maybe but like I said it has an alarm sign on it.

 

[embufum]

Could it be?

 

[Ozoner]

Maybe but like I said it has an alarm sign on it.

We don't know whether it had an alarm sign in 2006, though.

The pictures are helpful, but I'd really like to see some pictures from March or April 2006.

 

[travelbug]

If you watch the video of Brian when he walks out of view of the camera, it looks like it's equally possible that he headed toward the alcove rather than back toward the bar.

And if the 2 security guards were watching the escalator and Tuna Saloona entrance the alcove doors would be out of their line of vision.

 

[embufum]

We don't know whether it had an alarm sign in 2006, though.

The pictures are helpful, but I'd really like to see some pictures from March or April 2006.

I think we can assume that most emergency exit doors have alarms on them. If we saw pics from 2006 one could argue that maybe the alarm didn't work.

 

[embufum]

And if the 2 security guards were watching the escalator and Tuna Saloona entrance the alcove doors would be out of their line of vision.

The two police officers were watching the people not the escalators and Tuna entrance per say. I doubt they would let anyone take off down the hallway or to any other area they are not supposed to be. Keep in mind all other businesses at that time are closed.

Years ago I worked the door at a bar that was in a mall. The people entered threw doors by a theater and walked about about 100 feet to the bar entrance on the left side of a long wall. When people exited they turned right to leave. Left went straight into the mall that was closed. I can't count how many times drunks tried to enter the mall either by mistake or just because they were drunk and curious.

I can tell you that they never made it passed me. Why? Because it was part of my job and I got paid fairly decent. I'll bet these 2 police officers are getting paid way more than I ever was and take their job as a police officer seriously. Unlike me they also have the power to arrest. This in it self changes the attitude of most people even while drunk I've witnessed it a few times.

We all have owe opinions, personally I don't see Brian being the only one in that bar who just starts randomly trying doors for no reason and if he did I don't see him succeeding.

 

[JaimeSommers]

If you listen to Comeback an investigative series on iTunes and Podbean on the disappearance of Brian Shaffer you will get to hear from Brightan and Amber as well as Lori Davis, Don Corbett, Sergeant John Hurst, Kevin Miles, and Tim Shaffer Brian’s uncle. We have also reached out to Alexis, Derek, Meredith, Clint, and Shelly. I have spoke to Maurin Derek’s wife and she said they will answer questions for me. Episode One is already out. Episode 2 Details From Sergeant Hurst will be out later this week. I am one of the hosts and started following Brian’s disappearance from day one because I grew up just south of Columbus. My co-host and I have spent many hours reading these boards over the years and we are going to answer a lot of your questions as well as take away a couple of theories. We have a group discussion page on Facebook to discuss what you hear and to follow along with out investigation.

Enjoyed the first episode a lot! Looking forward to the rest of the series. Great job.

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk

 

[j_in_c]

Three doors in that that little alcove (not counting the one that would have been locked off as the entrance to the construction site). Where do they lead to? Were all 3 in existence in 2006? The one marked with an exit sign necessarily must be a stairwell, since this is the 2nd floor. Would the stairwell also lead up (as in, to the roof)? I know I keep bringing up the roof theory, but I just have a really strong hunch about it.

If you watch the video of Brian when he walks out of view of the camera, it looks like it's equally possible that he headed toward the alcove rather than back toward the bar.

Does anyone else recall seeing video from that time? It may have been in a dateline (or that type of show) about Brian. I recall that the construction entrance at that time was not glass - but two large metal doors that were chained with some sort of lock (and some give) and then the emergency exit that would go to the street. Unfortunately, since I may be recalling it from a TV show, I could be picturing a recreation of this, but I believe this was confirmed by other people who went to that bar in that timeframe.
It was definitely feasible that he went towards the alcove and missed being on camera- but as you can see, it is not very hidden, so unless you could get through those chained doors quickly, it does seem likely that you would be seen trying to get thru them. He could have been scoping this out while chatting with the two women outside the bar. If the podcast is interviewing them, it would be great to hear their recollection of what that alcove area was like when he disappeared.
I also am curious why others think the balcony "escape" is less likely - would there be too many people and cameras where he would have landed to make this a possibility?

 

[j_in_c]

I think we can assume that most emergency exit doors have alarms on them. If we saw pics from 2006 one could argue that maybe the alarm didn't work.

It certainly could have been disabled due to construction - but I though that this staircase led to the street entrance which would have triggered the camera (and that LE confirmed that camera was working)?? Is there more than one emergency exit?

 

[ohhieliz]

Could it be?

I'm not following the train of thought here, is one of these a new picture from something different and we're comparing it to Brian?

 

[Satch]

I'm not following the train of thought here, is one of these a new picture from something different and we're comparing it to Brian?

What is that picture from?

Satch

 

[itsrak]

I also am curious why others think the balcony "escape" is less likely - would there be too many people and cameras where he would have landed to make this a possibility?

Balcony escape is doable, but 1) as you note, he'd have been seen doing it and 2) as you note, he'd have appeared on surveillance cams and more significantly 3) he never made another peep or was ever seen again after 2am or so, suggesting that not only may he NOT have left the building, he may have died there shortly after 2am or so. It seems to me that Brian's departure from the building was likely linked to his death, and his attempted departure was through the construction site, and he died there in a mishap, and his remains are still there... In other words, the argument against the balcony 'escape' is an argument against any 'escape', because had he 'escaped' his life would have gone on with the attendant clues - cell phone use, atm use, apt use, car use, etc etc. IMO, Brian was very likely dead within minutes of his final appearance on the cam just outside the entrance to the Saloona.

I think this presumed linkage of Brian's (attempted) departure from building and his seeming disappearance from the face of the Earth at that the very same point in time is the key to the case, a key that was perhaps too easily dismissed circa the first week of April, 2006.

 

[ohhieliz]

That's what I'm wondering too, I tried to reverse image search it but it didn't let me directly link websleuths photos to google to search like that.

 

[Satch]

It seems to me that Brian's departure from the building was likely linked to his death, and his attempted departure was through the construction site, and he died there in a mishap, and his remains are still there..

I am leaning more and more toward this and less and less toward foul play, Also, Brian's severely drunken state lead to curiosity and perhaps to go exploring. He saw that construction site and was curious about it with the liquor affecting his judgment and thinking. He walked, stumbled, and fell into danger that killed him, or injured him so badly that he couldn't escape and died. People think that they can do things when drunk that they would never dream of doing when sober.

Satch