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

[_Patches]

I hope I’m not dominating the thread, but just wanted to address a few misconceptions.
The Gateway Complex that housed the Ugly Tuna Saloona was built in 2005. Brian disappeared in 2006. The building was brand new. It was not “craggy” or old— at all.
South Campus was a very bad area at that time. There were old buildings that were eyesores and a lot of criminal activity took place in the area.
In an effort to improve things, OSU purchased the old buildings and razed them. The Gateway University District was built in 2005 & probably finished between 2007-2008.

This is accurate, wasn't anywhere near "craggy" in 2017 either. Ugly Tuna smelled kinda gross and the movie theater is maybe slightly below average in terms of it's state of appearance, but definitely not "craggy".

Really to this day, there are some sketchy areas around south campus. To the south and east of Gateway off High St is a lot of cheap low rent housing (The Kroger on 7th was known as "Kro-ghetto"). High St everywhere has been completely revamped since my time there in a continuation of what started with Gateway, but there really were some bad areas over there. Anything past 4th St was notorious for being dangerous.

 

[itsrak]

This is accurate, wasn't anywhere near "craggy" in 2017 either. Ugly Tuna smelled kinda gross and the movie theater is maybe slightly below average in terms of it's state of appearance, but definitely not "craggy".

Really to this day, there are some sketchy areas around south campus. To the south and east of Gateway off High St is a lot of cheap low rent housing (The Kroger on 7th was known as "Kro-ghetto"). High St everywhere has been completely revamped since my time there in a continuation of what started with Gateway, but there really were some bad areas over there. Anything past 4th St was notorious for being dangerous.

Who ya gonna believe. The author of the excellent Mel Magazine piece called the building craggy. Other folks think it wasn't. Like most everything with this case, different people see the same thing very differently. Brian wasn't drunk. Brian was drunk. Brian was gay. Brian was straight. The construction area was completely dug up. The construction area had but one small hole in the ground. Clint's hiring a lawyer shows that he's well-informed. Clint's hiring a lawyer shows he's hiding something......

 

[MerryB]

Who ya gonna believe. The author of the excellent Mel Magazine piece called the building craggy. Other folks think it wasn't. Like most everything with this case, different people see the same thing very differently. Brian wasn't drunk. Brian was drunk. Brian was gay. Brian was straight. The construction area was completely dug up. The construction area had but one small hole in the ground. Clint's hiring a lawyer shows that he's well-informed. Clint's hiring a lawyer shows he's hiding something......

You are right, there are many questions regarding this case, and many different opinions. That's probably why so many of us don't have a strong idea of what happened to Brian on that fateful night.
However, there are some facts, too. I can assure you that the building was new, and I'm very familiar with the building at the time Brian disappeared...so, take that for what you feel it's worth.

 

[Tman2004]

Have we given up on the oxygen network. Whatever is left of the podcast should be released. Unless someone with some pull can get that place searched with the modern ground radar or have the police close the case and turn all the files over there’s probably never gonna be a solution to this.

 

[Jim1981_GR]

When someone evades the cameras of a building on his way out and also the cameras of the adjacent buildings, then this could mean 2 things:
1) he never left the initial building and he is still somewhere there (cadaver dogs are not always reliable)
2) he "left" through objects that can completely cover him...like a big waste container, a big keg, a big trash bag etc (at least one perpetrator is involved here).

Frankly, I don't see any other plausible explanations. Theories like "he left the club to grieve and fell in a river" seem unrealistic. Since the police identified every person entering and leaving the building except Brian and being sure that a drunk person is not capable of evading every other camera in the vicinity of the initial building, we inevitably return to the 2 aforementioned possibilities. From what I 've read so far, I am not absolutely sure that these two scenarios have been thoroughly investigated.

I also keep in mind that police may hold information from the public until today. For example if they have found a suspect or noticed strange camera "gaps", they wouldn't share this information with common people. In this case a 3rd or 4th scenario could be added to our list (e.g. an employee left with Brian after tampering with the camera). But unfortunately we must make assumptions based on what we know.

 

[Kaie]

It's the anniversary of Brian's disappearance today. At the time I am posting this, it's 1.50am on 1st April in my neck of the woods.

Fingers crossed this is the year for answers.

 

[itsrak]

It's the anniversary of Brian's disappearance today. At the time I am posting this, it's 1.50am on 1st April in my neck of the woods.

Fingers crossed this is the year for answers.

Yup. Chattin' up a few girls. Poof! 14 years. I don't think he went 100 feet.

 

[Falkner77]

It's the anniversary of Brian's disappearance today. At the time I am posting this, it's 1.50am on 1st April in my neck of the woods.

Fingers crossed this is the year for answers.

Someone, somewhere out there has to know something.

Best odds on who that is all these years later, still? Billy Florence.

