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

[itsrak]

Detective Andre Edwards was in charge of the surveillance video. He wasn’t the only one to view it, but he was the only one in charge of seeing who entered and who left the bar. Detective Edwards took the surveillance video home and projected it Onto a wall in his house. This allowed him to make each person life size and track their movements. I have been told that he watched the video so many times that him and his family knew the video by heart.

Ever consider interviewing Mr. Edwards?

Do you know, were the two security guys standing near where Brian was last seen charged with preventing people from passing through the door next to the then incomplete elevator shaft, the door that led to the construction area, or was it considered ok for folks to use that door? I wonder if CPD ever interviewed them.

Any idea if Tom Waggoner remains suspicious of Clint?

Do you think this case will one day be solved?

 

[Old Mozez]

The ”security guards” were CPD officers themselves, I also hope @lookingforbrian can shed some more light on their role and on that beige passagedoor, whether it was open for anyone to enter or was restricted or even possibly locked and needed a key to be opened, (ie which the staff loaned to the band)

 

[Looking4Brian]

The ”security guards” were CPD officers themselves, I also hope @lookingforbrian can shed some more light on their role and on that beige passagedoor, whether it was open for anyone to enter or was restricted or even possibly locked and needed a key to be opened, (ie which the staff loaned to the band)

I have been told the 2 CPD officers did not see anything pertaining to Brian. I was also told the two officers were called outside at some point for a disturbance, but I can’t get a time on when this happened. The beige door could be opened by anyone. The band (and apparently a group of people with the band) used this door as well as anyone else going to the trash exit. Of course the door wasn’t meant for patrons, but it seems it wasn’t guarded to well.

 

[Looking4Brian]

Ever consider interviewing Mr. Edwards?

Do you know, were the two security guys standing near where Brian was last seen charged with preventing people from passing through the door next to the then incomplete elevator shaft, the door that led to the construction area, or was it considered ok for folks to use that door? I wonder if CPD ever interviewed them.

Any idea if Tom Waggoner remains suspicious of Clint?

Do you think this case will one day be solved?

I have reached out to detective Edwards several times, but have not received a call back or email response. The officers stood by the escalator for most of the night from what I’ve been told. However, they did walk away once for a disturbance. I’m not sure when the disturbance happened though. CPD did speak with the 2 officers there. The door could be accessed by anyone really. The band and many other people used the door that night to get to the stairs and elevator to go downstairs. From my conversation with Tom I would say he very much still suspects Clint of knowing more. Do I think this case will be solved...I would love to say yes, but with the obstacles and road blocks I have been facing I’m not optimistic. I imagine everyone investigating Brian’s disappearance have faced the same things. I’m not giving up on searching though.

 

[Old Mozez]

I have been told the 2 CPD officers did not see anything pertaining to Brian. I was also told the two officers were called outside at some point for a disturbance, but I can’t get a time on when this happened. The beige door could be opened by anyone. The band (and apparently a group of people with the band) used this door as well as anyone else going to the trash exit. Of course the door wasn’t meant for patrons, but it seems it wasn’t guarded to well.

Just a follow up if you don't mind, how did staff, the band & others reach the first floor and the exit, since the UTS hallway was located on the second floor? You mentioned that the whole of the first floor was under construction. I'm thinking, if there maybe was a temporary utility in place to accomplish this. One can say that if you didn't use this utility (as in Brian wasn't seen in the hallway footage) that it could have been potentially dangerous for an intoxicated patron to wander around the area.

 

[MerryB]

The ”security guards” were CPD officers themselves, I also hope @lookingforbrian can shed some more light on their role and on that beige passagedoor, whether it was open for anyone to enter or was restricted or even possibly locked and needed a key to be opened, (ie which the staff loaned to the band)

I can speak from personal experience that the “beige door” was in a false wall. It could be opened and often was. You could step into the space behind it, which was actually a finished hallway.
This area was used by the staff, the band, etc. Different doors led to stairwells that took you down to the first floor. You could go towards the loading dock, or to the Mad Mex restaurant, or the infamous construction area on the first floor.
If you walked out the back of any of these places, it was a short walk across a backstreet to Wendy’s. Wendy’s closed at 11 PM and many Gateway patrons used the parking lot after hours for free.
Note: In the podcast, Detective Hurst states that the area by the elevator was on camera and they did not see Brian leaving by elevator or with the band.

 

[Looking4Brian]

Just a follow up if you don't mind, how did staff, the band & others reach the first floor and the exit, since the UTS hallway was located on the second floor? You mentioned that the whole of the first floor was under construction. I'm thinking, if there maybe was a temporary utility in place to accomplish this. One can say that if you didn't use this utility (as in Brian wasn't seen in the hallway footage) that it could have been potentially dangerous for an intoxicated patron to wander around the area.

