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

[Tman2004]

I sincerely doubt that Brian fell prey to a serial killer, in much the same way I doubt he ever left the building.

If he did manage to exit without leaving a trace, then death by misadventure is the likeliest outcome.

So you think he is under the construction site ? Back in the early threads of this case that was one of the biggest questions

 

[CooperDyl]

I think it’s odd LE has never disclosed the identity (as far as I’m aware) of the individual who posted the "To Dad, love Brian (US Virgin Islands)” message outside of the fact that it originated in Franklin Country (in Ohio) from a publicly-assessable computer and was labelled a ‘hoax’. From what I can read they were ‘still searching for the sender’ after already determining it was a hoax. Have we ever received word the sender was found? Assuming it wasn’t Brian (as police surely would’ve followed that lead), were they investigated to ensure they had nothing to do with Brian, weren’t passing a message on his behalf, weren’t in contact with him? Seems like a lead that has never really been fully explained as conclusively solved.

 

[evilwise]

We're TOLD he didn't leave by any visible means of departure. LE is not mandated to disclose info if in regards to an ongoing criminal investigation.

Still, he likely didn't fall in a hole, get lost in a wall, or become boarded up in floorboards. These can be corroborated by, albeit alleged, thorough searches by multiple parties.

Back to "official"...can trained dogs miss scents? Yes. In that small of a potential hit area, and with a known possible (human) decomp, within such a short period of time? No.

He's not at UTS. IMO, he met with whoever, for whatever, and was killed/dumped that night.

If you fall into a 30 foot deep foundation shaft that the next morning gets an I beam pile driven into it and filled with 10 tons of concrete, dogs aren't going to smell you. Not that we don't also see plenty of cases here of bodies being found right where they vanished after cadaver dogs have "cleared" the area.

 

[george14]

AFAIK, it is not well established that Brian left, since there is no evidence that he ever left the complex. No sign of life outside the complex. Brian and Clint came in on the escalator, then they exited on the escalator, then Brian, Clint and Meredith later came in on the escalator, and then Clint and Meredith exited on the escalator. LE concluded that Brian did not exit a second time using the escalator like large majority of visitors exit. Hurst speculated that Brian may have entered the construction area. If he did, it is unknown if he made it out.

There is no evidence Brian is dead either, so does that mean we lean toward him being alive? Not much regarding his disappearance is “well-established.” It’s all speculation. Based on your posts, I don’t think you will ever believe Brian left unless you dig up the area yourself. They searched with cops/investigators = they could have missed him. They brought dogs in = dogs aren’t reliable.

I understand you are hell-bent on Brian being dead/buried in the construction area, but there is a reason that is not taken very seriously. They have searched the area multiple times. Could they have missed him? Yeah anything is possible. AFAIR, the area was nearly finished and not suitable for someone to fall into a hole or have concrete poured over them. It’s far more likely Brian walked out a different exit and got in a car with someone.

 

[Rtael]

If you fall into a 30 foot deep foundation shaft that the next morning gets an I beam pile driven into it and filled with 10 tons of concrete, dogs aren't going to smell you. Not that we don't also see plenty of cases here of bodies being found right where they vanished after cadaver dogs have "cleared" the area.

There were 30-foot-deep holes at the construction site?

 

[Valiant]

There were 30-foot-deep holes at the construction site?

Probably not. And even if they were holes of any depth, the holes would be inspected before a beam was placed in there or concrete was poured. Construction is a very precise operation, no matter what the process looks like.
He’d have been far more likely to be removed unnoticed in a construction dumpster than buried in a construction hole or ditch IMO.

 

[evilwise]

Of course I'm being facetious about the kind of 30 foot deep pylons that get sunk for skyscrapers. The foundation for a commercial building like this would most likely have been constructed by digging a trench (the depth of which depends on the local soil and construction standards) then building a wooden frame in the trench, refilling soil around the frame and filling the frame with concrete. You can watch a video of this sort of foundation being constructed here

It's a multi-day operation and we can see that in this particular job (in the video) the trench flooded between when it was dug and when the wooden frame was constructed. If someone's body was in that mud they probably would have found it when they were building the frame but if it had been left flooded for some time after the frame was built I can't personally imagine anybody would have "inspected" all that muddy water for bodies before the trench was back-filled and the foundation was poured.

Again, I don't know if this is how the development was constructed or if it was at this phase concussion with Brian's disappearance I just provide it as one example of how a person could accidentally become entombed in a construction site - but there are many. It's one of the reasons organized crime is classically associated with industries like construction, sanitation and auto wrecking.

 

[ekardh]

So you think he is under the construction site ? Back in the early threads of this case that was one of the biggest questions

In absence of any evidence that Brian left the club that night, or any signs of foul play, then yes I believe the logical explanation is a drunken accident in the construction area. There's been all manner of wild theories about Brian's fate, but in my opinion, none of them hold water. I've said it before, the accidental death theory is unpopular because it's a literal dead-end. It was just an unfortunate mishap by an intoxicated customer. There's nothing juicy for sleuths to get their teeth into.

 

[george14]

In absence of any evidence that Brian left the club that night, or any signs of foul play, then yes I believe the logical explanation is a drunken accident in the construction area. There's been all manner of wild theories about Brian's fate, but in my opinion, none of them hold water. I've said it before, the accidental death theory is unpopular because it's a literal dead-end. It was just an unfortunate mishap by an intoxicated customer. There's nothing juicy for sleuths to get their teeth into.

The reason it’s not popular is because they have already explored that option. People just aren’t satisfied with the investigators saying he isn’t there, along with dogs not finding him.

 

[ekardh]

The reason it’s not popular is because they have already explored that option. People just aren’t satisfied with the investigators saying he isn’t there, along with dogs not finding him.

