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

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The likelihood of a drunk guy somehow evading cameras inside the building, along with surrounding business cameras outside the building, and said guy just so happens to be missing? Yeah, not really buying he did all that. It's just so unreasonable and unlikely to think he cleverly did all of this. I am not saying my theory is rock solid, there could be some unknown component we are all missing, but I think he died that night and his body is either buried somewhere around the building or will never be found because it was burned/in a dump somewhere.

I agree George,

I think this is the most likely scenario of a crazy case, And I have now put it with about ninety five percent probability that this is what happened. However, because of the bizarre nature of this case, if there is evidence that someday Brian shows up alive, I would not be shocked.

I would have been shocked early on in study this case. If Brian is alive, which I put at a VERY GENEROUS five percent the real mystery is how a dunk guy vanished and evaded detection for twelve years? And also the real reasons for why Brian did this, which will probably never be known unless he is found alive and is willing to talk.

Satch
 
I'm also curious about the NamUs unidentified person. I emailed NamUs back in August of 2017 and I've only gotten an automated response back. Never a real one from a real person. It's a hell of a coincidence given the factors.
 
Then again, there's this: Unidentified Person Case
I remember doing a search/query and finding that there were only 2 missing men that matched the height, weight, race, age, date, and hair. Brian was one of them. I really wish I got an answer to this. It drives me nuts.

John Doe has sandy hair, Brian was a brunette. And his estimated age ranges anywhere from 20-40.
 
Brian disappeared at 2am 4/1/06. He is the one person not appearing on cam leaving the building. Nor was he spotted on nearby cams. His belongings in car and apt untouched. Phone promptly started going to VM. Never heard from or seen again - anywhere. Ever. Because he never left the building and died in the building shortly after 2am. Det. Hurst noted that there was a construction area in the building housing the UTS. Says it was dangerous. Says it could have been accessed. Says (verbatim) it was '****completely dug up****'. Completely. Dug. Up. Also suggests that Brian entered it that night. He also suggests that Brian exited it. But he has to say that - he can't say that he thinks Brian may have died there, because that would be an admission of failure. I know it is hard to believe, but Brian wound up in a dug up area, under loosened soil/fill, in an accidental fall. Cell phone signals don't penetrate soil. Inadvertently, unknowingly concreted over before decay. Remains there to this day. Hard to believe, right? I recently walked all the way around that building, thinking the whole time that a man's remains are very near by, under the building. Just hard to believe such an incredible thing. But I believe it because it fits the facts and because every other theory - 'he ran to Margaritaville', drug deal, Clint killed him, cams failed, suicide, drowned, Smiley face, band did it..... - is even harder to believe
 
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Wondering if there was any chance that debris leftover from the construction work was taken anywhere and dumped?
Did that construction company by any chance also do work in a Columbus suburb?
speculation. rbbm.
Man who disappeared 10 years ago might have never left bar
"But every night, Shaffer’s girlfriend—whom Shaffer had planned to make his fiance during a spring break trip to Miami—would call his phone. Normally, it went straight to voicemail. But six months after Shaffer disappeared, it rang, pinging a tower in a Columbus suburb."
 
Brian disappeared at 2am 4/1/06. He is the one person not appearing on cam leaving the building. Nor was he spotted on nearby cams. His belongings in car and apt untouched. Phone promptly started going to VM. Never heard from or seen again - anywhere. Ever. Because he never left the building and died in the building shortly after 2am. Det. Hurst noted that there was a construction area in the building housing the UTS. Says it was dangerous. Says it could have been accessed. Says (verbatim) it was '****completely dug up****'. Completely. Dug. Up. Also suggests that Brian entered it that night. He also suggests that Brian exited it. But he has to say that - he can't say that he thinks Brian may have died there, because that would be an admission of failure. I know it is hard to believe, but Brian wound up in a dug up area, under loosened soil/fill, in an accidental fall. Cell phone signals don't penetrate soil. Inadvertently, unknowingly concreted over before decay. Remains there to this day. Hard to believe, right? I recently walked all the way around that building, thinking the whole time that a man's remains are very near by, under the building. Just hard to believe such an incredible thing. But I believe it because it fits the facts and because every other theory - 'he ran to Margaritaville', drug deal, Clint killed him, cams failed, suicide, drowned, Smiley face, band did it..... - is even harder to believe

I have no idea what the construction area looked like at the time Brian went missing. But if the construction company was pouring concrete footings, or a slab with a thickened edge, then I think it is possible for Brian to be buried there. Perhaps he accidentally fell in the construction area, and was discovered by a construction foreman or other company official, and the ramifications of a death on their work site untenable--a huge fine, stopping the project, etc. Who was in charge of the construction site and the safety issues there, and what ramifications might have spurred a decision to bury evidence?

