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

[pg66]

I think that hand sign signifies ILY for I Love You.
Top 10 Common Hand Symbols

I'm not sure about this. The ILY sign usually has only 2 fingers sticking out, not 3. There are some who believe that this, and others, are satanic symbols. Of course, those who actually do use these as satanic symbols would never admit to it.

 

[stargazer17]

The ILY sign usually has only 2 fingers sticking out, not 3.

I think you have it reversed. 3 is ILY, 2 is devil

 

[pg66]

I think you have it reversed. 3 is ILY, 2 is devil

I stand corrected. I checked it out further and you are absolutely correct. My apologies.

 

[pg66]

I generally do not put too much faith in psychics. They have been correct in the past. And they have also been dead wrong. You either believe in that or you don't.

There is a Psychic Kids video on youtube in which 3 youths were brought to the Ugly Tuna to see if they could pick up on something. One of them sensed that someone had been waiting for Brian at the UTS. (A possible hookup?) Another felt that he did indeed come to grief. She mentioned Brian being tackled/taken down. A third youth said that a girl with dirty blonde hair knows something or at least knows more than she's letting on.

Now, make of this what you wish. Truth or hogwash. I just thought I'd throw this out there.

 

[itsrak]

After reading about theories ranging from walking away from his life to alien abduction, here is my theory. I have not read all 94 pages in this thread so please forgive me if I am writing about something that has already been written about before. Ok, here goes.

I think Brian's disappearance is a hookup gone horribly wrong. It's been said recently on this thread that Brian was struggling with his sexuality. Hurst will not give any specifics but did say that there was information made available to him to support this.

Brian decides to take a few tentative steps in exploring this and decides to meet someone (a guy). Also known, in vulgar terms, as a hookup. Since he is still in the struggling stages, he would most certainly want to do this discreetly. This can explain why he ditched his friends and snuck out by a different exit.

He makes it out of the Ugly Tuna and past the Wendy's. It's been said that dogs tracked his scent past Wendy's but lost it after that. This very likely means he got into a car. His hookup. Problem his, he hooked up with the wrong guy. He was murdered and his body disposed of. Where? Only the killer knows.

Killers often keep souvenirs of a murder. That would explain the phone-pinging incident of September 2006. The killer still had it in his possession. The fact that it pinged means that the phone still physically existed, it was not destroyed/dead, and that it was still in a workable condition. Randy Shaffer once said that he kept paying for Brian's phone just in case Brian would call one day. The phone pinged 14 miles from where Brian disappeared. That's where the killer was. Or he came back to the scene of his crime, as they sometimes do.

Nice post. As to "The fact that it pinged means that the phone still physically existed, it was not destroyed/dead, and that it was still in a workable condition." I don't this is true. I think it means simply that an account in the number was still active with Cingular, but not that Brian's phone had not been destroyed/ruined and/or was active and charged and/or was in Hilliard. A 'system glitch' (I believe that is how Cingular put it), not a real ping.

Was there a pattern of gay men permanently disappearing in Ohio circa 2006?

 

[pg66]

Nice post. As to "The fact that it pinged means that the phone still physically existed, it was not destroyed/dead, and that it was still in a workable condition." I don't this is true. I think it means simply that an account in the number was still active with Cingular, but not that Brian's phone had not been destroyed/ruined and/or was active and charged and/or was in Hilliard. A 'system glitch' (I believe that is how Cingular put it), not a real ping.

Was there a pattern of gay men permanently disappearing in Ohio circa 2006?

I'm not buying the "system glitch" thing. But I respect your opinion. And no, I am not aware of a pattern of gay men disappearing in Ohio circa 2006. I was not hinting at anything of the sort. Not all murders are the result of serial killers. My theory is just that. A theory. Nothing more.

 

[embufum]

I'm not buying the "system glitch" thing. But I respect your opinion. And no, I am not aware of a pattern of gay men disappearing in Ohio circa 2006. I was not hinting at anything of the sort. Not all murders are the result of serial killers. My theory is just that. A theory. Nothing more.

Don't buy it. The phone was on and pinging. IMO

 

[pg66]

Hurst has said that Brian's scent was tracked out of the construction area. So he did indeed exit the bar from the back. He was then tracked going towards Wendy's but his scent was lost after that. That means he got into a vehicle. Unless he literally evaporated into thin air, he got into a car. It is the only possible explanation. So we can now discard the Brian-still-in-the-building theory and the Brian-fell-into-a-ditch-in-the-construction-area theory as well.

I have a sneaking suspicion that my hookup theory, even though at this point still only a theory, might not be so far from the truth. I mean, what would a guy do at 2 o'clock in the morning? Certainly not a job interview or anything like that. Certainly not meeting a relative for a chat. Those could have easily waited until daylight. A meeting that late at night is obviously something that was intended to be done with a certain amount of discretion. It would explain his sneaking out the back and ditching his friends. He was hoping to do this without anyone knowing.

