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

[neesaki]

Hey all. I don't know if this has been discussed before, but I want to say something about the random cell phone ping that Brian's phone got in Hilliard OH. I live in central Ohio, and I always wondered why there would be a random ping of his mobile phone in Hilliard, of all places. Today I remembered that a former coworker quit his job where I work to start working at a new company that recycled old cell phones. It's still in existence and much larger now. It's call e-Cycle and it's based in Hilliard. It started in 2005. They get old, used cell phones, erase the data on them then put them back into use, I think. Anyway, I assume that they'd have to power up the phone to do whatever they do to them. I don't claim to understand how their process works at all. But it might just explain why his phone pinged off a tower in Hilliard.

If it was in that company being refurbished, it's rather ominous though. That would mean that someone got a hold of the phone off of him somehow, which would not have been done willingly, I'm sure. It then got sold and wound up at e-Cycle.

Anyway, I'd like to read what everyone thinks about this. If it's already been pointed out, sorry.

Thank you for your input... considering I believe Brian could well have been a victim of foul play this actually makes some sense to me.

 

[Valiant]

The problem with the recycling phone theory is this:
Assume it was Brian's phone that was somehow found and recycled. If his SIM car were still in it, it would then ping when turned on and identify as his phone.
However, if it were recycled, the SIM could be removed but the phone retains its "serial number" or IMEI code (International Mobile Equipment Identity). I am sure a recycler, whether reconditioning phones for resale or just disassembling for parts, is required to record the IMEI number, if for no reason other than to prevent the "washing" of stolen phones. So of how junkyards must record VINs of cars they disassemble.

I would hope the IMEI number of Brian's phone has been recorded by police and any activity involving that number would be noticed by them.

 

[velvta]

The problem with the recycling phone theory is this:
Assume it was Brian's phone that was somehow found and recycled. If his SIM car were still in it, it would then ping when turned on and identify as his phone.
However, if it were recycled, the SIM could be removed but the phone retains its "serial number" or IMEI code (International Mobile Equipment Identity). I am sure a recycler, whether reconditioning phones for resale or just disassembling for parts, is required to record the IMEI number, if for no reason other than to prevent the "washing" of stolen phones. So of how junkyards must record VINs of cars they disassemble.

I would hope the IMEI number of Brian's phone has been recorded by police and any activity involving that number would be noticed by them.

Thanks for your reply.

I don't know anything about their policies and procedures. I was just trying to come up with a plausible reason why his phone would ping in a random Columbus suburb a few months after , and several miles west of, his disappearance. I think I have one. It did ping off a tower and identify it as his phone. So his SIM card had to be in it. This is back in 2006, when phone recycling was pretty new, if I remember right, and they may have had different procedures back then, and didn't hesitate to power up a phone with its existing SIM card, or record IMEI numbers for possible theft tracking. This was a year or so after the company started, so things may have been more "loosey-goosey" for them. Who knows?

 

[velvta]

Thank you for your input... considering I believe Brian could well have been a victim of foul play this actually makes some sense to me.

Thanks for replying.

He very well could have been a victim of foul play, no doubt. That neighborhood can be sketchy, even today. It has improved a boatload since I was of the age to hang about around there. That building that the UTS was in was not even in existence. It was a bunch of roach infested bars that barely carded anyone for age, and were owned by a capo of the Cleveland mob. I'm not making that up. He's in prison, or maybe died in prison . I digress.

About him being killed in a mugging or robbery, I do think that could've happened, because they have happened in that part of the city. The argument against it is that rarely does a mugger stay around long enough to hide a body if he killed his victim. They take off as fast as they can.

I think he ended up in the Olentangy river. Yes, his apartment was in between the UTS and his place in King Ave., but he was drunk, and maybe he got lost. He went too far, and for whatever reason ended up in a body of water, which happens to SO MANY inebriated young men.

