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

[Old Mozez]

Some people think that Brian is still in the construction area. If you look at the facts which are sorely lacking there is absolutely no proof Brian went down into the construction area. .

If I was a sole believer of the accident theory I would have try to obtain the complete Enews! footage from the construction area. They went in and filmed not too long after Brian vanished , bulbs on in complete darkness, and seem to go from the entrance and quite further back. Donno if they went all the way through but even though its been said on podcasts that the area only needed surface modelling (except for Hurst's complete dug up state comment) I got the feeling when seeing part of the clips it was more like a combined bat/mining cave with a suspended wooden walk-way from which you could fall down from.

Maybe he went out the fire exit inside the Tuna. Maybe he went over the railing on the balcony? As far as I know there is no exit from the movie theaters and I'm not sure if they were even open then. What really bugs me is probably things we will never know.

I feel satisfied for "my own needs" at least with the wrap up i wrote on page 1 , I went through the different exit scenarios. What I can add in that case is if Brian possibly just hid behind the construction door and re-surfaced after they left, and then re-entered the bar and exited in some other manner. But I got to make a stand and choose.
I also put what seems to be the likeliest scenario involving their behaviour, and at that point I didn't know why Brian acted the way he did, I still basically don't but the late "party" can explain some. Or he just wanted to go about his business alone without them.

If CPD believe that Brian made it out they have all that further data to process, and they claim they don't have evidence to show he's either dead or alive or if he was a victim of foul-play. They surely though possess some leads that we're not aware of , so releasing that we sleuths could take it to the next level. I mean who is even trying to do anything concrete to find Brian except Kelly?

We put our efforts in but we can only do so much with the info thats been released. Maybe new info comes with the podcast hopefully!
The problem is that even if we take Brian out of the UTS safe and sound, what then? Your latest effort with the N Pearl Street is commendable though. That's having a vision beyond.
I can only say in this regard, and I've seen posts from early days of people asking if pay-phones in the vicinity we're checked. And I agree, they could check for outgoing calls between 2-3 am..Found this site and I've been trying to pinpoint the nearest phones to see if the lay near where Brian could have exited or walked. Some1 could had made an alert, or even Brian could have used one to give a getgo to some1 since is phone was off and never used again. Battery problem after the exit from the construction area?
Haven't been that successfull though yet.
COLUMBUS, Ohio Payphone Locations
Has this been discussed previously...

 

[embufum]

I was going to say that maybe Brian just ducked out of sight when they left, so yeah you may be right. I don't think this is as complicated as some may think it is. I'm sure that CPD is holding back on a lot of stuff but that's their job. Thing is I don't think what ever they are holding back on is something that tells them where Brian is.

As far as his cell phone being turned off, I'm more of the opinion that he either didn't turn it off or he turned it back on at some point. I'd bet money that his phone actually received either a call or text at some point after he left, I'm talking like between 2 and 3 am. I'm also pretty confident that either Clint or Meredith text Brian during the night. The question is did Brian's phone receive any of those texts and when did his phone stop receiving? If CPD knows any of this it might tell them if Brian ever made it out of the building.

 

[dtmoe]

Is Brian's DNA on file? Experts time frame doesn't fit but size does.

Mercer County bones case still unsolved

 

[embufum]

Is Brian's DNA on file? Experts time frame doesn't fit but size does.

Mercer County bones case still unsolved

I believe they have Derek's.

 

[Ozoner]

Just wondering the possibility/probability of dogs missing his scent if an accident rendered him unconscious, but not yet deceased within the construction zone? This theory reminds me of the heartbreaking case of Kendrick Johnson.

As I'm writing this, however, I seem to recall that Brian's scent was traced to a fast food establishment nearby ... am I crossing stories here?

Cadaver dogs would have missed him if he had still been alive. If he had accidentally been buried due to a trench collapse, it would take some time for the molecules that cadaver dogs smell, which are products of decay, to reach the surface. There are many variables. It's possible that cadaver dogs missed his scent because they were used to soon, but I haven't seen any confirmation that the dogs used in the initial searches were actually cadaver dogs. (No dog is perfect; any dog can miss a scent trail.)