 

[pg66]

Don't buy it. The phone was on and pinging. IMO

Exactly. And thank you

 

[Kaie]

The Pearl Jam tattoo (which Brian had) on this man's shoulder, if he has one, would confirm it. Although tattoos can be (painfully) removed.

It's not that painful. I have had Q-switched laser removal done on three tattoos... and that's a whole lot of sessions. It was fine. And as I've mentioned in a recent post, black ink, like that used in Brian's tattoo, is the easiest to remove via this method.

Have any of you ever heard of a guy who posts under the name MrMarco855?

Yes, I have more than noticed. He doesn't just do this with Brian's case, but a number of high profile missing persons cases. This is just one variety of internet troll. Don't feed the animals... whatever social media platform you see this on... just report, ignore, and move on.

 

[pg66]

It's not that painful. I have had Q-switched laser removal done on three tattoos... and that's a whole lot of sessions. It was fine. And as I've mentioned in a recent post, black ink, like that used in Brian's tattoo, is the easiest to remove via this method.



Yes, I have more than noticed. He doesn't just do this with Brian's case, but a number of high profile missing persons cases. This is just one variety of internet troll. Don't feed the animals... whatever social media platform you see this on... just report, ignore, and move on.

Thanks. Just goes to show how little I know about tattoos

 

[itsrak]

Hurst has said that Brian's scent was tracked out of the construction area. So he did indeed exit the bar from the back. He was then tracked going towards Wendy's but his scent was lost after that. That means he got into a vehicle. Unless he literally evaporated into thin air, he got into a car. It is the only possible explanation. So we can now discard the Brian-still-in-the-building theory and the Brian-fell-into-a-ditch-in-the-construction-area theory as well.

I have a sneaking suspicion that my hookup theory, even though at this point still only a theory, might not be so far from the truth. I mean, what would a guy do at 2 o'clock in the morning? Certainly not a job interview or anything like that. Certainly not meeting a relative for a chat. Those could have easily waited until daylight. A meeting that late at night is obviously something that was intended to be done with a certain amount of discretion. It would explain his sneaking out the back and ditching his friends. He was hoping to do this without anyone knowing.

I don't think there is a single shred of solid evidence of Brian's having left the building, nor a single single sign of life outside the building since 2am on 4/1/06. It is not known that he exited the bar from the back, or that he exited the building, or that he headed toward Wendy's, or that he got into a vehicle.

Also, dogs are not reliable. That they are said to have headed in the direction of a burger joint means nothing.

 

[embufum]

Hurst has said that Brian's scent was tracked out of the construction area. So he did indeed exit the bar from the back. He was then tracked going towards Wendy's but his scent was lost after that. That means he got into a vehicle. Unless he literally evaporated into thin air, he got into a car. It is the only possible explanation. So we can now discard the Brian-still-in-the-building theory and the Brian-fell-into-a-ditch-in-the-construction-area theory as well.

I have a sneaking suspicion that my hookup theory, even though at this point still only a theory, might not be so far from the truth. I mean, what would a guy do at 2 o'clock in the morning? Certainly not a job interview or anything like that. Certainly not meeting a relative for a chat. Those could have easily waited until daylight. A meeting that late at night is obviously something that was intended to be done with a certain amount of discretion. It would explain his sneaking out the back and ditching his friends. He was hoping to do this without anyone knowing.

I believe you are on the right track. There were a few ways out of that building. I’m convinced Brian was ditching Clint and either meeting someone or walking home. More info will come out and when it does people will have a different perspective about this case. Having talked to more than one person involved in this case the only unanimous opinion is Brian left that building alive but that’s where it ends. Personally I can’t convince myself he is dead or alive. I don’t think anyone knows for sure if he’s alive or met with foul play but that’s just my opinion. Clint’s attorney made a statement that he was told by someone investigating the case Brian is alive but he could have been saying that to make Clint look innocent as far as knowing what happened to Brian. I think Clint knows something but what that something is I don’t know. Clint made a comment that Brian liked to run his mouth. Maybe that was his way of giving people a clue.

 

[pg66]

I don't think there is a single shred of solid evidence of Brian's having left the building, nor a single single sign of life outside the building since 2am on 4/1/06. It is not known that he exited the bar from the back, or that he exited the building, or that he headed toward Wendy's, or that he got into a vehicle.

Also, dogs are not reliable. That they are said to have headed in the direction of a burger joint means nothing.

Nor is there any evidence that Brian is still in the building or buried in the construction area. And I never once wrote about any signs of life after 2 a.m. on 4/1/06. Until something more reliable than a dog comes along, that's what I'm siding with.

We obviously have very different opinions as to what the solution to this case may be. I wrote in one of my previous messages that I respected your opinion. I may not side with you but I respect your opinion. I kindly ask that you respect my opinion as well.