 

[velvta]

Interesting! Was e-Cycle located in Hilliard in 2006? Be interesting to know if e-Cycle has any record of having processed Brian's phone. If phone pinged when Alexis called it while phone was being readied for re-use, why would it not ping thereafter once in use with new user? Is a chip replaced as with cell phones of today? Also, I'd think that, in this scenario where Brian lived beyond the wee hours of 4/1/06 and made it out of the building, there'd likely have been some pings in the hours after Brian disappeared. Instead, there was straight-to-voice-mail radio-silence from around 2am on....

Thanks for the reply.

I' pretty sure it was in Hilliard in 2006, as that's where it was founded in 2005. I remember when my ex coworker talked about it just getting started as a new business back then. I don't know enough about mobile phone technology, especially 2006 flip phone technology, to know how plausible my theory is.

 

[geojeffrey]

This phone recycling operation in or near Hilliard is the closest thing to a new lead that I can recall....very interesting and even hopeful. I hope we hear more about this.

Also, I have always felt the the answers to the case lie with Clint. whether he was or wasn't involved, I feel that he knows useful information.

BUT, something else stands out in my mind..the case of Joey Labute. The circumstances of Joey's disappearance have some striking parallels to Brian's case. Plus, they look very similar in appearance. To me, this suggests the possibility of a serial killer...

 

[Stella]

The only thing I can think of at this point is he left out the door where the band exited. He told Clint that he was going to talk to them. Maybe he helped them break down their equipment and they gave him a lift somewhere. I understand that the door the band used had no camera on it. Getting in the van or truck or whatever they drove would explain why he was never seen on the streets after closing.

 

[Kaie]

The only thing I can think of at this point is he left out the door where the band exited. He told Clint that he was going to talk to them. Maybe he helped them break down their equipment and they gave him a lift somewhere. I understand that the door the band used had no camera on it. Getting in the van or truck or whatever they drove would explain why he was never seen on the streets after closing.

The band wasn't able to provide any useful information to investigators. They would have been asked soon enough after Brian's disappearance that their memories of the night were still fresh. And giving someone a lift somewhere, isn't anything to withhold from LE. If that had happened, members of the band would have just said so.

 

[itsrak]

The only thing I can think of at this point is he left out the door where the band exited. According to Sgt. Hurst (Comeback Podcast Episode 2 around 11 min. in), the band (Rock House) *WAS* captured on video leaving the back exit by the dumpster. Brian, obviously, was not. He told Clint that he was going to talk to them. Maybe he helped them break down their equipment and they gave him a lift somewhere. According to Sgt. Hurst (Comeback Podcast Episode 2 around 14 min. in), band members were interviewed by CPD detective and none of them recalled Brian or speaking with Brian. I understand that the door the band used had no camera on it. That is inaccurate, hallway to door was on cam, and cam was functioning - see above. Getting in the van or truck or whatever they drove would explain why he was never seen on the streets after closing. According to Sgt. Hurst (Comeback Podcast Episode 2 around 12 min. in) '...nothing for us that indicated they had any kind of foul play going on with the band...'.

You might check out the podcast, it is informative:
ComeBack Podcast Episode 2: Listen to ComeBack - A True Crime Podcast

 

[Stella]

Detective Andre Edwards is quoted in this article that, "a construction elevator OUTSIDE SURVEILLANCE RANGE could've been taken down to first floor."When Missing Persons Cases Go Cold The band of course, wouldn't admit if they had partied with Brian and something bad happened to him. Not saying it happened that way but am trying to exhaust all possibilities.

 

[smr]

BUT, something else stands out in my mind..the case of Joey Labute. The circumstances of Joey's disappearance have some striking parallels to Brian's case.

Hadn't heard of that case, just looked, interesting! In both cases, the victim had been with a male and a female friend, and the friends left without him because (they claimed that) they couldn't find him.

 

[itsrak]

Detective Andre Edwards is quoted in this article that, "a construction elevator OUTSIDE SURVEILLANCE RANGE could've been taken down to first floor."When Missing Persons Cases Go Cold The band of course, wouldn't admit if they had partied with Brian and something bad happened to him. Not saying it happened that way but am trying to exhaust all possibilities.