 

[Kaie]

This story appeared in my news alerts today, and I thought it might be an interesting read for those who are following the Brian Shaffer case. I am not sharing this to make a comparison between Brian's disappearance and that of the man referred to as "Alistair" in this story. They're very different situations. But the section of this story written under the sub-heading "How hard is it to disappear in 2019?" is worth thinking about. It's written from an Australian perspective, but the points raised are just as relevant.

How do you fake your own death? ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

This story prompted me to read up a little more on "skip tracing" activities performed by private investigators. People attempt to disappear all the time. It does make sense to me that, every now and then, someone is going to really good job of it.

 

[Looking4Brian]

Hey Everyone! Brian Shaffer Dead or Alive Chapter Three: The Inside Track is now available on most listening platforms. It is the first part of my interview with retired Sergeant John Hurst. Can’t wait to hear what everyone thinks!!!

 

[Ozoner]

This story appeared in my news alerts today, and I thought it might be an interesting read for those who are following the Brian Shaffer case. I am not sharing this to make a comparison between Brian's disappearance and that of the man referred to as "Alistair" in this story. They're very different situations. But the section of this story written under the sub-heading "How hard is it to disappear in 2019?" is worth thinking about. It's written from an Australian perspective, but the points raised are just as relevant.

How do you fake your own death? ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

This story prompted me to read up a little more on "skip tracing" activities performed by private investigators. People attempt to disappear all the time. It does make sense to me that, every now and then, someone is going to really good job of it.

It sounds like that guy fooled his ex-girlfriend; that's a far cry from fooling multiple law enforcement agencies and innumerable mainstream media outlets.

 

[neesaki]

It sounds like that guy fooled his ex-girlfriend; that's a far cry from fooling multiple law enforcement agencies and innumerable mainstream media outlets.

It was a rather sad attempt to fake his own death, wasn’t it?

 

[embufum]

This story appeared in my news alerts today, and I thought it might be an interesting read for those who are following the Brian Shaffer case. I am not sharing this to make a comparison between Brian's disappearance and that of the man referred to as "Alistair" in this story. They're very different situations. But the section of this story written under the sub-heading "How hard is it to disappear in 2019?" is worth thinking about. It's written from an Australian perspective, but the points raised are just as relevant.

How do you fake your own death? ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

This story prompted me to read up a little more on "skip tracing" activities performed by private investigators. People attempt to disappear all the time. It does make sense to me that, every now and then, someone is going to really good job of it.

This sounds more like a kid who was trying to get away from his girlfriend not start a new life. His mother obviously knew. After all that time all she could think of was to go to the police and say he owes me money. Me thinks there is a lot this girl isn't saying.

 

[Kaie]

It sounds like that guy fooled his ex-girlfriend; that's a far cry from fooling multiple law enforcement agencies and innumerable mainstream media outlets.

This sounds more like a kid who was trying to get away from his girlfriend not start a new life.

These are the reasons that I tried to be clear in my post that I was not trying to make a comparison between the Brian Shaffer case and "Alistair" in the article. I posted only for the section that was written under the sub-heading "How hard is it to disappear in 2019?". I actually mentioned the subheading so you could skip past the irrelevant story if you wanted to.