Wondering if there was any chance that debris leftover from the construction work was taken anywhere and dumped?
Did that construction company by any chance also do work in a Columbus suburb?
speculation. rbbm.
Man who disappeared 10 years ago might have never left bar
"But every night, Shaffer’s girlfriend—whom Shaffer had planned to make his fiance during a spring break trip to Miami—would call his phone. Normally, it went straight to voicemail. But six months after Shaffer disappeared, it rang, pinging a tower in a Columbus suburb."

A cell phone expert should be able to explain this--has it been addressed in previous postings? Wouldn't the battery be dead long before six months, unless it was being charged along the way?

Brian's case is one I hope to see solved in my lifetime.
 
I have no idea what the construction area looked like at the time Brian went missing. But if the construction company was pouring concrete footings, or a slab with a thickened edge, then I think it is possible for Brian to be buried there. Perhaps he accidentally fell in the construction area, and was discovered by a construction foreman or other company official, and the ramifications of a death on their work site untenable--a huge fine, stopping the project, etc. Who was in charge of the construction site and the safety issues there, and what ramifications might have spurred a decision to bury evidence?

I also have no idea what the construction area looked like at the time Brian went missing. What I do know is that
a) work was being done in preparation for the opening of a grocery - Sunflower Market - 5.5 months out, in street level space to the rear of MadMex and within feet of the UTS space.
b) according to a man who would know - Det. Hurst - the construction area was dug up. And not just dug up, but 'completely dug up'. Dug means dig. You dig, you get a hole. You got a hole, you got risk - that's why construction sites are blocked off. You got a hole, that hole gets filled in. And a filled in hole in a building gets paved over for a floor.

If I was going to do some borings to try to detect human remains, I'd consult the guys who did the work in 2006 (where they ever interviewed? See tracks? Dirt shifted over the weekend? Odors?) as to where digging was done. My guess would be that Brian's remains are under the former Sunflower Market space.
 
A cell phone expert should be able to explain this--has it been addressed in previous postings? Wouldn't the battery be dead long before six months, unless it was being charged along the way?

Not a cell phone expert by any means, but yes. If the phone was on, the battery would have been drained. Even if the phone wasn't on, there's a phenomenon called "self-discharge" where the battery where naturally lose power over time. How much so depends on the type of battery. It's also very unlikely that a phone buried would be able to contact a cell tower.
 
Well, my opinion hinges on the fact that it was after most of the people left the bar. And it was done by workers or maybe the band. Maybe this was answered somewhere else, but "everyone being accounted for entering/leaving the bar" includes the band and workers I assume? If not, then I think it's basically a 100% chance one of them knows something. I think that's when this gets messy because then people start talking about the "construction/emergency exit" and other things where there is no way to validate.

But to your point, I agree with that theory as well. Like we both said, look at it from a probability standpoint. The likelihood of a drunk guy somehow evading cameras inside the building, along with surrounding business cameras outside the building, and said guy just so happens to be missing? Yeah, not really buying he did all that. It's just so unreasonable and unlikely to think he cleverly did all of this. I am not saying my theory is rock solid, there could be some unknown component we are all missing, but I think he died that night and his body is either buried somewhere around the building or will never be found because it was burned/in a dump somewhere.

Then again, there's this: Unidentified Person Case
I remember doing a search/query and finding that there were only 2 missing men that matched the height, weight, race, age, date, and hair. Brian was one of them. I really wish I got an answer to this. It drives me nuts.

I just dont buy the 100% in/out stuff.

We have to remember this was 11 years ago, we are all used to widespread CCTV that record in ultravision panascope megacolor!

