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

[doctorsleuthy]

I was actually able to track down that yelp review @itsrak that you have referred to about the possible “stench”. From the way I read the review, the reviewer seemed to have been talking about a “stench” coming from the cafe inside.

I actually contacted the reviewer through Yelp and his response to me was “I do not know anything of the case, nor do I recall information of a day 12 years ago. Sorry.”

Either he wants no part of this, or he really doesn’t remember, however anyone who has smelled a decaying dead body will tell you its something you never forget, ever.

Now Im not familiar with the inside of this complex at all, only from what Ive read and seen video of, but is it possible the cafe “stench” he referred to was the smell of food/coffee blowing in the theater he didnt care for? Thats how I read it.

I attached the yelp review but blocked his name. Im sure if people want to see it they can do a search.

 

[itsrak]

I was actually able to track down that yelp review @itsrak that you have referred to about the possible “stench”. From the way I read the review, the reviewer seemed to have been talking about a “stench” coming from the cafe inside.

I actually contacted the reviewer through Yelp and his response to me was “I do not know anything of the case, nor do I recall information of a day 12 years ago. Sorry.”

Either he wants no part of this, or he really doesn’t remember, however anyone who has smelled a decaying dead body will tell you its something you never forget, ever.

Now Im not familiar with the inside of this complex at all, only from what Ive read and seen video of, but is it possible the cafe “stench” he referred to was the smell of food/coffee blowing in the theater he didnt care for? Thats how I read it.

I attached the yelp review but blocked his name. Im sure if people want to see it they can do a search.

I think it would be only natural to attribute a stench to the nearby kitchen. That kitchen was - I'd guess - 30-50 feet from where brian was last seen. One would never think it might be a nearby decaying body. Of course, it may not have been. But curious that a stench was reported right near where someone went missing. What is not possible to know is how many others noted a stench, but left no record. Maybe none - but maybe many. Yelp was a brand new site back then, not yet widely used. The bar too was reputed (per Yelp comments) to have stunk, but that was of course attributed to it having been a seafood/beer/booze joint. I can say for sure that when I visited the Gateway complex in 2018, I noted no stench.

 

[doctorsleuthy]

I can agree with that about Yelp being new, most people back then probably had no clue about it, or how to use it. I know many people just do not report things they see, hear, or even possibly smell anyway, they just ignore them, so it’s possible if there was a smell, it was ignored, Id hope not, but its possible. Im sure they had many leads right after Brian disappeared as well, would be interested if anyone ever called about possible smells.

 

[doctorsleuthy]

Can anyone familiar with this case tell me exactly where the Wendy’s was located where Cadaver dogs supposedly picked up Brians scent? I believe someone said its no longer there, but an address or location would be helpful.

 

[bbsus]

Can anyone familiar with this case tell me exactly where the Wendy’s was located where Cadaver dogs supposedly picked up Brians scent? I believe someone said its no longer there, but an address or location would be helpful.

خرائط ‪Google‬‏‏

It's the newer Highline apartment complex.

 

[doctorsleuthy]

خرائط ‪Google‬‏‏

It's the newer Highline apartment complex.

Thank you!

 

[psych-nurse]

I can agree with that about Yelp being new, most people back then probably had no clue about it, or how to use it. I know many people just do not report things they see, hear, or even possibly smell anyway, they just ignore them, so it’s possible if there was a smell, it was ignored, Id hope not, but its possible. Im sure they had many leads right after Brian disappeared as well, would be interested if anyone ever called about possible smells.

In your opinion, would the smell be noticeable enough after more than two years without anyone else remembering a decomposition odor in the meantime? I've smelled decomposition, too, and you're right, it's unmistakable and you know right away what it is. Even though yelp was new, I think that many other people would've noticed that odor if it was a body.
I'm of the opinion (JMO) that he slipped out of the building, down Pearl to avoid Cliff and Meredith, something happened and he never made it home alive. The streets of Columbus are and were even then a dangerous place to be in the middle of the night alone.

