BRILLIANT MED STUDENT GOES MISSING IN BAR, NEVER COMES OUT, VANISHES: WHERE'S BRIAN?

1:15 AM Friday night, Brian Shaffer, and friends Clint Florence and Meredith Reed head up the Gateway Building’s escalator to the Ugly Tuna Saloona, a popular bar among Ohio State University students. They're celebrating the start of spring break with one last round. Shaffer gets some air, chatting with two women just outside the bar until 1:55 AM. Just 5 minutes later, the bar is closing and masses of patrons head down the escalator, but Florence and Reed can’t find Shaffer. The pair eventually assume that Shaffer went home, likely walking to his off-campus apartment just 6 blocks away. 

Saturday morning, Alexis Waggoner calls her boyfriend twice to nail down some final plans for their upcoming Miami vacation. It goes straight to Brian Shaffer’s voicemail. Shaffer isn’t answering his father either. On Sunday, brother, Derek Shaffer finds Brian’s car parked outside his apartment, but no Brian. Monday morning, Brian Shaffer doesn’t show at the airport. Randy Shaffer immediately reports his son missing.  

Surveillance video clearly shows Shaffer, Florence, and Reed riding the escalator up to the second floor, but Shaffer never comes back down. Surveillance cameras from nearby bars also should have spotted Shaffer leaving the Gateway Building. It appears Brian Shaffer never left the bar.

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[savannahwilliams]

I know some people wonder why Nancy chooses to report on old cases but I think it's a good thing, helps to keep the victims' cases in the public eye.
So many cases go cold and people forget. As years pass, sometimes witnesses start to feel guilt and eventually come forward.

[SprucedandGussied]

Mom dies, Brian disappears without a trace, and dad dies two years later. Horrible for the surviving brother. that's 75% of his family gone within the span of just a few short years.

[banzairunner]

When I was younger, Nancy Grace annoyed the hell out of me for some reason. Now, I think she’s awesome and I appreciate her passion so much. Thank you for fighting for justice, Nancy.

[aheineman]

The retired detective for Brian Shaffer’s case was recently interviewed by a local Columbus podcast, True Crime Garage. His theory is that he exited the building and the camera missed him for a number of possible reasons, such as a sensor glitch, etc. This is what Nancy’s private investigator guest thinks as well. The Det thinks he accidentally fell into a dumpster when vomiting. My theory is foul play then dumpster. The trash was collected before the search started because of the 2-3 day delay in reporting him missing. I’m local and remember when the news hit. So scary. I’ve done deep dives over the years and the investigation seems thorough—solid. My heart goes out to Brian’s brother who lost his mother, brother, and father within the span of two and a half years.

[morganbaker]

Dubuque Iowa, a woman entered a bar after 4th of July and she was never seen again. She's been Missing for around 20 years ... I wish there was more coverage for this one.

[romancatholic]

I completely recall a girl who entered a bar & never came out. Turned out, I believe, the bouncer killed her in the basement & stuffed her in a wall. They need to check walls & ceilings.

[lizroberts]

I thought this young man had only gone missing recently but he has been missing 18 years such a handsome young man he would be 45 years old now, !love your work Nancy Grace,

[airadaimagery]

Umm... If a “friend” refuses to take a polygraph, than HELLO!
I think that guy knows something!

[aprilbrooks]

Nancy, it’s wonderful that you recognize our fallen heroes. God bless you.

[Es_Elle]

Ms. Sumner said that his dad did not like the guy's friends. Nancy cut her off and took the convo elsewhere. I heard Sumner clearly said that dad did not like the friends. Why not?

[ITSONLYMEWATCHING]

It has to be someone who works there. I think he went to the bathroom and got jumped or whatever and then his body was hidden and taken out of the building. Find the employees and interviewed them again. Someone knows something.

[BurroGirl]

What a gorgeous guy. And smart obviously. What a mystery. So sad.

[xsamicidex]

OSU grad here. This case has always bothered me. I pray one day his family and friends get answers.

[rharoldkane]

1) Don't go to bars.
2) Pick your friends wisely

[karenbehymer]

Refusing to take polygraphs, points to the friends knowing something

[nuwon]

When i was in college, the bars sometimes had hidden rooms for people and the owners to do drugs. The owners and or bouncers know something. I would DEMAND answers. People don't evaporate.

[College.is.a.ripoff]

Some bars have tunnels that run from underneath and through the city. Built during prohibition. Some say those tunnels were used for human trafficking as well, back in the day. Supposedly the tunnels are not used anymore. But that should be looked into.

[RoyalPurpleStar]

If Florence was a good friend of Brian’s, he would’ve tried everything he possibly could to help with the investigation by taking a polygraph. Can’t imagine anyone refusing to do something so innocuous for a good friend who vanished into thin air. Just doesn’t make any sense to me and makes him very suspicious. I’m pretty sure Brian was murdered. There was absolutely no reason for him to just up and leave for a new life. I really want this case solved because it’s just too puzzling and tragic. His father died of a freakish accident in September of 2009. How can one family have so many tragedies back to back to back and the 3 that died all happened when they were either young or fairly young. Please let this case be solved soon. 😢 I feel so sad for the family . Hope Brian’s younger brother’s alive and well.

[primordialmeow]

In a couple of these strange type of cases the missing person was inexplicably found in the wall and found during construction years later.

[sandrasylvester]

I’ve seen this story many times over and I could be way off in left field BUT…
The BAND members have huge hollow drums and huge containers and cases for their equipment.
He’d have been able to be removed without any evidence at all of him physically leaving Tuba Saloona.
I’ve gone over this and over this so many times and this is all I can surmise as being possible.
Bizarre? Yes! I know it’s a weird and strange and absurd theory but it’s all I got!