It certainly seems the reality is far from that - the only tape they have is a piece of garbage. Even when we look at CCTV from later cases (Labute ,Paddock falling down in a multimillion dollar casino) the quality is garbage,

Govt agencies because it is taxpayer money has a lot of really good cameras - I am not sure private small entities are buying the good stuff.

If we take the above in account and take the conclusion that other cameras in the area did not pick him up imo really means zero.

The CCTV of the nurse that vanished is garbage Dakota James was only spotted on what one cam. Zachary Marr was lost for blocks and blocks .

Cell phones spy movies etc - result in us thinking that not seeing somone or something really means it was not there seems supper far fetched.

Add to that in this particular case it sure does not look like ugly tuna was in an area with fine jewelers that would have great cameras -- the area looked like a run down area -- the notion that back then small business owners are investing in hi res equipment seems pretty far fetched.

Construction sites generally are not like hiking in caves where someone could fall in somewhere and not be seen seems not real either . If something happened it the construction area ( which would basically be a fall) his body would have been found atop of whatever he fell on)

Tripping or passing out typically does not result in someone going hidden - they tend to land atop of something.

The notion of him being buried has some oddities as well. I don't think at 3 in the morning staff are digging a grave in the middle of a construction site.

If we go with that we would have to also conclude that the crew when they returned to the scene the next time would remain oblivious to a fresh dug grave stretches some imagination as well

HOwever lets ponder this --- if we did not have a cop saying over and over 100% of everyone on a busy night was accounted for then what we have is a young male in collage partying with the friends and never being seen again

that takes us back to 100's of identical cases wherein people are not playing the movie Catch Me If You Can and sneaking off to play jimmy buffet life (kind a stretch IMO) -- a new total identity.

Grad school is time consuming - 11 years ago creating a new identity , I would imagine might take some work -- cant be kinda of a whim thing.

He was working toward a future was an adult when his mother tragically passed seemed to have quite a support system surrounding her passing.

There are typically quite a bit of precursors to suicide. Zachary Marr had many - he was in love on spring break had an appetite to dine that night and engage in social interactions with others that night.

Reports of his loss related to his mothers passing seemed normative and understandable.

The notions posted earlier wherein we are doing circumstance after circumstance after circumstance all disappear if we back up and start with junky cameras , back then, were totally unable to prove with any meaning that he did not leave the bar with 100's of others at closing time..............
 
John Doe has sandy hair, Brian was a brunette. And his estimated age ranges anywhere from 20-40.

They must have changed it, I never recall seeing the "sandy colored hair" part before. However, it definitely could have been dyed.

The estimated age range would be a factor in it being him, so I'm not sure why you brought that up.
 
The odd thing about a construction accident would be the fall would have to be such that it immediately disables the phone (or that Brian switched off the phone before leaving the bar - why?) , kills/incapacitates Brian, and is perfectly hidden.

That's the problem with this case - no matter what scenario is chosen, there is always something to that theory that makes it seem implausible.
 
Also, this uid was found in June of ‘07, over a year after Brian disappeared. Was he being held captive all that time? I guess it’s possible.

Strange, they just uploaded an artists recreation of the man. They must have started working on this case considering it was uploaded 5 years ago, but probably received several emails regarding Brian. Looks nothing like him according to the recreation. Striking similarities with the heights, weight, age, race, etc.
 
Strange, they just uploaded an artists recreation of the man. They must have started working on this case considering it was uploaded 5 years ago, but probably received several emails regarding Brian. Looks nothing like him according to the recreation. Striking similarities with the heights, weight, age, race, etc.
I submitted one a while back as well, nothing to go on except a skull, found in Pennsylvania . And nothing except a black and white artist rendition that doesn't really look like Brian, but I thought it was worth a shot anyway. We have to try don't we ? :)

I was just reading elsewhere and someone (apparently a local) commented that other students who knew Brian said he was planning to break up with his GF, and wasn't going to go through with the vacation plans with her, we have to consider it rumor of course.
But who knows, maybe he had decided he didn't want to be in a relationship, didn't really want to be a doctor, and decided to take off and start a new life unencumbered by the expectations of others .... and from the PI's perspective he wasn't really that close with his brother or father ( he didn't approve of his father's 'lifestyle', was there possibly a lot of resentment there ?) and his mother had passed, away. He also sounded like he was pretty much a free spirit with a bit of a rebellious streak. Idk, he's certainly a smart enough guy, so in my mind there's no doubt he could have pulled it off if that's what he really wanted to do. jmo
 
HOwever lets ponder this --- if we did not have a cop saying over and over 100% of everyone on a busy night was accounted for then what we have is a young male in collage partying with the friends and never being seen again

So to be clear, are you suggesting that this claim was simply fabricated? For what purpose? Why would a detective be quoted as saying he is 100% sure Brian did not leave via the escalator that night if he didn't believe it to be true?