 

[doctorsleuthy]

In your opinion, would the smell be noticeable enough after more than two years without anyone else remembering a decomposition odor in the meantime? I've smelled decomposition, too, and you're right, it's unmistakable and you know right away what it is. Even though yelp was new, I think that many other people would've noticed that odor if it was a body.
I'm of the opinion (JMO) that he slipped out of the building, down Pearl to avoid Cliff and Meredith, something happened and he never made it home alive. The streets of Columbus are and were even then a dangerous place to be in the middle of the night alone.

Im not sure how long the smell of decomposition would linger if he was trapped in a building, in my opinion probably quite a long time. I would think it would linger for a long time If he was close to the surface, unless he was completely buried.

I can speak of a case that I was involved in where a homeless person died in a wooded area in the city. The wooded area was not that dense and very close to a street, and buildings where people worked, parking garage near by. It was estimated they were there for at least a few years possibly more. The tragic part was, a lot of people knew there were bones back there but never reported it out of fear of possibly being questioned, or whatever their reasons were. The individual it was determined most likely died due to health reasons and possibly succumbed to weather elements. When the call came in, we investigated, saw the bones, clothes they were wearing, and waited to technicians to remove the body. There was no smell, except for very slight odor. It amazed me that being so close to a street and building where people worked that no one ever reported a smell or anything, but someone also could have thought it was a dead animal.

The only reason we found it was because someone recently hired at for a new job near by heard the rumors at work of bones laying in the wooded area and actually didn’t believe it, so one day they checked for themselves and actually found the spot, they immediately called police.

If Brian made it out, just by the example I gave, he didn’t necessarily have to be buried. If as you say in your opinion, if someone did harm him, he could have been tossed somewhere slightly hidden in brush, or woods, near the river, and once elements and animals get there, its hard to discover. The only thing about my example was nobody was looking for the individual we found, sadly, Brian had a lot of people looking.

 

[?unknown?]

In your opinion, would the smell be noticeable enough after more than two years without anyone else remembering a decomposition odor in the meantime? I've smelled decomposition, too, and you're right, it's unmistakable and you know right away what it is. Even though yelp was new, I think that many other people would've noticed that odor if it was a body.
I'm of the opinion (JMO) that he slipped out of the building, down Pearl to avoid Cliff and Meredith, something happened and he never made it home alive. The streets of Columbus are and were even then a dangerous place to be in the middle of the night alone.

What do you think would be the reason he would want to avoid his two companions? I’ve seen that a few times on this thread and the older ones about Brian that he may have left an alternative way to avoid Florence and Meredith, but after spending all night with them why suddenly would he need to get away from them right at the end? Did they have an argument? If so, why did Florence and Meredith go back into the bar to look for Brian? if the argument had already happened and Brian had separated from them based on that then surely the other two would have known he’d gone off on his own. What was the need to seek him out before leaving themselves?

 

[itsrak]

In your opinion, would the smell be noticeable enough after more than two years without anyone else remembering a decomposition odor in the meantime? I've smelled decomposition, too, and you're right, it's unmistakable and you know right away what it is. Even though yelp was new, I think that many other people would've noticed that odor if it was a body.
I'm of the opinion (JMO) that he slipped out of the building, down Pearl to avoid Cliff and Meredith, something happened and he never made it home alive. The streets of Columbus are and were even then a dangerous place to be in the middle of the night alone.

People may have left yelp reviews well after visiting. Especially as yelp became known.

 

[itsrak]

What do you think would be the reason he would want to avoid his two companions? I’ve seen that a few times on this thread and the older ones about Brian that he may have left an alternative way to avoid Florence and Meredith, but after spending all night with them why suddenly would he need to get away from them right at the end? Did they have an argument? If so, why did Florence and Meredith go back into the bar to look for Brian? if the argument had already happened and Brian had separated from them based on that then surely the other two would have known he’d gone off on his own. What was the need to seek him out before leaving themselves?

And why did he blow off the supposedly planned afterparty, and w/o notifying friends? I can think of a good reason - perhaps dead by like 2:05am. My own view is that when seen on that surveillance vid at like 1:58am, Brian was quite possibly moments from death. Hence the eternal silence, and no goodbyes.