 

[itsrak]

Nor is there any evidence that Brian is still in the building or buried in the construction area. And I never once wrote about any signs of life after 2 a.m. on 4/1/06. Until something more reliable than a dog comes along, that's what I'm siding with.

We obviously have very different opinions as to what the solution to this case may be. I wrote in one of my previous messages that I respected your opinion. I may not side with you but I respect your opinion. I kindly ask that you respect my opinion as well.

Its just that you state things as established fact that simply are not. For example: "So he did indeed exit the bar from the back". Where or if he exited has not been established.

Not disrespecting your opinion at all!?! I think your theory is as reasonable as any.

 

[pg66]

Its just that you state things as established fact that simply are not. For example: "So he did indeed exit the bar from the back". Where or if he exited has not been established.

Not disrespecting your opinion at all!?! I think your theory is as reasonable as any.

So you doubt Hurst's word? Why? One can change one's stance as new information comes in as Hurst seems to have done over time. His apparent change of opinion/stance/theory over time does not mean he is lying. I choose to believe what he says because it seems, to me, the most plausible answer. Nothing is ever proven 100%. Somewhere, somehow, there will always be a smidgen of doubt. I gather from what you wrote that you choose not to believe what he has said about the tracking dogs, Wendy's, etc. That's perfectly fine. You can believe whatever you want and so can the rest of us.

But until something better comes along, until something is proven as near 100% as possible, I choose to believe what Hurst has said and I stand by my theory until it is proven wrong.

No hard feelings

 

[embufum]

The police said that everyone who came in the building was accounted for leaving. What they didn't say is that not everyone who came in using the escalator left that way. There were a few people who left with the band through the service exit. So I would assume that means the camera in the hallway accounted for everyone leaving and Brian was not among them.

As far as I can find out Mad Mex was the only business on the bottom floor that was open for business. They also had an exit to the trash area through the kitchen but they closed at 1 am on Friday. So if Brian did happen to wonder in the restaurant it's doubtful he would have been able to leave through the front door being that the place had been closed for an hour and that's assuming anyone was even there at 2 am.

If Brian went the construction area route he most likely would have walked along the outer parameter. The temporary walls that were in place would have let enough light in for Brian to be able to find his way out. Once he got to the exit he would have been able to squeeze out through the opening as Det Hurst has verified.

I don't think Brian made it that far once he left. He either got a ride or was attacked on one of the back streets. Brian was not picked up on any of the other cameras that night. One still has to wonder why Brian left through the construction area. He could have intended to leave the way the band did and heard voices then decided to go the other way.

 

[Looking4Brian]

Any movement on the prospect of use of ground penetrating radar or other modern tech in the circa 4/2006 construction area? Doubt it - I can't see building owner OSU wanting the building searched, which could perhaps subject OSU to liability if Brian's remains are found there. And hypothetically bad press...

Shocker: Remains of long-missing OSU student discovered on OSU property
Active construction area near popular bar may have been inadequately secured​

I really hope so. There are several locations I want to search including UTS. I had a sit down with John Hurst yesterday to discuss where we are going to begin searching. John got his PI license yesterday and we are making plans. We have been getting a lot of tips and we are discussing a trip to investigate one of the tips. I do agree about OSU not wanting the negative press.

 

[itsrak]

So you doubt Hurst's word? Why? One can change one's stance as new information comes in as Hurst seems to have done over time. His apparent change of opinion/stance/theory over time does not mean he is lying. I choose to believe what he says because it seems, to me, the most plausible answer. Nothing is ever proven 100%. Somewhere, somehow, there will always be a smidgen of doubt. I gather from what you wrote that you choose not to believe what he has said about the tracking dogs, Wendy's, etc. That's perfectly fine. You can believe whatever you want and so can the rest of us.

But until something better comes along, until something is proven as near 100% as possible, I choose to believe what Hurst has said and I stand by my theory until it is proven wrong.

No hard feelings

No, no hard feelings. Hurst was speculating about Brian perhaps having been in the construction area and perhaps having made it out, and perhaps having, based on the work of dogs, headed toward the Wendy's that was nearby in 2006. And speculation/theorizing is fine and integral to detective work.

 

[itsrak]

I really hope so. There are several locations I want to search including UTS. I had a sit down with John Hurst yesterday to discuss where we are going to begin searching. John got his PI license yesterday and we are making plans. We have been getting a lot of tips and we are discussing a trip to investigate one of the tips. I do agree about OSU not wanting the negative press.

Sounds promising! I sure do hope that some way some how the building that housed the UTS and the circa 2006 construction area within the building and near UTS (the one that Hurst characterized as 'completely dug up' and that Hurst has speculated Brian may have entered the morn of 4/1/06) will one day be searched with the latest technology to see if perhaps Brian's remains are on the premises. It would be fantastic if your efforts and determination were to one day play a role in resolution of the case. As to OSU, which IIUC owned and owns the building in which Brian was last seen and is not known to have exited, I would hope that they would do the right thing and and cooperate with any organized effort to search for Brian's remains.