There is a lot of talk in this thread about how hard it is to go off the grid these days, how costly it might be, and whether or not Brian would even have the inclination to do so. The points made by Steve Wallis, the Managing Director of SWI Recoveries and Investigation Group, were the ones I thought would be more the takeaway for this thread. They are as follows:

1. That is it a slow process to totally disappear
2. It takes patience and commitment
3. The actual cost of engaging expertise to illegally forge a new identity can be a six figure sum
4. That the easier path to disappearing is to do it gradually
5. Another route to disappearing is by keeping utilising documents and correspondence in which your name has been misspelled. Particularly handy if you have a surname that gets misspelled a lot (eg. Shaffer/Schaefer)
6. Moving to a less developed country can aid the process
7. Only people with a very specific personality profile can pull it off
8. It takes losing contact with family and friends, becoming a recluse, continually lying to people
9. It's getting more and more difficult to do as our digital footprint expands and surveillance technology improves

 

[embufum]

These are the reasons that I tried to be clear in my post that I was not trying to make a comparison between the Brian Shaffer case and "Alistair" in the article. I posted only for the section that was written under the sub-heading "How hard is it to disappear in 2019?". I actually mentioned the subheading so you could skip past the irrelevant story if you wanted to.

There is a lot of talk in this thread about how hard it is to go off the grid these days, how costly it might be, and whether or not Brian would even have the inclination to do so. The points made by Steve Wallis, the Managing Director of SWI Recoveries and Investigation Group, were the ones I thought would be more the takeaway for this thread. They are as follows:

1. That is it a slow process to totally disappear
2. It takes patience and commitment
3. The actual cost of engaging expertise to illegally forge a new identity can be a six figure sum
5. That the easier path to disappearing is to do it gradually
6. Another route to disappearing is by keeping utilising documents and correspondence in which your name has been misspelled. Particularly handy if you have a surname that gets misspelled a lot (eg. Shaffer/Schaefer)
7. Moving to a less developed country can aid the process
8. Only people with a very specific personality profile can pull it off
9. It takes losing contact with family and friends, becoming a recluse, continually lying to people
10. It's getting more and more difficult to do as our digital footprint expands and surveillance technology improves

For the most part I don't agree with almost all of these points he states. Plenty of people have disappeared and have been found living under an assumed name after many years. Usually if you take on another name say from a deceased person you need to be careful that this person does not have any siblings or nieces and nephews that may someday look up to see how old Uncle Mike was when he died and then notice that he's living in Florida and got married 5 years ago. This scenario has happened with someone that was missing for over 25 years.

It's also very important that you are not leaving because you are a fugitive from justice. As far as Brian is concerned no one really cares other than a handful of people. If he was a wanted man then there would be more resources available to look for him. Brian was not married and didn't have any kids so he hasn't skipped out on any children.

Sometimes it seems the most successful people are the ones who just say screw it and walk away with out any planning at all. I'm not sure why someone who wants to start over has to spend over 100K for a new identity or move to another country. If we are talking about Brian or someone similar who isn't in trouble with the law they would not have to run or hide.

I think the biggest mistake people are making is assuming that Brian(assuming he's alive) is living some kind of secretive life and always needing to stay one step ahead when in reality he could be living under his real name which is very common. I also think that with today's technology it actually makes it easier to make money. If Brian has a significant other he could easily live off the grid working a business online that would have no ties with his identity and there is nothing illegal about doing it this way. He could have everything in their name, paying taxes just like everyone else.

 

[Kaie]

Hey Everyone! Brian Shaffer Dead or Alive Chapter Three: The Inside Track is now available on most listening platforms. It is the first part of my interview with retired Sergeant John Hurst. Can’t wait to hear what everyone thinks!!!

The dispute over the life insurance policy is pretty significant, as is the possibility that Brian was no longer going to receive financial support for medical school. (The latter having been presented as a possibility only). If Brian's financial situation were about to change for the worst, he may have seen this as an insurmountable obstacle to continuing his studies. All that on top of the fact that he wasn't "all in" about becoming a doctor in the first place, doesn't really give him much reason to stick with it. Even if Brian's financial support were only going to be reduced, rather than cut off altogether, I can see the reasons for wanting to take off starting to pile up. I think that any dispute over the insurance policy would have perpetuated Brian's grief at that time, and we have already gotten a sense of how profound his grief was.