 

[doctorsleuthy]

What do you think would be the reason he would want to avoid his two companions? I’ve seen that a few times on this thread and the older ones about Brian that he may have left an alternative way to avoid Florence and Meredith, but after spending all night with them why suddenly would he need to get away from them right at the end? Did they have an argument? If so, why did Florence and Meredith go back into the bar to look for Brian? if the argument had already happened and Brian had separated from them based on that then surely the other two would have known he’d gone off on his own. What was the need to seek him out before leaving themselves?

From my understanding of reading everything Brian and Florence had an argument at the UTS that Merideth witnessed but couldnt say what was actually said. From what Ive also read as well, this was common for Brian and Florence, they seemed like drinking buddies more than best friends at this point in their lives.

From the threads here and listening to Detective Hurst I made a timeline to keep things together in my head. I believe it’s accurate, if not, feel free to correct me.

Brian was last seen at 1:55am, but when he left out of view he was just a tad out of range against the wall under the camera looking out on the escalators speaking with Amber, while Brighton used the bathroom.

Brighton claimed that she was gone no longer than 3-5 minutes on a podcast interview and when she came out Brian was still there with Amber. Brian had mentioned possibly walking them to their car at some point, however for some reason decided not to.

Brighton and Amber are seen going down the escalator at 1:59am after she returns from the bathroom according to CPD.

Clint and Merideth are seen going down the escalator at 2:00am, meaning if we take Brighton at her word, and she was using the bathroom for 3 minutes from 1:55am-1:58am, that gives 2 minutes for Brian to walk away from them and go “wherever”, before Clint and Meredith exited the bar and would see him.

Lets say Brighton takes a full 4 minutes to use the bathroom, that would give Brian 1 minute before Clint and Merideth exit.

1-2 minutes for Brian to disappear forever, which is the whole case.

So at 2:01am Merideth calls his phone and gets Voice Mail and says “where the hell are you”.

At 2:09am Clint and Merideth are seen leaving the garage and heading in the direction of the professors house on cameras outside.

At 2:11am I believe I read or heard a text is sent from Clint to Brians phone that was received according to CPD.

From 2:12am 4/01/06 morn, to 4/03/06 Monday Evening there is no contact with Brians phone, then CPD says it begins to ping cell towers within a 20 mile radius for the next 30 days multiple times. Does anyone know If I am wrong with any of that info?

In my opinion Brian never made back inside the bar.

Clint was clearly wrong on his time frame in interviews he gave as well, and In my opinion the last time he actually saw Brian was when Brian went outside to speak with “those girls” which was caught on video.

I also believe in my opinion this could have been the time Brian said Im going to talk to the band but he really went out to speak with Brighton and Amber and that was actually the last time anyone saw him.

Its possible this was a reason why Clint lawyered up because the video and his time account of last speaking with Brian didnt and couldnt have matched, which was most likely an honest mistake, especially when intoxicated and trying to piece the night before together. But it was enough of something to make him worry about police coming back at him. I think that is a very plausible scenario so far.

 

[doctorsleuthy]

And why did he blow off the supposedly planned afterparty, and w/o notifying friends? I can think of a good reason - perhaps dead by like 2:05am. My own view is that when seen on that surveillance vid at like 1:58am, Brian was quite possibly moments from death. Hence the eternal silence, and no goodbyes.

I completely agree with part of what you are saying @itsrak. I believe Brian was moments from death. In my opinion he was rendered incapacitated, died or was killed somewhere shortly after being seen on camera.

Whether he died in the construction area, or was killed on his way home somewhere to me is still up in the air for me.

The leaving his life behind and running away, to me, is just not likely.

 

[bbsus]

I find it hard to believe he found the perfect entrance to exit that wasn't caught on camera nor surrounding area cameras, either, especially while very intoxicated?

Same reasoning also applies to me that he was able to at the precise moment say bye to the girls and conveniently leave Meredith and Cliff without being seen.

 

[doctorsleuthy]

I find it hard to believe he found the perfect entrance to exit that wasn't caught on camera nor surrounding area cameras, either, especially while very intoxicated?

Same reasoning also applies to me that he was able to at the precise moment say bye to the girls and conveniently leave Meredith and Cliff without being seen.

