OH OH - Brian Shaffer, 27, Columbus, 1 April 2006 - #4

[Old Mozez]

Clint got away because CPD couldn’t find “anything” incriminating on him , they couldn’t even force him to answer a few questions.....His lawyer made sure the prosecutor and GJ fully understood this. And off he went...
Almost everyone close to Brian I’ve read about has said Clint knows something...but I’ve seen it depicted as a hunch rather, more than something tangible.

Considered the knowledge in-house here , (the best outside LE) would be nice to get to the bottom with this guy and his role/knowledge in this disappearance , or he’s simply 100% truly innocent with only odd behaviour raising suspicion (or not , depending who you ask) so good job

 

[Looking4Brian]

Well, your question gets to the heart of the issue. *IF* it is actually true that Clint was called before a grand jury, there must be some bit of info pertaining to Clint, unbeknownst to all of us amateur sleuths and the general public. This would presumably be the same secret info/knowledge that prompted Alexis' father and Brian's brother to throw shade on Clint. Not necessarily incriminating info, but info that at least raised a question or two.

So if you are called before a grand jury, and you decline to answer any questions, presumably the GJ then proceeds. Right? And in the case of Clint he was not indicted - right?

So the questions to me would be:
1) Is it true that Clint was called before a GJ?
2) When? 2006?
3) Is it true he declined to answer any questions?
4) Is it correct that he was then not indicted by GJ?
5) What was the knowledge/info that required Clint to appear before GJ? That prompted Mr. Waggoner and Derek Shaffer to throw shade on Clint?

A few of these can be answered by John Hurst himself on Brian Shaffer Dead or Alive the inside track. I ask him the question at 35:00

 

[MerryB]

A few of these can be answered by John Hurst himself on Brian Shaffer Dead or Alive the inside track. I ask him the question at 35:00

I listened to your podcast, and it was super informative. There were several bombshells in Ep. 3 (at least for me), one being the fact that Clint was called before a Grand Jury. This leads me to believe there was some evidence of a crime having been committed, correct? An adult willfully “disappearing” to start a new life is not criminal. Could it have been as simple as Clint lying to police (if we’re going with the scenario that Brian planned his disappearance), or something more nefarious?

 

[Kaie]

I listened to your podcast, and it was super informative. There were several bombshells in Ep. 3 (at least for me), one being the fact that Clint was called before a Grand Jury. This leads me to believe there was some evidence of a crime having been committed, correct? An adult willfully “disappearing” to start a new life is not criminal. Could it have been as simple as Clint lying to police (if we’re going with the scenario that Brian planned his disappearance), or something more nefarious?

Since they seem to believe that Clint knows more than he's saying... maybe what they were gunning for with the Grand Jury was Obstruction of Justice.

 

[itsrak]

If there was a Grand Jury, it seemingly concluded no issues with Clint, as he was never indicted. Right? This is all just talk. This is why smart people, including completely innocent people in wrong place at wrong time (such as out drinking with a guy who suddenly disappears and is presumed dead), shut up and hire lawyers.

 

[_Patches]

Hearing about the grand jury had me speculating that it was more about them attempting to compel Clint to giving them any info he had.

Just because he didn’t talk, they would have still continued with the grand jury correct? And my understanding has always been that getting an indictment from a grand jury is a breeze, so there can’t be a lot there if they were really going after him.

 

[itsrak]

Hearing about the grand jury had me speculating that it was more about them attempting to compel Clint to giving them any info he had.

Just because he didn’t talk, they would have still continued with the grand jury correct? And my understanding has always been that getting an indictment from a grand jury is a breeze, so there can’t be a lot there if they were really going after him.

Yeah, the old saying is you can get a GJ to indict even a ham sandwich. So there couldn't have been much pointing at Clint. Clint was with Meredith till 10am. Anyone who contends that Clint went after Brian after 10am will have a hard time explaining the radio silence out of Brian from 2am to 10am - not witnessed outside Gateway complex, not on cam in neighborhood, not on cam leaving the Gateway complex, zero use of cell phone, hard to believe he wouldn't have texted Alexis, no evidence he made it back to his apt that morn. Whatever went down went down while Clint was with Meredith. IMO. And who really believes Meredith has been co-perp all along?

 

[MerryB]

I agree with you that Clint most likely did not harm Brian, but instead probably knew of his plans and/or destroyed evidence related to Brian’s disappearance. The fact that he was brought before a Grand Jury was quite interesting to me, though, because that indicates there was potential criminal conduct, and Clint was subpoenaed to determine whether criminal charges should be brought. Now, he pled the 5th & the GJ did not find probable cause, but this is still an interesting piece in the puzzle. Think about what this might tell us.