 

[embufum]

Thinking of Brian on the 14th anniversary of his disappearance. May this be the year that answers are found and the mystery of his disappearance is solved.

 

[Looking4Brian]

can someone refresh my memory on the law about people going voluntarily missing. If Hearst or others knew shaffer took off and said leave me alone would they be able to say something or would the have to keep up this charade to protect his privacy.

If you listen to John Hurst on Comeback we ask him this question. If Brian was found and did not want people to know, they would respect his privacy and quietly close his case. I believe Don Corbett tells us the same thing. However, Brian’s case is absolutely still open.

 

[Looking4Brian]

Hello. Just wanted to let you all know that I have given up on the Oxygen Channel and currently getting the podcast set up on all sites again. I spent last week working on lining up interviews. I hope everyone is staying healthy during these crazy times!

 

[Looking4Brian]

I sent emails today to both Clint and his attorney requesting an interview. Crossing my fingers, but not holding my breath.

 

[itsrak]

I sent emails today to both Clint and his attorney requesting an interview. Crossing my fingers, but not holding my breath.

Well, if you end up interviewing William/Clint, please be sure to ask him what he thinks may have prompted Tom Waggoner to state: "The gist of my perspective on Clint Florence is that I think that basically all roads to making any progress on the case on Brian Shaffer lead through Clint Florence". Because it seems that Tom Waggoner himself is not interested in stating/clarifying what may have led him to hold that belief and to, rather damningly, state it publicly.

 

[BethAnn777]

What am I missing? Clint was seen leaving the bar on video, Brian wasn’t. What’s the theory that Clint could have had anything to do with Brian disappearing?

 

[Looking4Brian]

What am I missing? Clint was seen leaving the bar on video, Brian wasn’t. What’s the theory that Clint could have had anything to do with Brian disappearing?

I just want to speak to Clint about Brian and the time he spent with him. I haven’t found any evidence to suggest that Clint had anything to do with Brian’s disappearance.

 

[Falkner77]

What am I missing? Clint was seen leaving the bar on video, Brian wasn’t. What’s the theory that Clint could have had anything to do with Brian disappearing?

Alleged fights with Brian weeks before and the night of the disappearance, ducking a grand jury and subsequent interviews, showing no interest in the case and (again, allegedly) making disparaging remarks about Brian. Other than that? Not much.

There’s no suspect in the disappearance but if there is anyone that knows something more than that he’s let on (love triangle, homosexuality, drugs?) .. it’s Clint.

I’d be stunned if he agreed to be on with Kelly, but hope I’m wrong! Thanks for your efforts.

 

[Falkner77]

I sent emails today to both Clint and his attorney requesting an interview. Crossing my fingers, but not holding my breath.

Would this be the Missing in Ohio podcast?

 

[MerryB]

Hello. Just wanted to let you all know that I have given up on the Oxygen Channel and currently getting the podcast set up on all sites again. I spent last week working on lining up interviews. I hope everyone is staying healthy during these crazy times!

Will you be posting the second part of your interview with Detective Hurst?

 

[Jimm]

Newbie here. I've been thinking about this case for a few days. Clint knows what happened even if he is not directly responsible. Did LE ever interview the band members? Is there any video of the band members leaving the Ugly Tuna with their equipment? Did any of the band members live near the cell tower where Brian's cell phone pinged?

 

[itsrak]

Newbie here. I've been thinking about this case for a few days. Clint knows what happened even if he is not directly responsible. Did LE ever interview the band members? Is there any video of the band members leaving the Ugly Tuna with their equipment? Did any of the band members live near the cell tower where Brian's cell phone pinged?

Welcome to a most perplexing and intractable case. Per Comeback podcast, episode 2 (you can find it using google, it is still available online), in which lead detective Hurst is interviewed, he states that CPD reviewed video of the band leaving with their equipment - Brian was not seen on that video leaving with them, and states that "there was nothing for us that indicated they (the band) had any kind of foul play going on with the band..."

The band was called Rockhouse. Don't know where they lived. CPD contracted with Cingular to issue pings from its national network of towers for like 30 days beginning on Monday, around 2.5 days after Brian was last seen. Multiple pings, all emitted from towers in the Columbus metro area, reached Brian's phone. Hurst stated that that would suggest that Brian's phone at that time was within 20 miles of the towers from which each successful ping was emitted. So Brian's phone was still apparently in the metro area after he went missing. It does not suggest that Brian's phone was necessarily 'on the move', just within 20 miles of the multiple towers from which successful pings were emitted.

As to Clint, what do you think might have been his motive to withhold from Brian's devastated family and friends info pertaining to what caused his friend Brian to go missing, if Clint was not the perp (as far as I know, there is no evidence that he was responsible for Brian's having gone missing)?