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

[Ozoner]

I've often wondered if an attempted April Fool's prank went unnoticed and then terribly wrong. Imo

It's plausible.
Brain may have tried to hide and gotten stuck somewhere.

 

[_Patches]

Yes, except they generally dig and fill those quickly for safety reasons, to protect workers in the area.
Not to mention the equipment is very specialized and won't dig a trench 2 feet wide to lay a power line.

This. Construction sites do not keep large steep trenches just lying around. It’s dangerous for workers and can be against safety laws. If a large hole just was randomly found collapsed, there would be some interest in that (Is the area around it safe to continue work? Was any of the work damaged from the collapse? Who is liable for any rework due to the collapse?)

Sides of a trench are usually sloped or there are special shoring devices. Yes accidents are still possible, but there are many mitigating factors that make it unlikely IMO.

 

[Ozoner]

This. Construction sites do not keep large steep trenches just lying around. It’s dangerous for workers and can be against safety laws. If a large hole just was randomly found collapsed, there would be some interest in that (Is the area around it safe to continue work? Was any of the work damaged from the collapse? Who is liable for any rework due to the collapse?)

Sides of a trench are usually sloped or there are special shoring devices. Yes accidents are still possible, but there are many mitigating factors that make it unlikely IMO.

I have personally seen construction sites with trenches or pits that went below the water line. If Brian fell into such a pit or trench and drowned, he might not have been seen. The pit or trench could have been filled in by workers who never saw Brian beneath the surface. Muddy water even one foot deep could hide a body.

 

[_Patches]

I have personally seen construction sites with trenches or pits that went below the water line. If Brian fell into such a pit or trench and drowned, he might not have been seen. The pit or trench could have been filled in by workers who never saw Brian beneath the surface. Muddy water even one foot deep could hide a body.

Maybe, i’m not sure on what the timeline would be for a body to float due to decomposition tho.

 

[Ozoner]

Maybe, I’m not sure on what the timeline would be for a body to float due to decomposition tho.

We've discussed that at great length over in the Ray Gricar thread. It usually takes at least two to three days; Brian would have been buried by then.

This doesn't pertain to Brian's case, but here's some extra info on the topic: If the water is cold enough, then the body decays too slowly ever to rise, especially if the person has a low percentage of body fat. Here in Michigan, we are surrounded by the Great Lakes. Many drowning victims in those lakes never rise to the surface. In Lake Superior, the coldest of the Great Lakes, people who drown almost never surface.
Lake Superior Holds Onto Her Dead . . . and Her Toxaphene

 

[MerryB]

I have personally seen construction sites with trenches or pits that went below the water line. If Brian fell into such a pit or trench and drowned, he might not have been seen. The pit or trench could have been filled in by workers who never saw Brian beneath the surface. Muddy water even one foot deep could hide a body.

The construction area was not large & I don’t believe was as complex as you’re envisioning. There also was potentially another way out; the security camera was being panned away from the emergency exit to look at women per Kelly’s podcast...so I don’t think it’s a stretch to suppose Brian got out without being seen.

 

[itsrak]

Check out a recently solved case with similarities to Brian's - that of Ethan Kazmerzak.
Found Deceased - IA - Ethan Kazmerzak, 22, Hampton, 15 Sept 2013 *vehicle found*

Out partying, disappeared w/o a trace, LE investigation failed to find him, the years rolled by. People understandably begin to wonder about the possibility of foul play.... Where the Kazmerzak case differs is that just in the past few weeks, a private party investigator went in and - using simple sonar in a pond - found his remains in his submerged vehicle. This hasn't happened in the Shaffer case, because Brian's remains - if there in the Gateway complex - are more difficult to locate... The owner of the complex - The Ohio State University - has the resources, but apparently not the motivation, to endeavor to try to find Brian's remains.

 

[Tman2004]

Podcast update??

 

[Ozoner]

Podcast update??

I think that's the new "Paging Judge Crater!"

 

[JerseyGirl]

This thread is full and will be closed. I have set up a new thread, please continue here:

OH - OH - Brian Shaffer, 27, Columbus, 1 April 2006 #5