 

[itsrak]

I agree with you that Clint most likely did not harm Brian, but instead probably knew of his plans and/or destroyed evidence related to Brian’s disappearance. The fact that he was brought before a Grand Jury was quite interesting to me, though, because that indicates there was potential criminal conduct, and Clint was subpoenaed to determine whether criminal charges should be brought. Now, he pled the 5th & the GJ did not find probable cause, but this is still an interesting piece in the puzzle. Think about what this might tell us.

Clint's not having been indicted suggests to me there must have been no real evidence of any involvement. Also, I find it very hard to believe a person could be so horribly cruel as to withhold info from family in wake of disappearance of a loved one.

 

[Ozoner]

Clint's not having been indicted suggests to me there must have been no real evidence of any involvement. Also, I find it very hard to believe a person could be so horribly cruel as to withhold info from family in wake of disappearance of a loved one.

Some grand juries are used as investigative tools; there may not have been any intent to indict a particular person. If there was a grand jury, it was likely conducted like a fishing expedition. The questions posed to Clint may not have been germane to Brian's disappearance. Those questions may instead have intruded into Clint's personal life with an eye towards tripping him up or making him a patsy. (Did you and Brian ever use hard drugs together? Did you and Brian ever have a homosexual encounter? Did you ever punch, slap, or shove Brian during an argument? Were you sexually attracted to Brian's fiancee?)

 

[Kaie]

Some grand juries are used as investigative tools; there may not have been any intent to indict a particular person. If there was a grand jury, it was likely conducted like a fishing expedition. The questions posed to Clint may not have been germane to Brian's disappearance. Those questions may instead have intruded into Clint's personal life with an eye towards tripping him up or making him a patsy. (Did you and Brian ever use hard drugs together? Did you and Brian ever have a homosexual encounter? Did you ever punch, slap, or shove Brian during an argument? Were you sexually attracted to Brian's fiancee?)

If the questions were really prickly ones, that put my personal life, and even my personal thoughts, under the microscope... I wouldn't answer them either.

 

[MerryB]

SBM Also, I find it very hard to believe a person could be so horribly cruel as to withhold info from family in wake of disappearance of a loved one.

I agree this would be exceptionally cruel, especially to Brian’s brother Derek following their father’s tragic death. He lost his mother, brother, and father all within a short period of time.

 

[MerryB]

Some grand juries are used as investigative tools; there may not have been any intent to indict a particular person. If there was a grand jury, it was likely conducted like a fishing expedition. The questions posed to Clint may not have been germane to Brian's disappearance. Those questions may instead have intruded into Clint's personal life with an eye towards tripping him up or making him a patsy. (Did you and Brian ever use hard drugs together? Did you and Brian ever have a homosexual encounter? Did you ever punch, slap, or shove Brian during an argument? Were you sexually attracted to Brian's fiancee?)

Speaking of sexual orientation, do we know Clint’s? Meredith is always referred to as a “friend,” rather than girlfriend.

 

[Ozoner]

Speaking of sexual orientation, do we know Clint’s? Meredith is always referred to as a “friend,” rather than girlfriend.

I think Clint has a wife, but for all we know his wife could be a "beard."

 

[Looking4Brian]

Speaking of sexual orientation, do we know Clint’s? Meredith is always referred to as a “friend,” rather than girlfriend.

Clint has a wife that he has been with for quite a while. Meredith is referred to as Clint’s friend, but they definitely had a fling. Other than rumors that is as much as I know about Clint’s sexual orientation.

 

[Falkner77]

If there was a Grand Jury, it seemingly concluded no issues with Clint, as he was never indicted. Right? This is all just talk. This is why smart people, including completely innocent people in wrong place at wrong time (such as out drinking with a guy who suddenly disappears and is presumed dead), shut up and hire lawyers.

Clint supposedly had arguments of some sort with Brian while out and about on St Patrick’s Day (2 weeks prior) and the night of Brian’s disappearance.

Could this have been about infidelity on Brian’s part and spilling the beans to Alexis (he was flirting with and kissing Brightan on the neck 3/31) ?

A potential love triangle (and jealousy) with Meredith? Drugs? Brian’s plans to skip the Miami trip ?

They wouldn’t have called Clint to the GJ if there wasn’t reason to believe he knew something. His lack of help beyond initially answering questions and cryptic statements by his attorney will only raise more deserved suspicion.

 

[Ozoner]

Clint supposedly had arguments of some sort with Brian while out and about on St Patrick’s Day (2 weeks prior) and the night of Brian’s disappearance.

