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

[MerryB]

No matter how many times you say Brian put his phone in her purse, doesn’t make it necessarily true. Arrin Stoner made a video on it and even he thinks it’s very inconclusive.

OP was talking about playing the video back at slow speed to analyze the exchange between Brian and the girls. I posted Ed’s video in response, saying it’s the clearest one I’ve seen. That’s it.
My opinion is different than yours. That’s fine.

 

[BethAnn777]

Who is the woman in the video? Does she say his phone was in her purse?

 

[MerryB]

Who is the woman in the video? Does she say his phone was in her purse?

This video is surveillance footage from the bar that was supplied to HLN to use in their special through a FOIA request. For whatever reason, this footage is uncropped like what the public has seen for years. Instead of seeing everything that is going on around them, it is zoomed in on Brian, Amber, and Brightan. These are the last people Brian spoke to before he disappeared (that we are aware of).

At the 1:56 mark, Brian seems to take an object that had been in his pocket and quickly places it in Brightan’s open purse, which is hanging from her forearm.

Remember, he soon steps away and is gone before Amber and Brightan go down the escalator at 1:59 and Clint and Meredith walk out of the bar and go down the escalator at 2:00 AM. So whatever he did, he did right before stepping out of their view and becoming unreachable.

Many of us who have watched this in slow-mo feel it is his phone. Brightan never reported anything being discovered in her purse or missing from her purse, however.

I do know this has been reported to CPD.

 

[Zimmerman The Gnome]

Can't see anything coming from this. Even if the phone was put in the bag and the girls have known about it for 15 years, how do you prove it? Did they say nothing as they had something to hide or lie because they were scared? Highly unlikely, if not impossible they had anything to do with the disappearance.

 

[ekardh]

It's natural when new material is uncovered to overanalyze it and look for that missing piece of the jigsaw. I still don't see how Brian putting his phone into someone else's bag (based on inconclusive footage) is meant to prove anything either way.

 

[Kaie]

No matter how many times you say Brian put his phone in her purse, doesn’t make it necessarily true. Arrin Stoner made a video on it and even he thinks it’s very inconclusive.

I've watched the Arrin Stoner video. The footage was just that little bit clearer. To be honest, to me it's looking more like he actually did put whatever was in his hand in her purse, and I'm inclined to think it was his phone. I'm not saying I'm sure of that, so I agree with the statement that it's inconclusive.

Ed talked about a theory around this on Unfound Live on 1 Dec. If you want to get to the Brain Shaffer section of that stream, go to the 42 minute mark. Whatever you think of the theory, I think it's worth a listen.

Remember how Brian was going to walk the girls to their car, and for some reason that didn't happen? Just suppose Brian did want to drop the phone in a purse that would be on the move, with his motive being to look like he's going one way when he's really going another. Offering to walk them to the car could have been his way of getting an opportunity to plant the phone. When the opportunity presented itself sooner, and the job was done, he would have had no need to follow through with walking them out. And as far as his overt interest in Brightan that night goes, that would have just been about picking someone he thought was an easy enough target for this.

 

[King91]

Seems like a bit of a stretch.

 

[MerryB]

I've watched the Arrin Stoner video. The footage was just that little bit clearer. To be honest, to me it's looking more like he actually did put whatever was in his hand in her purse, and I'm inclined to think it was his phone. I'm not saying I'm sure of that, so I agree with the statement that it's inconclusive.

Ed talked about a theory around this on Unfound Live on 1 Dec. If you want to get to the Brain Shaffer section of that stream, go to the 42 minute mark. Whatever you think of the theory, I think it's worth a listen.

Remember how Brian was going to walk the girls to their car, and for some reason that didn't happen? Just suppose Brian did want to drop the phone in a purse that would be on the move, with his motive being to look like he's going one way when he's really going another. Offering to walk them to the car could have been his way of getting an opportunity to plant the phone. When the opportunity presented itself sooner, and the job was done, he would have had no need to follow through with walking them out. And as far as his overt interest in Brightan that night goes, that would have just been about picking someone he thought was an easy enough target for this.

Plus, flirting with her in front of Clint and Meredith might cause them to assume he went home with her at the end of the night when he couldn’t be found.