 

[Looking4Brian]

The dispute over the life insurance policy is pretty significant, as is the possibility that Brian was no longer going to receive financial support for medical school. (The latter having been presented as a possibility only). If Brian's financial situation were about to change for the worst, he may have seen this as an insurmountable obstacle to continuing his studies. All that on top of the fact that he wasn't "all in" about becoming a doctor in the first place, doesn't really give him much reason to stick with it. Even if Brian's financial support were only going to be reduced, rather than cut off altogether, I can see the reasons for wanting to take off starting to pile up. I think that any dispute over the insurance policy would have perpetuated Brian's grief at that time, and we have already gotten a sense of how profound his grief was.

I agree with you 100%. I will explain the life insurance a little better. Randy was under the impression he was getting all of the life insurance from Renee. At some point during her battle with cancer, Renee changed her policy to give Randy 50% and Brian and Derek 25% a piece. Randy had a conversation with Derek basically telling him to keep around $1,000, but he needed to give the other $19,000 to Randy. Randy claimed the money was his and Renee didn’t mean to leave them that much. That conversation was had between Randy and Derek shortly before the dinner plans Brian had with Randy on March 31, 2006. Brian actually invited Derek to go to the dinner at Outback Steakhouse with Randy (It has always been assumed Brian invited Derek to the bar) that night because he didn’t want to be alone with Randy. It is assumed that Randy had the same conversation with Brian that night at dinner. I was told about the life insurance dispute approximately 2 years ago from Kevin Miles. He told me and Nick that Randy was in the process of getting a court order to try to stop both policies from going to Brian and Derek. I haven’t found any records to support that he actually went to court before Brian’s disappearance. However, he did get a court order and was able to receive and cash Brian’s check after his disappearance. Now as far as cutting Brian off financially...We still consider it rumor or speculation, however the people we have heard this from are very credible. So I lean towards believing it was said that Brian would be cut off financially. The phone coming on and communicating with the tower on Monday is what has me perplexed.

 

[Looking4Brian]

Is Brian's DNA on file? Experts time frame doesn't fit but size does.

Mercer County bones case still unsolved

Is Brian's DNA on file? Experts time frame doesn't fit but size does.

Mercer County bones case still unsolved

I have proven that Brian’s dna was not in NCIC until we had the first Brian Shaffer March for the Missing in April 2018. DNA was taken from things that belonged to Brian as well as Randy’s DNA was taken back in 2006, however the bag was labeled wrong and was not found and put in the system until June 2018. Once I learned about all of this I called my friends at Ohio BCI and NamUs to do a couple of comparisons to John Does. They compared Brian’s DNA to every John Doe listed through their systems and there were no matches.

 

[psych-nurse]

I agree with you 100%. I will explain the life insurance a little better. Randy was under the impression he was getting all of the life insurance from Renee. At some point during her battle with cancer, Renee changed her policy to give Randy 50% and Brian and Derek 25% a piece. Randy had a conversation with Derek basically telling him to keep around $1,000, but he needed to give the other $19,000 to Randy. Randy claimed the money was his and Renee didn’t mean to leave them that much. That conversation was had between Randy and Derek shortly before the dinner plans Brian had with Randy on March 31, 2006. Brian actually invited Derek to go to the dinner at Outback Steakhouse with Randy (It has always been assumed Brian invited Derek to the bar) that night because he didn’t want to be alone with Randy. It is assumed that Randy had the same conversation with Brian that night at dinner. I was told about the life insurance dispute approximately 2 years ago from Kevin Miles. He told me and Nick that Randy was in the process of getting a court order to try to stop both policies from going to Brian and Derek. I haven’t found any records to support that he actually went to court before Brian’s disappearance. However, he did get a court order and was able to receive and cash Brian’s check after his disappearance. Now as far as cutting Brian off financially...We still consider it rumor or speculation, however the people we have heard this from are very credible. So I lean towards believing it was said that Brian would be cut off financially. The phone coming on and communicating with the tower on Monday is what has me perplexed.