Could this have been about infidelity on Brian’s part and spilling the beans to Alexis (he was flirting with and kissing Brightan on the neck 3/31) ?

A potential love triangle (and jealousy) with Meredith? Drugs? Brian’s plans to skip the Miami trip ?

They wouldn’t have called Clint to the GJ if there wasn’t reason to believe he knew something. His lack of help beyond initially answering questions and cryptic statements by his attorney will only raise more deserved suspicion.

BBM
That's a faulty assumption. They may simply have been trying to determine whether Clint might have know anything about Brian's disappearance. (It's a given that any friend of Brian's would know something or other about Brian's lifestyle and habits.) After all, Clint was one of the last people known to have spent time with Brian.

 

[itsrak]

Clint supposedly had arguments of some sort with Brian while out and about on St Patrick’s Day (2 weeks prior) and the night of Brian’s disappearance.

Could this have been about infidelity on Brian’s part and spilling the beans to Alexis (he was flirting with and kissing Brightan on the neck 3/31) ?

A potential love triangle (and jealousy) with Meredith? Drugs? Brian’s plans to skip the Miami trip ?

They wouldn’t have called Clint to the GJ if there wasn’t reason to believe he knew something. His lack of help beyond initially answering questions and cryptic statements by his attorney will only raise more deserved suspicion.

Easy to get indicted by a GJ. Clint wasn't indicted. Likely cuz he probably had nothing to do with Brian's disappearance, which might explain why there exists not a single shred of evidence that he was involved. Not that I'm aware of, anyway. Forensics searched cars and the home where Clint and Meredith were from 2am to 10am. During that period, radio silence from Brian, as if he was already gone. Failed to call friends about post-party. No contact with Alexis. Seems not to have exited building. Seems not to have passed through surrounding area, per failure to appear on cams. Seems not to have made it back to apt. All suggesting that perhaps he was already dead. Meanwhile, Clint is 100% with Meredith. Tom Waggoner and Derek Shaffer threw shade at Clint, but don't say why.

 

[MerryB]

During a Grand Jury investigation, a prosecutor presents evidence & questions witnesses to make a case for indictment. The GJ then decides whether there is probable cause to bring criminal charges. You’re right, the bar is low. However, considering Clint refused to cooperate & pled the 5th, its hard to know what they might have decided had they been given more info.
I wonder if one question they had for him was whether Brian was drinking. I know Clint had said they were, but Brian does not appear intoxicated in CCTV footage.
I don’t know what happened to Brian, and I’m open to considering all possibilities from accident, to suicide, to foul play, to running away.
One thing I do feel confident about, having now listened to Kelly’s podcast & reading through this thread, is that whatever ultimately happened that night, Brian wanted to evade Clint & Meredith.
At 1:55 he was standing right outside the bar talking to Amber & Brightan. Meanwhile, his friends are supposedly looking for him inside. Brian & the girls step out of frame where, according to Brightan, they kiss and she puts her number in Brian’s phone. He apparently does not invite her to his after-hours party, even though his girlfriend is out of town, but he offers to walk them to their car, which is on the first floor of the nearby parking garage. However, he bails on that idea quickly, perhaps because he knows he may run into Clint & Meredith (who parked on the same level), or because he catches sight of Clint or Meredith approaching the exit. Either way, the girls leave him at 1:58 and he walks in the opposite direction. At 2:00 Clint & Meredith are seen on the escalator leaving, and at 2:01 Meredith calls Brian’s phone, which had just been on for Brightan to put her number in a few minutes earlier, but it goes straight to voicemail. That leaves less than 2 minutes for Brian to duck out somewhere (construction entrance?) to avoid running into his friends & disappear.
Is it a coincidence that both Brian & Clint & Meredith left right at 2:00 if the bar was open until 2:30? He very likely turned off his phone at that time as well. Why did he want to avoid them so badly?
We can surmise he ran into trouble once in the construction area, but investigators seem confident he made it out this way, which leads me to consider they may know something we do not.
I do know that if he did exit out the back from the construction area, he could’ve avoided the route to the parking garage and arrived at the Wendy’s parking lot within mere minutes. At that time, Wendy’s would’ve been closed, and many Gateway patrons used that parking lot after hours in lieu of the garage or on-street parking.

 

[Valiant]

Is it a coincidence that both Brian & Clint & Meredith left right at 2:00 if the bar was open until 2:30? He very likely turned off his phone at that time as well. Why did he want to avoid them so badly?

I don't know that bar's policy, or what the state law was at the time we know the bar's last call is at 2 AM. You can stay in the bar and finish your drink, but I've been in bars where no one from outside is allowed inside if they weren't in at last call (2 AM) even if the bar was open later for people to finish their last drink.