 

[Ozoner]

I've watched the Arrin Stoner video. The footage was just that little bit clearer. To be honest, to me it's looking more like he actually did put whatever was in his hand in her purse, and I'm inclined to think it was his phone. I'm not saying I'm sure of that, so I agree with the statement that it's inconclusive.

Ed talked about a theory around this on Unfound Live on 1 Dec. If you want to get to the Brain Shaffer section of that stream, go to the 42 minute mark. Whatever you think of the theory, I think it's worth a listen.

Remember how Brian was going to walk the girls to their car, and for some reason that didn't happen? Just suppose Brian did want to drop the phone in a purse that would be on the move, with his motive being to look like he's going one way when he's really going another. Offering to walk them to the car could have been his way of getting an opportunity to plant the phone. When the opportunity presented itself sooner, and the job was done, he would have had no need to follow through with walking them out. And as far as his overt interest in Brightan that night goes, that would have just been about picking someone he thought was an easy enough target for this.

If Brian did put his phone in her purse, it's much more likely that he did it in order to re-connect with the girls later that night. He would've called it later, she would've heard it ringing in her purse and answered it, he would have pretended that he lost it, etc. It would've been a fairly transparent trick—akin to accidentally forgetting something at a date's house so that you have to go back.
That said, I doubt that he actually put the phone in her purse. He could've easily slipped it back into the front pocket of his jeans while his hand and front pocket are off camera. What's more, why wouldn't the girls admit that they had found his phone?—unless they were involved in his disappearance, which would mean that it was foul play. Either way, it doesn't support the voluntary-walk-away fantasy that some people are clinging to.

 

[MerryB]

If Brian did put his phone in her purse, it's much more likely that he did it in order to re-connect with the girls later that night. He would've called it later, she would've heard it ringing in her purse and answered it, he would have pretended that he lost it, etc. It would've been a fairly transparent trick—akin to accidentally forgetting something at a date's house so that you have to go back.
That said, I doubt that he actually put the phone in her purse. He could've easily slipped it back into the front pocket of his jeans while his hand and front pocket are off camera. What's more, why wouldn't the girls admit that they had found his phone?—unless they were involved in his disappearance, which would mean that it was foul play. Either way, it doesn't support the voluntary-walk-away fantasy that some people are clinging to.

I think it strongly supports the walk-away theory IMO. It’s actually brilliant. Police were looking everywhere he was NOT based on his phone pings. And, if you know the details of the phone pings, those correlate to the person who received his phone. Why else would he covertly sneak it into her purse literal minutes before disappearing? MOO

 

[Ozoner]

I think it strongly supports the walk-away theory IMO. It’s actually brilliant. Police were looking everywhere he was NOT based on his phone pings. And, if you know the details of the phone pings, those correlate to the person who received his phone. Why else would he covertly sneak it into her purse literal minutes before disappearing? MOO

BBM

My last post answered that question.

If the phone was in the purse, then the girls must have found it eventually, correct?

Why would they lie about that?

 

[Rtael]

Why else would he covertly sneak it into her purse literal minutes before disappearing? MOO

He didn't.

 

[Kaie]

What's more, why wouldn't the girls admit that they had found his phone?—unless they were involved in his disappearance, which would mean that it was foul play.

It wouldn't have been because of any involvement in his disappearance or foul play. It would have been the fact that she found his phone ages later, when she finally got around to using that purse again (likely while at her mother's house, who lives in Hilliard)... and realised that she had the phone of a missing person whom she was one of the last to see alive. Not everyone would turn that in.
In this scenario she would have put it on a compatible charger, probably just to see whose it was so she could return it... hence the phone ringing for a while. Then she would have figured out whose it was alright, because people had been ringing it every day for months and that would be evident on the screen.
(I didn't come up with any of that myself, this is part of the theory presented on Unfound)
As far as not using a purse for months on end because other purses I have go better with most of my outfits, I have done that many, many times myself. I have always found items in purses that have been sitting idle that long. Never anything as significant as a cell phone of course.

 

[dotr]

I think it strongly supports the walk-away theory IMO. It’s actually brilliant. Police were looking everywhere he was NOT based on his phone pings. And, if you know the details of the phone pings, those correlate to the person who received his phone. Why else would he covertly sneak it into her purse literal minutes before disappearing? MOO

Rbbm.
Uber creepy, but another reason a guy (or gal) might slip a phone into a girl's purse, is if he did not know exactly where she lived and wanted to have that information.
He could then find the woman's home and/or her location by searching "Find my phone'.
imo, speculation, fwiw.'