Okay, so the first picture is what the hallway looked like after the construction was finished. The second picture is something someone made to show where the wall was and how it looked when Brian went missing. Once you go through the beige door you would see the stairway door, the elevator, and the storage closet. The OSU offices on the right of the hallway were not complete at the time and considered under construction. The entire first floor was being sectioned off into individual retail spaces as well as the public elevator being installed. Even though the wall blocked off the hallway the beige door could be accessed easily. Employees of the upstairs businesses and the band used this door to use the stair or elevator to go downstairs. The hallway camera that everyone talks about was not in this hallway. The hall camera they are referring to was the hallway on the 1st floor leading to the trash area/delivery area/area for the band equipment. I imagine any construction area would be difficult to navigate while intoxicated and would pose a threat. The problem is there are too many stories about what the actual construction area looked like and I haven’t been able to get photos to see for myself.

 

[Looking4Brian]

I can speak from personal experience that the “beige door” was in a false wall. It could be opened and often was. You could step into the space behind it, which was actually a finished hallway.
This area was used by the staff, the band, etc. Different doors led to stairwells that took you down to the first floor. You could go towards the loading dock, or to the Mad Mex restaurant, or the infamous construction area on the first floor.
If you walked out the back of any of these places, it was a short walk across a backstreet to Wendy’s. Wendy’s closed at 11 PM and many Gateway patrons used the parking lot after hours for free.
Note: In the podcast, Detective Hurst states that the area by the elevator was on camera and they did not see Brian leaving by elevator or with the band.

Actually Hurst was referring to the camera in the downstairs hallway that the band used and the employees used to access the trash exit. This camera thing is pretty confusing when we discuss it because we hop around a lot when discussing each camera.

 

[itsrak]

Okay, so the first picture is what the hallway looked like after the construction was finished. The second picture is something someone made to show where the wall was and how it looked when Brian went missing.

So per the 2nd pic made by someone to show what it looked like on 4/1/06, Brian when last seen on vid (made by cam directly over door) was like 5-10 feet from the door to the construction area then, right? And if he entered through that door, like 20 feet ahead was the then incomplete elevator shaft of the 'public elevator' (as opposed to the service/freight elevator that was already complete and in use on 4/1/06). Right?

And if I understood Hurst correctly, that then incomplete public elevator on 4/1/06 was comprised of an empty shaft (elevator cab not yet installed into the shaft) with a big hole at the bottom of the shaft (where the mechanicals would soon be installed, and when installed sit directly under the cab when the cab is down at the first floor level), right?

 

[Looking4Brian]

So per the 2nd pic made by someone to show what it looked like on 4/1/06, Brian when last seen on vid (made by cam directly over door) was like 5-10 feet from the door to the construction area then, right? And if he entered through that door, like 20 feet ahead was the then incomplete elevator shaft of the 'public elevator' (as opposed to the service/freight elevator that was already complete and in use on 4/1/06). Right?

And if I understood Hurst correctly, that then incomplete public elevator on 4/1/06 was comprised of an empty shaft (elevator cab not yet installed into the shaft) with a big hole at the bottom of the shaft (where the mechanicals would soon be installed, and when installed sit directly under the cab when the cab is down at the first floor level), right?

No. The delivery elevator was already in place and usable. The public elevator was being installed on the opposite side of the building. But Brian was standing directly beside this faux wall and beige door that led to the first floor.

 

[MerryB]

So per the 2nd pic made by someone to show what it looked like on 4/1/06, Brian when last seen on vid (made by cam directly over door) was like 5-10 feet from the door to the construction area then, right? And if he entered through that door, like 20 feet ahead was the then incomplete elevator shaft of the 'public elevator' (as opposed to the service/freight elevator that was already complete and in use on 4/1/06). Right?

And if I understood Hurst correctly, that then incomplete public elevator on 4/1/06 was comprised of an empty shaft (elevator cab not yet installed into the shaft) with a big hole at the bottom of the shaft (where the mechanicals would soon be installed, and when installed sit directly under the cab when the cab is down at the first floor level), right?

You could go through the “beige door” and behind the false wall was a normal hallway. There was a working elevator and a finished stairwell. You could use either safely.
Once on the first floor, I suppose you could go into the construction area....but you could also go out to the loading dock or down to Mad Mex which was a functioning restaurant—no construction.

 

[Ozoner]

You could go through the “beige door” and behind the false wall was a normal hallway. There was a working elevator and a finished stairwell. You could use either safely.
Once on the first floor, I suppose you could go into the construction area....but you could also go out to the loading dock or down to Mad Mex which was a functioning restaurant—no construction.

On what date did that elevator become functional? How can you be certain that it had already been installed when Brian disappeared? Your account seems to conflict with Hurst's.

 

[Looking4Brian]

On what date did that elevator become functional? How can you be certain that it had already been installed when Brian disappeared? Your account seems to conflict with Hurst's.

There are 2 elevators in the building. The one in the hallway that the band used was already installed and functional. This one is considered the service elevator. The 2nd elevator/public elevator was being installed at the time.

 

[itsrak]

There are 2 elevators in the building. The one in the hallway that the band used was already installed and functional. This one is considered the service elevator. The 2nd elevator/public elevator was being installed at the time.

Not clear. This pic shows where Brian was last seen on vid talking with Brightan and Amber. There is an elevator in this pic. Is this elevator the 'one in the hallway' or the 'public elevator'? Is this the elevator that was complete and in use on 4/1/06, such that Brian might conceivably have used it around 2am? Thx.