Also, why are we even speculating on the quality of the video when we've all seen clips recorded from that exact camera and we know exactly what the quality looks like? Brian is readily identifiable on every released clip from that night IMO.

The notions posted earlier wherein we are doing circumstance after circumstance after circumstance all disappear if we back up and start with junky cameras , back then, were totally unable to prove with any meaning that he did not leave the bar with 100's of others at closing time..............

I get what you're trying to say--but 1.) dismissing the camera as simply being "junky" is a pretty big mistake I think, when we know Brian could be identified (we've seen the clips) and we have no reason to believe LE would fabricate this detail (i.e., see above).....and 2.) it's still pretty unlikely for Brian to make it out of the general Gateway area without being caught on some tape somewhere, or being see by someone--AND happening to meet foul play or an accident that very same night--AND turning up absolutely zero evidence for 12+ years.
 
So to be clear, are you suggesting that this claim was simply fabricated? For what purpose? Why would a detective be quoted as saying he is 100% sure Brian did not leave via the escalator that night if he didn't believe it to be true?

Also, why are we even speculating on the quality of the video when we've all seen clips recorded from that exact camera and we know exactly what the quality looks like? Brian is readily identifiable on every released clip from that night IMO.



I get what you're trying to say--but 1.) dismissing the camera as simply being "junky" is a pretty big mistake I think, when we know Brian could be identified (we've seen the clips) and we have no reason to believe LE would fabricate this detail (i.e., see above).....and 2.) it's still pretty unlikely for Brian to make it out of the general Gateway area without being caught on some tape somewhere, or being see by someone--AND happening to meet foul play or an accident that very same night--AND turning up absolutely zero evidence for 12+ years.

I am not saying the cops fabricated it I am saying it is not accurate to make a statement like that.

Amazingly in between that space there are 4 additional exits in that hallway itself. Unless that area was under constant 24 cctv coverage it is impossible to state that -- there are not one not two not three but 4 other ways to exit about 10 feet away from the bar exit -

But the notion that someone can ascertain that every single homosapien that went in went out - if you think about it that is a pretty big statement.

inside_3.png



To definitivily state such a thing could only be possible if the escalator and stairs are the ONLY way out that is not the case

there are a whole bunch of ways out of the building other than the escalator

Inside_5.png


Gateway area without being caught on some tape somewhere.

This happens all the time in dozens and dozens and dozens of missing persons cases. People last seen at one location and unless they zoom up into space right after that shot -- pass dozens of cctv cameras and are not caught on them .

These are recent cases where CCTV is far more sophisticated and prevalent - so to conclude (despite the fact that it happens all the time) that that long ago when cameras were far less clear and less utilized the conclusion that he was not seen on other cameras must result in the conclusion that he is somewhere in some huge building seems far more unbelievable than he exited from a host of other exits not on camera.

Brian did not leave via the escalator does not equate to did not leave the complex is all I am saying.

For all we know he was buzzed walked down the mall complex slept it off for 5 hours , woke up and went down the steps the next morning


Google Image Result for https://preview.ibb.co/eN5h4a/inside_3.png
 
I submitted one a while back as well, nothing to go on except a skull, found in Pennsylvania . And nothing except a black and white artist rendition that doesn't really look like Brian, but I thought it was worth a shot anyway. We have to try don't we ? :)

I was just reading elsewhere and someone (apparently a local) commented that other students who knew Brian said he was planning to break up with his GF, and wasn't going to go through with the vacation plans with her, we have to consider it rumor of course.
But who knows, maybe he had decided he didn't want to be in a relationship, didn't really want to be a doctor, and decided to take off and start a new life unencumbered by the expectations of others .... and from the PI's perspective he wasn't really that close with his brother or father ( he didn't approve of his father's 'lifestyle', was there possibly a lot of resentment there ?) and his mother had passed, away. He also sounded like he was pretty much a free spirit with a bit of a rebellious streak. Idk, he's certainly a smart enough guy, so in my mind there's no doubt he could have pulled it off if that's what he really wanted to do. jmo

he didn't approve of his father's 'lifestyle', was there possibly a lot of resentment there ?)-- what is this referring?