Yes, the elevator is out of range of surveillance cam, but when taken down to the first floor, one can go down a hallway and leave the building via the rear exit. That hallway was on surveillance cam that night, and per Sgt. Hurst the band members appeared on tape passing down the hallway and exiting the building. Brian did not appear on that tape.

 

[smr]

Hadn't heard of that case, just looked, interesting! In both cases, the victim had been with a male and a female friend, and the friends left without him because (they claimed that) they couldn't find him.

Here is a speculation that doesn't have enough basis but can't be ruled out in both cases: What if Shaffer/LaBute had a secret gay relationship with the male friend (Clint/Kyle), and the female friend/cousin (Meredith Reed/Kyle's wife) was jealous, and so plotted a bar meeting with sinister plan? Maybe far from the fact, but just saying, given the similarity and the gay factor in one case.

 

[drama_farmer]

Here's a scenario that might work with two theories about this case: He left the building/He perished in the construction site.

Did Brian have a wacky sense of humor? Was he a prankster? Was he the kind of guy to do spontaneous "funny" things on/around April Fool's Day?

What if he entered the construction zone, saw a big barrel/55 gallon drum, slipped inside and planned to "surprise" his friends when they came looking for him? Add alcohol to the mix, an enclosed space with little oxygen, and a lid that became latched or stuck. . . yes, it's a far-out theory, but I haven't seen this type of "misadventure" scenario brought up before.

Being stuck inside a metal container would account for the abrupt loss of phone contact, and if that barrel/container somehow became sealed, it would be heavy, and likely disposed of/stored with other construction containers that were heavy and "sealed."

It would be interesting to find out if there are facilities or "dumps" for such containers near the phantom phone ping tower.

IMO, MOO, just speculation

 

[lachilton6]

Curious to know why you would think that. I don't know why Mr. Waggoner thought that, and I don't know why others do. After all, Det. Hurst himself observed that Clint, who had the good sense to hire a lawyer, was, as is typical, advised by his lawyer not to submit to a polygraph. What would theoretically have been Clint's motive to harm his friend Brian? I'd point out that investigator Corbett in the Comeback podcast was adamant in his belief that Brian did not use drugs and that Brian's financial records provided no hint of any drug activity. No inexplicable cash flow drain, no inexplicable bank deposits, just a med student racking up six figure debt on tuition, room, board.....

If Brian had wanted to postpone the wedding or end the engagement, the death of his mother would have provided a reasonable explanation. People break engagements all the time. They don't disappear off the face of the earth as a result.[/QUOTE
BS and AW were not engaged yet. They were only BF/GF. After BS disappeared, Clint talked really bad about Brian. He said a lot of negative things and did not seem concerned for his missing friend. Soon after, Clint left for medical school at Vanderbilt

 

[dotr]

Welcome to Ws lachilton6!

 

[Chad_York]

Where was the bathroom in the Ugly Tuna Saloona? Also, do you think it's possible that law enforcement will ever release the footage of the back entrance?

 

[smr]

Where was the bathroom in the Ugly Tuna Saloona? Also, do you think it's possible that law enforcement will ever release the footage of the back entrance?

The bathroom was checked. This video shows the back entrance (not sure if that's what you are looking for and if this has been posted, but there was Clint footage that I was interested to see, just to see what he's like):

 

[dotr]

Unsure of the language in this video, Russian maybe- the visuals are interesting.

 

[itsrak]

Missing 13 years now....

Long past time to release some hidden info to get this case solved? Such as, for example, why Alexis' father was of the opinion solution to the mystery runs through Clint Florence. Or why LE won't lay out it's theories - after all, they are only theories. Or perhaps release photos of the 'completely dug up' construction area. Publish archived surveillance cam vids? OSU - why not use modern tech to search the building - the building you own - in which your alumnus was last seen and seems no to have exited on 4/1/06?