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Writer's pictureSarah Turney

Missing: Brian Shaffer

Missing: Brian Shaffer



On March 31, 2006, 27-year-old Brian Shaffer went out with his friend Clint for a night of barhopping in Columbus, Ohio. At around 1:55 a.m., on April 1st, Brian was seen talking to two women outside the Ugly Tuna Saloona. Two minutes later, he walked back towards the entrance of the bar.


According to Clint and another friend named Meredith, they last saw Brian when he said he wanted to talk to the band and went back inside the bar. They say that they couldn’t find him after this. Before leaving, Clint and Meredith tried calling Brian, but his phone went straight to voicemail, so they went home.


Two days later, Brian was reported missing by his father. And I think what happened next is why Brian Shaffer’s case is so puzzling. When police reviewed surveillance footage from the Ugly Tuna Saloona, they saw Brian leave the bar, speak to the two people, and re-enter the bar. But there was no video of Brian leaving the bar again.


To this day, police still don’t know what happened to Brian that night. There are countless theories about what happened that night, but few answers.


At the time of his disappearance, Brian Shaffer was 27 years old, 6’2”, 160 pounds, with brown hair and hazel eyes. He was wearing an olive green short-sleeved polo shirt with a white long-sleeved shirt underneath, blue jeans, Adidas sneakers, and a yellow cancer awareness bracelet. He has a dot on the iris of his left eye and a tattoo of the Pearl Jam symbol on his upper right bicep.


Anyone with information about the case is asked to call the Columbus Division of Police at 614-645-2358.



Sources:

“Age-Progression Image Released in Brian Shaffer Case.” Ohio Attorney General, 29 March 2021, https://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/Media/News-Releases/March-2021/Age-Progression-Image-Released-in-Brian-Shaffer-Ca


“Brothers: a letter from Derek.” Find Brian Shaffer, accessed on 17 August 2023, https://web.archive.org/web/20090404055139/http://www.findbrianshaffer.com/AboutBrian-Derek.html


Decker, Theodore. “Bar closes, but hunt for missing man still open.” The Columbus Dispatch, 3 May 2018, https://www.dispatch.com/story/opinion/columns/more-voices/2018/05/03/bar-closes-but-hunt-for/12314456007/


“Eddie Talks about Missing PJ Fan.” YouTube, tatemiak, 12 July 2006, www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrHHEhCismg.


Engle, Meagan. “OSU Medical Student Missing.” The Lantern, 4 April 2006, https://www.thelantern.com/2006/04/osu-medical-student-missing/


Fox, Regina. “Unsolved Ohio: The bizarre disappearance of Brian Shaffer from campus bar.” 614, 21 June 2019, https://614now.com/2019/hot-topics/news/unsolved-ohio-the-bizarre-disappearance-of-brian-shaffer-from-ugly-tuna




“Med Student's Case Remains Unsolved.” Missing Pieces, 23 October 2007, http://missingpiecesshow.homestead.com/missingpiecesepisode64archive.html


Miller, Amanda. “Father looking for son who went missing April 1.” Lancaster Eagle-Gazette, 11 April 2006, https://www.newspapers.com/article/102594550/


Miner, Abigail. “Brian Shaffer: clue could lead to missing student.” The Lantern, 12 October 2008, https://www.thelantern.com/2008/10/brian-shaffer-clue-could-lead-to-missing-student/


“Missing Brian Shaffer.” Find Brian Shaffer, accessed 17 August 2023, https://web.archive.org/web/20190823062832/http:/www.findbrianshaffer.com/


“Missing medical student.” Dateline NBC, 7 May 2006, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqktBCMVlJ8&ab_channel=topaut


Newton, Carpenter S. “One Year Later, Search Continues on For Brian Shaffer.” Digital Journal, 8 April 2007,

Pepi, Krik. “A Guy Walks into a Bar - and Is Never Seen Again.” Mel Magazine, 2017, https://melmagazine.com/en-us/story/a-guy-walks-into-a-bar-and-is-never-seen-again#.bgan0pmcm


“Psychics Search Apartment of Missing OSU Student.” nbc4i, 5 April 2006, https://web.archive.org/web/20060409081737/https://www.nbc4i.com/news/8474636/detail.html


Real Life Nightmare. “Season 3, Episode 2: Med Student Mystery.” HLN, accessed 4 September 2023, https://www.discoveryplus.com/video/real-life-nightmare-us/med-student-mystery


“Search for Shaffer continues Dec. 8.” Lancaster Eagle-Gazette, 28 November 2007, https://www.newspapers.com/article/102594891/


Sullivan, Drew. “Is Brian Shaffer alive?” The Lantern, 12 April 2009, https://www.thelantern.com/2009/04/is-brian-shaffer-alive/


Sullivan, Michelle. “When Missing Persons Cases Go Cold.” The Columbus Dispatch, 22 September 2014, https://www.dispatch.com/story/lifestyle/2014/09/22/when-missing-persons-cases-go/22807406007/


“The Brian Shaffer Mystery.” Ohio Center for Missing Persons, March 2015, https://www.magcloud.com/webviewer/900141?__r=563315&s=w


Van Hart, Adam. “Missing Medical Student's King Avenue Apartment Robbed.” The Lantern, 11 May 2006, https://www.thelantern.com/2006/05/missing-medical-students-king-avenue-apartment-robbed/


Wagner, Mike. “Unsolved Mystery: 10 years later, Brian Shaffer still missing.” The Columbus Dispatch, 1 April 2016, https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/crime/2016/04/01/unsolved-mystery-10-years-later/23317737007/


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