regarding other post about quality of video and not being seen after exit.

white slim male in gray sweater- kinda common

I dont think these are they great quality images:

1*ydAs8S2cnjaCBlRbRk8y7g.png


when you look at this he has one block of commercial area and the rest of the walk in the direction of his apt is residential. Again that far back home CCTV was not popular at all. A lot of those areas on the way back are small unlit alleys

Streets.png



another exit opportunity

Bar_Entrance.png


another exit opportunity

images
 
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I submitted one a while back as well, nothing to go on except a skull, found in Pennsylvania . And nothing except a black and white artist rendition that doesn't really look like Brian, but I thought it was worth a shot anyway. We have to try don't we ? :)

I was just reading elsewhere and someone (apparently a local) commented that other students who knew Brian said he was planning to break up with his GF, and wasn't going to go through with the vacation plans with her, we have to consider it rumor of course.
But who knows, maybe he had decided he didn't want to be in a relationship, didn't really want to be a doctor, and decided to take off and start a new life unencumbered by the expectations of others .... and from the PI's perspective he wasn't really that close with his brother or father ( he didn't approve of his father's 'lifestyle', was there possibly a lot of resentment there ?) and his mother had passed, away. He also sounded like he was pretty much a free spirit with a bit of a rebellious streak. Idk, he's certainly a smart enough guy, so in my mind there's no doubt he could have pulled it off if that's what he really wanted to do. jmo

he didn't approve of his father's 'lifestyle', was there possibly a lot of resentment there ?)-- what is this referring?

white slim male in gray sweater

I dont think these are they great

1*ydAs8S2cnjaCBlRbRk8y7g.png


when you like at this he has one block of commercial area and the rest of the walk in the direction of his apt is residential. Again that far back home CCTV was not popular at all. A lot of those areas on the way back are small unlit alleys

Streets.png



another exit opportunity

Bar_Entrance.png


another exit opportunity

images
 
he didn't approve of his father's 'lifestyle', was there possibly a lot of resentment there ?)-- what is this referring?

white slim male in gray sweater

I dont think these are they great

1*ydAs8S2cnjaCBlRbRk8y7g.png


when you like at this he has one block of commercial area and the rest of the walk in the direction of his apt is residential. Again that far back home CCTV was not popular at all. A lot of those areas on the way back are small unlit alleys

Streets.png



another exit opportunity

Bar_Entrance.png


another exit opportunity

images

Hey Cariis, IIRC it was in the interview with the PI in which he stated that Brian didn't approve of his fathers lifestyle. Though he didn't elaborate, some of us here deduct that he was implying that Randy was having an extramarital relationship before Brian's mom passed away. Brian was very close to his mom, so it would make sense that he resented his father for that, IMO.

Thanks for posting the pics again, I've had a hard time being able to see in my mind's eye the entrance to the UT in relation to the other exits down that short yellow corridor.... after all this time it finally clicked for me. :) Those other exits are directly across from the escalator, I was thinking they were down the hallway the other direction from the UT entrance. Makes much more sense to me now that he most likely went out one of those other doors.
 
he didn't approve of his father's 'lifestyle', was there possibly a lot of resentment there ?)-- what is this referring?

white slim male in gray sweater

I dont think these are they great

1*ydAs8S2cnjaCBlRbRk8y7g.png


when you like at this he has one block of commercial area and the rest of the walk in the direction of his apt is residential. Again that far back home CCTV was not popular at all. A lot of those areas on the way back are small unlit alleys

Streets.png



another exit opportunity

Bar_Entrance.png


another exit opportunity

images
Have always thought, that Brian seemed like he was in flirtatious/showoff mode in the far right escalator pic.
Who ( perhaps other than a pre-teenaged girl) is so immersed in conversation on an escalator that they are turned around and posed/ displayed as Brian appears to be?
speculation, imo.

1*ydAs8S2cnjaCBlRbRk8y7g.png
 
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