This situation would one thousand percent make me consider walking away from everything. Especially as a college student who had just lost the emotionally closest parent. I always thought that if he did leave willingly, why do it late at night without pre-planning. Well, this scenario answers that. The very night he met with his father, he had some drinks and decided "screw it, I'm out of here". I have no idea how he would've been able to lay so low for so many years but I'm beginning to think it's possible.

 

[Gussified]

Randy had a conversation with Derek basically telling him to keep around $1,000, but he needed to give the other $19,000 to Randy. Randy claimed the money was his and Renee didn’t mean to leave them that much. That conversation was had between Randy and Derek shortly before the dinner plans Brian had with Randy on March 31, 2006. Brian actually invited Derek to go to the dinner at Outback Steakhouse with Randy (It has always been assumed Brian invited Derek to the bar) that night because he didn’t want to be alone with Randy. It is assumed that Randy had the same conversation with Brian that night at dinner.

rsbm
I understand where people are coming from, but if it were me, I would have collected the $20,000 before I disappeared. (obviously not giving randy the $19k)

 

[Kaie]

The decision to cancel credit cards in a hurry is a hard one to understand. I presume that includes the debit card for Brian's bank account as well? If anyone in my family were missing, I know that I would want to leave the cards as is, and would want LE watching those accounts like hawks.

Is there any chance that the cancellation of these cards was motivated by the belief that Brian very well could have just taken off, and a desire to prevent the $20000 ending up in his hands if so? Brian was not legally declared dead (still isn't), and there's never any guarantee that a court order attempt to redirect insurance policy funds is going to be successful. Could Randy have perceived some risk that a portion of the insurance payout would head to an account in Brian's name, faster than he could carry out a process to stop it?

 

[embufum]

The decision to cancel credit cards in a hurry is a hard one to understand. I presume that includes the debit card for Brian's bank account as well? If anyone in my family were missing, I know that I would want to leave the cards as is, and would want LE watching those accounts like hawks.

Is there any chance that the cancellation of these cards was motivated by the belief that Brian very well could have just taken off, and a desire to prevent the $20000 ending up in his hands if so? Brian was not legally declared dead (still isn't), and there's never any guarantee that a court order attempt to redirect insurance policy funds is going to be successful. Could Randy have perceived some risk that a portion of the insurance payout would head to an account in Brian's name, faster than he could carry out a process to stop it?

I have some knowledge of insurance claims and actually was licensed at one point and I can tell you that Randy had pretty much a zero chance to ever get a judge to give him the money that his wife left her kids. Just to contest a will costs around 50K and you better know ahead of time that you have a really good case.

 

[Rel7]

First post here but have been lurking for a bit reading over the theories and possibilities. This case (along with the Maura Murray disappearance) have haunted me since I first stumbled across them earlier this year. It’s just scary how someone can vanish in what seems like the blink of an eye.

I have been eagerly awaiting this latest episode of the podcast and am glad we got further insight into what was really meant by the construction site being “completely dug up.” It doesn’t sound like there was anywhere someone could fall into and Hurst simply meant the floor was dug up. I had the impression there were deep trenches and such going very deep into the ground.

For me, if he says it’s not possible that he’s buried in the building, I believe him. Sounds like the place was a mess but nothing to get buried under and never be found again.

I too was intrigued by the info about the insurance. That is something new we haven’t seen in this whole story and opens up many new possibilities as to what happened.

While we all knew Clint lawyered up, I think his refusal to talk to the grand jury and other aspects of his behavior point to him knowing something. I know this was all speculated before but I’m now more convinced than ever that he knows so much more that he’s not telling anyone about.

And the rock solid alibi doesn’t seem as rock solid.

There was just so much interesting info in this episode that I am trying to get my mind around.

I think he may still be alive and did run off. It seems everyone close to the case interviewed so far in the podcast feels the same. As a far off spectator, who am I to doubt them?

I am now really looking forward to the next episode. A lot of useful info is finally coming out and clearing up some long-standing misconceptions.

Just great work all around. Thank you!