 

[MerryB]

On what date did that elevator become functional? How can you be certain that it had already been installed when Brian disappeared? Your account seems to conflict with Hurst's.

I think you are imagining that once walking through that “beige door,” it was a giant construction site with a big open elevator shaft.
This was not the case at all.
The “beige door” was in a false wall that blocked the area off from a finished hallway. This door could be opened and often was. Staff used this door and so did anyone coming from the loading dock (bar beverage/kitchen deliveries, bands with equipment, etc.) because they could not use the escalator. They’d come up from the loading dock in the elevator, which was fully functional, to the hallway and through the “beige door.”
While they did not want bar patrons congregating behind the false wall (hence the security guards), it wasn’t always monitored & people did go back there at times. I believe Brightan stated in her interview that her friend Amber had stepped back there to take a call from her boyfriend because it was quiet.
It was well-lit and there was a finished, functioning elevator as well as a stairwell that was also finished and well-lit.
Both took you down to the lower level. Once down there, you could access a finished hallway that led to the loading dock or the back of the Mad Mex restaurant (and they often kept their back door open to keep the kitchen cool). Apparently you could also access the unfinished area where construction was underway. I believe that area was eventually made into a small health food store called Sunflower Market. I’m not familiar with what the construction area was like other than what’s been reported, but I do know it would have been fairly easy & safe to go through that “beige door,” down the stairs or elevator to the first level, and out a back door.
Now, why would someone choose to go out the construction exit rather than Mad Mex or the loading area, I have no idea.

 

[Looking4Brian]

Y

Not clear. This pic shows where Brian was last seen on vid talking with Brightan and Amber. There is an elevator in this pic. Is this elevator the 'one in the hallway' or the 'public elevator'? Is this the elevator that was complete and in use on 4/1/06, such that Brian might conceivably have used it around 2am? Thx.

Yes this is considered the service elevator and was fully functional when Brian went missing. He was standing directly under the camera and leaning on the faux wall when he was speaking to Amber and Brightan. I’m not sure if he used the elevator or stairs, but it’s not a stretch to believe that is what happened.

 

[Looking4Brian]

I think you are imagining that once walking through that “beige door,” it was a giant construction site with a big open elevator shaft.
This was not the case at all.
The “beige door” was in a false wall that blocked the area off from a finished hallway. This door could be opened and often was. Staff used this door and so did anyone coming from the loading dock (bar beverage/kitchen deliveries, bands with equipment, etc.) because they could not use the escalator. They’d come up from the loading dock in the elevator, which was fully functional, to the hallway and through the “beige door.”
While they did not want bar patrons congregating behind the false wall (hence the security guards), it wasn’t always monitored & people did go back there at times. I believe Brightan stated in her interview that her friend Amber had stepped back there to take a call from her boyfriend because it was quiet.
It was well-lit and there was a finished, functioning elevator as well as a stairwell that was also finished and well-lit.
Both took you down to the lower level. Once down there, you could access a finished hallway that led to the loading dock or the back of the Mad Mex restaurant (and they often kept their back door open to keep the kitchen cool). Apparently you could also access the unfinished area where construction was underway. I believe that area was eventually made into a small health food store called Sunflower Market. I’m not familiar with what the construction area was like other than what’s been reported, but I do know it would have been fairly easy & safe to go through that “beige door,” down the stairs or elevator to the first level, and out a back door.
Now, why would someone choose to go out the construction exit rather than Mad Mex or the loading area, I have no idea.

Very good description. I have been told the only thing being constructed behind that wall was the Ohio State Office that was on the right side of the hallway. For everyone looking at a photo of the hallway, the OSU office is behind the 2 glass doors.

 

[MerryB]

Very good description. I have been told the only thing being constructed behind that wall was the Ohio State Office that was on the right side of the hallway. For everyone looking at a photo of the hallway, the OSU office is behind the 2 glass doors.

Thank you. IMO most of us familiar with the building at that time believe Brian could’ve easily made it out & probably did.
If you give any stock to the validity of police dogs tracking Brian’s scent, then he made it to Wendy’s.
What happened from that point on is anybody’s guess.

 

[itsrak]

Y

Yes this is considered the service elevator and was fully functional when Brian went missing. He was standing directly under the camera and leaning on the faux wall when he was speaking to Amber and Brightan. I’m not sure if he used the elevator or stairs, but it’s not a stretch to believe that is what happened.

Thx. So, in a matter of seconds Brian could conceivably have been through the door marked 'construction area' in the temp wall he'd been leaning against, down the elevator or stairs, and he's in the ground floor 'completely dug up' construction area as Hurst himself speculated may well have been the case...?

 

[Old Mozez]

Not my intent to confuse the situation further, but several articles talk about a TEMPORARY freight elevator which was used and which Brian could have used to escape the building with.
On Reddit a guy posted a pic of this elevator , it was facing the outside of the building like if Someone used it you ended up directly on the backstreet. I even joined Reddit myself and contacted him to see what else he knew and of the pic but I never got any reply.