Well, @bbsus the “very intoxicated” is up for debate. According to Clint they had a bunch of shots and drinks through the night, but in her interview, Brighton said she wouldnt say he was drunk, but “feeling good” I believe is the statement she used. And he doesnt seem to be stumbling in that last video snippet, although its seconds long, just my opinion.

But I do not think he was intentionally avoiding cameras, I think it just happened that way. Det Hurst I believe does state that part of the exit way toward the trash area is on camera, or part of it, in fact he stated they have the band on camera leaving that way and Brian is not with them. Only the route through the construction area wasnt on camera. But again, I dont believe he was intentionally trying to miss cameras, I think he was however ditching out a way he may have gone before, or was familiar with in order to avoid Clint and Merideth not thinking about cameras on his way...he just happened to go a way there weren’t any cameras.

 

[bbsus]

But he only was in a situation to avoid them because he happened to be talking to girls and didn't have a clue when they'd come find him, right? And I thought I heard other podcasts where they were drinking a ton, that was their second time at UTS. I can't imagine how he couldn't be. What route did they say was different or that he could have left?

Also, I believe they never released the footage from the trash area or of the band leaving, right? Why not just release it all now!

 

[itsrak]

I completely agree with part of what you are saying @itsrak. I believe Brian was moments from death. In my opinion he was rendered incapacitated, died or was killed somewhere shortly after being seen on camera.

Whether he died in the construction area, or was killed on his way home somewhere to me is still up in the air for me.

The leaving his life behind and running away, to me, is just not likely.

Both certainly possible. On the one hand it is necessary to conjure up some sort of fatal mishap in the construction area that leaves the body out of sight. On the other it is necessary to conjure up an unseen egress from the premises followed by a homicide or an accident outside the building with body out of sight. Something went down that morn. Wish the world could finally know what it was.

 

[doctorsleuthy]

But he only was in a situation to avoid them because he happened to be talking to girls and didn't have a clue when they'd come find him, right? And I thought I heard other podcasts where they were drinking a ton, that was their second time at UTS. I can't imagine how he couldn't be. What route did they say was different or that he could have left?

Also, I believe they never released the footage from the trash area or of the band leaving, right? Why not just release it all now!

Im not sure why they don’t release all the video. To me it seems like there is really nobody left anymore to put pressure on anyone to release it. But I am also under the impression that I believe the family has viewed all the footage and never saw Brian. Im not 100% about that but I believe it was stated that family has seen the footage. I agree, let the footage out, but its probably just no one is making a stink these days about seeing it.

As for the drinking, everyone has their own tolerance, and what may disable one person, may only give a buzz to someone else.

According to Det Hurst, Brian absolutely did not go down the escalator.

So that left the emergency exit in the bar itself, or the one that was literally right outside the bar entrance that lead downstairs to either the trash area, or the construction area. From my understanding you could take stairs down that way, or an elevator. Once down there you can turn right or left and end up near the trash area, or near the construction area. Part of it is caught on camera.

There is something that bothers me a little bit about the emergency exit in the bar itself. Something the Det. said about it in the podcast interview, but I want to do some more research about it before I say anything. He made an interesting statement about it....to me anyway.

 

[doctorsleuthy]

As of right now with where I am at the 1 question I would have for Det Hurst is:

Is there a piece of information you can tell us about or discuss, that made you believe definitively that Brian made it out of that complex?

I have many follow up questions to any answer he would give to that question, but again, he is privy to things the public just doesn’t know, it very well may be one of those things...that he may have info he just is not able to share with the public.

 

[MerryB]

As of right now with where I am at the 1 question I would have for Det Hurst is:

Is there a piece of information you can tell us about or discuss, that made you believe definitively that Brian made it out of that complex?

I have many follow up questions to any answer he would give to that question, but again, he is privy to things the public just doesn’t know, it very well may be one of those things...that he may have info he just is not able to share with the public.

Welcome Dr. Sleuthy! I’m looking forward to reading your insights on this case.
I’m going to tag @Looking4Brian because Kelly is in touch with Detective Hurst & might be able to help answer some of your questions.