How soon was the worksite searched? How thoroughly was it searched? We've seen numerous cases with search dogs that missed bodies.

 

[itsrak]

There is no evidence Brian is dead either, so does that mean we lean toward him being alive? Not much regarding his disappearance is “well-established.” It’s all speculation. Based on your posts, I don’t think you will ever believe Brian left unless you dig up the area yourself. They searched with cops/investigators = they could have missed him. They brought dogs in = dogs aren’t reliable.

I understand you are hell-bent on Brian being dead/buried in the construction area, but there is a reason that is not taken very seriously. They have searched the area multiple times. Could they have missed him? Yeah anything is possible. AFAIR, the area was nearly finished and not suitable for someone to fall into a hole or have concrete poured over them. It’s far more likely Brian walked out a different exit and got in a car with someone.

There is plenty of evidence suggesting that Brian is very likely deceased. Radio silence since 2am on 4/1/06 for starters. I most definitely think it possible that Brian's remains could turn up somewhere other than inside/under the complex some day. I just think inside the complex, part of which was as you know not just a little dug up but completely dug up at the time (per lead detective Hurst who was in there (and rightly so) just days after Brian disappeared) is more likely and more consistent with the evidence and simpler. IMO as always.

 

[arielilane]

Hi embufum,

Thanks for a comprehensive and informative post. You got my attention and agree easy to go down a rabbit hole on this one.

IIRC, Brian’s case is no longer an active case (or is it?)? If it's closed case, believe that police case file can be obtained for a price of course. Really curious how you were able to access Brian’s phone bill. Thought I’d ask and hope that you will come back and provide additional info. TIA

My thoughts have changed on this one for awhile now and believe Brian left the UTS and met with foul play.

IMO, MOO

 

[neesaki]

But why? Why did whomever he was meeting kill him? What was the motive?

There are a few cases. Who was the young man, Joey LeBoufe …. ? Same town wasn’t it? Can someone help me out? TIA

 

[psych-nurse]

There are a few cases. Who was the young man, Joey LeBoufe …. ? Same town wasn’t it? Can someone help me out? TIA

Yes, Joey Labute disappeared relatively close by in Columbus under similar circumstances. He was at a bar with family and friends, was picked up on cameras, left the bar without telling anyone, walked away and diappeared. His body was found in the Scioto River. Cause of death was NOT drowning. The coroner stated he was placed in the water after death.
Tyler Davis and Andy Chapman also disappeared from the Columbus area and have never been found. There may be more but those come to mind immediately.

 

[Functionalist]

I've always been skeptical about the construction site accident theory, given that the construction site was reportedly thoroughly searched after Brian's disappearance. Plus, many people speculate that Brian fell into a deep hole or a foundation area before a concrete pour.

This suggestion ignores the fact that the building was essentially finished at the time of Brian's disappearance in terms of the core structure. Businesses like the UTS were already open for business. They weren't pouring foundations. Foundations are the first part of a building to be poured, not the last parts of the building after businesses in the building like the UTS have already opened. They were finishing a part of the building for a tenant.

If the construction site was "completely dug up", it comes off as an informal and unscientific choice of words to express that it was basically in an grossly unfinished state. But the concrete structure itself would been long finished. There wouldn't have been any dirt to dig. Any holes would been empty spaces for things like stairwells and elevator shafts, though the structure of the building would have been completed at that point.

Stairwells and elevator shafts would have been obvious places to check for a body and would have likely been checked multiple times.

 

[NeverPersonal]

there's the case of a college kid who accessed an area of his U he wasn't supposed to, and died wedged behind some machine and got electrocuted if i remember correctly. was missing for a while before found. maybe something similar happened here

 

[arielilane]

Yes, Joey Labute disappeared relatively close by in Columbus under similar circumstances. He was at a bar with family and friends, was picked up on cameras, left the bar without telling anyone, walked away and diappeared. His body was found in the Scioto River. Cause of death was NOT drowning. The coroner stated he was placed in the water after death.
Tyler Davis and Andy Chapman also disappeared from the Columbus area and have never been found. There may be more but those come to mind immediately.

You definitely have a good memory. Forgot about some of these men. Tony Lazio a young man went missing for nine years and then his body found in his car in a pond. Unbelievable. There is still hope for Brian Shaffer to be found.

 

[Zimmerman The Gnome]

Robert Hoagland has just been found, he went missing almost 10 years ago.

 

[megs1477]

Hi embufum,

Thanks for a comprehensive and informative post. You got my attention and agree easy to go down a rabbit hole on this one.

IIRC, Brian’s case is no longer an active case (or is it?)? If it's closed case, believe that police case file can be obtained for a price of course. Really curious how you were able to access Brian’s phone bill. Thought I’d ask and hope that you will come back and provide additional info. TIA

My thoughts have changed on this one for awhile now and believe Brian left the UTS and met with foul play.

IMO, MOO

I believe Columbus PD said it was no longer active, but it appears FBI has it opened. He is listed in ViCAP as missing. So I don’t think you are going to get any information from a case file at this point.

BRIAN RANDALL SHAFFER - COLUMBUS, OHIO | Federal Bureau of Investigation

Columbus, Ohio April 1, 2006

www.fbi.gov

 

[DD Byrd]

They were looking for this kid right off the bat (LE-wise). He's not in the foundation of the building; and beyond UTS, the university has had myriad unknown searches that are not privy to the public.

To me, it's most likely he left (avoiding his friends) to score drugs and/or a girl that came with them. Did one friend know he was headin' out? Possibly. Did anyone anticipate he'd OD or spout off and need silencing? No. But I think he appeared to/ or did, OD or come at the wrong person. So think of what a few people, never on the radar, could do with a body. Esp with the wherewithal of time and anonymity.