 

[Ozoner]

It wouldn't have been because of any involvement in his disappearance or foul play. It would have been the fact that she found his phone ages later, when she finally got around to using that purse again (likely while at her mother's house, who lives in Hilliard)... and realised that she had the phone of a missing person whom she was one of the last to see alive. Not everyone would turn that in.
In this scenario she would have put it on a compatible charger, probably just to see whose it was so she could return it... hence the phone ringing for a while. Then she would have figured out whose it was alright, because people had been ringing it every day for months and that would be evident on the screen.
(I didn't come up with any of that myself, this is part of the theory presented on Unfound)
As far as not using a purse for months on end because other purses I have go better with most of my outfits, I have done that many, many times myself. I have always found items in purses that have been sitting idle that long. Never anything as significant as a cell phone of course.

The idea that Brian would have done that as part of a plan to disappear and misdirect searchers doesn't make sense, though.

That would have meant that his plan hinged on the girls' not turning the phone in or telling anyone about it.

The more likely scenario is that he didn't put the phone in the purse to begin with. You can't see what he's doing with his hands with any clarity. It takes a very active imagination to believe that he must be putting the phone into the purse.

 

[Kaie]

It takes a very active imagination to believe that he must be putting the phone into the purse.

That last line was a little unnecessary Ozoner. Everyone in this thread should know by now that you can easily disagree with someone without having to imply that they're a fantasist of some kind.

fwiw, the thing that made me start to think it really is possible that he put his phone in her purse was the movement of Brian's arm when I saw it in the clearer video. It just started to look like, whether his hand is off camera or not, that his hand didn't make it back to his pocket. Feel free to respectfully disagree. I was clear that I'm not sure what happened there.

If this is what happened, the plan didn't necessarily hinge entirely on the girls not handing in the phone. His phone being found in either of the girls' purses at all, even shortly after he disappeared, could still amount to misdirection.

 

[MerryB]

Rbbm.
Uber creepy, but another reason a guy (or gal) might slip a phone into a girl's purse, is if he did not know exactly where she lived and wanted to have that information.
He could then find the woman's home and/or her location by searching "Find my phone'.
imo, speculation, fwiw.'

But this was 2006, before cell phones were equipped with GPS. There was no iPhone, just flip phones.

 

[MerryB]

That last line was a little unnecessary Ozoner. Everyone in this thread should know by now that you can easily disagree with someone without having to imply that they're a fantasist of some kind.

fwiw, the thing that made me start to think it really is possible that he put his phone in her purse was the movement of Brian's arm when I saw it in the clearer video. It just started to look like, whether his hand is off camera or not, that his hand didn't make it back to his pocket. Feel free to respectfully disagree. I was clear that I'm not sure what happened there.

If this is what happened, the plan didn't necessarily hinge entirely on the girls not handing in the phone. His phone being found in either of the girls' purses at all, even shortly after he disappeared, could still amount to misdirection.

Absolutely. Especially if he was last seen with Brightan and Clint & Meredith assumed they went home together. Then he was gone for good. MOO

 

[dotr]

Just keeping this link handy for info.regarding cell phones circa 2006.
GPS Is Smartening Up Your Cell Phone
September 25, 2006

 

[Ozoner]

If this is what happened, the plan didn't necessarily hinge entirely on the girls not handing in the phone. His phone being found in either of the girls' purses at all, even shortly after he disappeared, could still amount to misdirection.

Snipped.

So with this theory, Brian supposedly put his phone in someone's purse in order to misdirect even though the phone was going straight to voicemail and therefore likely turned off?

And then the phone wasn't found for weeks because Brightan swapped purses?

But then she didn't tell anyone that she had found Brian's phone?

And Brian didn't simply discard his phone or remove the battery because . . . ?

And since he hadn't known in advance that he would run into Amber and Brightan there, I guess this master plan of misdirecting everyone by putting his turned-off cell phone in a girl's purse was hatched in the moment?

Brilliant!

I guess if I ever decide to disappear, I should take a page from Brian's book and slip my cell phone into a woman's purse.