Unsolved Ohio: Ohio State student who disappeared at bar still missing 18 years later

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Eighteen years ago, an Ohio State University student vanished after he was captured on camera entering a bar, but was never recorded leaving. Despite a frenzy of media coverage, one of the state’s most well-known disappearances remains a mystery. 

Brian Shaffer was a 27-year-old medical student in his second year at OSU when he was last seen. Lori Davis, an advocate for missing persons, has worked with Brian’s family since he went missing.

“He had already went through the White Coat Ceremony and he was on his way to becoming a doctor,” Davis said. “His personality, they've said that Brian was very funny, that he was very charismatic, that he was very outgoing. And I've even heard that he could be a little stubborn at times.”

On March 31, 2006, a Friday and the beginning of spring break for students, Brian called his brother, asking if he wanted to join him for dinner. His brother had already made plans with his fiancée, so Brian ended up grabbing dinner at a local steakhouse with his dad, Randy, Davis said. Just a few weeks prior, on March 6, Brian’s mother had died. 

“They had a nice time,” Davis said. “There has been some speculation that there may have been an argument during that same dinner and that would have been about the life insurance policy for Brian's mother, Renee. [Randy] never told me that, so I can't say if that is true or false.”

Randy and Brian left the restaurant on good terms, Randy told Davis. Later that night, around 9 p.m., Brian went bar hopping with his friend William “Clint” Florence. The two were taking shots throughout the night, according to NBC News. Brian’s girlfriend, Alexis Waggoner, was unexpectedly out of town that weekend due to medical issues with a family pet, Davis said. 

“He ended up calling that girlfriend,” Davis said. “I believe it was around 10 to 10:30 that night, left a voicemail, everything was fine within the voicemail. He sounded fine.”

Another friend, Meredith Reed, ended up meeting the pair that evening. Around 1:15 a.m., the trio ended up at the Ugly Tuna Saloona – a bar where they had been earlier that night, according to NBC News. One of multiple security cameras caught Brian walking into the establishment.

“Over time, it has come out that there were other medical students that were there that night at the bar," Davis said. "Normally they just talk about the two friends, Clint and Meredith, that were out with Brian. A lot of details that's come out since then that indicated there was about four to five other males that met them there as well.”

Once inside the bar, Brian separated from Florence and Reed. Just after 1 a.m., Brian said he was going upstairs to see the band that was playing that night and walked away. While Brian’s friends stated they thought he went to talk to the band, Davis does not believe Brian knew the band, despite a distant connection (friend of a friend) to one of the members. 

Brian was last caught on tape stepping outside at 1:55 a.m., speaking with two young women, then appearing to re-enter the bar. Those women have been questioned by police and by Brian’s father; Randy “wholeheartedly” believed the two women had nothing to do with his disappearance, Davis said. 

At 2 a.m., the bar’s closing time, Florence and Reed were ready to leave and began looking for Brian, but could not find him. They called him and left a voicemail, then left a short time later, according to Davis. Cameras captured the pair leaving the bar – in one of the most baffling aspects of the case, Brian was never seen again on camera leaving through any entrance or exit. Both bar exits were covered by cameras, as was the escalator that led to the street.

Davis discussed the case with a detective, who had repeatedly studied the video. That detective told her the video haunts him, as he is 100% sure every person who went in the bar can be seen on video leaving, except for Brian. 

The only way out without being seen on tape would have been through a service exit that led to a construction site with doors to the street. A Columbus police sergeant told NBC News in 2006 that the area was “heavily” under construction and would have been difficult to exit, even sober. At least one of the cameras was not stationary and rotated, Davis said, so there are small windows of time where it’s possible Brian left without being captured. 

The next day, Brian did not answer multiple calls from Waggoner and Randy. The real concern began to set in when Monday came around – Brian and Waggoner were supposed to go to Florida for spring break, but she never heard from Brian. 

Brian’s disappearance gained national media attention back in the 2000s and remains heavily discussed online today. Davis said she has “heard it all” regarding the case. Theories include Brian being killed in the bar and taken out with band equipment, thrown down a garbage chute, or that Brian put on a disguise and left on his own. 

Randy even made trips out of state in response to “sightings” of Brian. Davis said a popular rumor was that Brian was a homeless man in Mexico, which was ruled out. Police and his family have received countless tips, none of which leading to an answer. 

In September 2008, Randy died never knowing what happened to his son. During a storm, high winds came through the state and a tree fell, fatally striking him. 

“There has been tons of speculation of what happened to Brian Shaffer that day, and sadly, 18 years later, I don't feel like we're any closer to knowing truly what had happened to Brian,” Davis said. 

Police do not seem to be any closer than they were in 2006 to discovering what happened to Brian, either. Columbus police said the case is “periodically” reviewed, but there are no new updates to provide at this time. 

At the time of his disappearance, Brian was 6 feet 2, around 165 pounds, and had brown hair and hazel eyes. He had a Pearl Jam tattoo on his upper right arm, and a dot on the iris of his left eye. He was last seen wearing jeans, a blue or green striped shirt and tennis shoes. 

Anyone with information regarding the disappearance of Brian Shaffer is urged to call the Columbus Police Department at 614-645-4545 or Central Ohio Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at 614-461-8477.

If you’re a family member of an individual with an unsolved missing persons or homicide case in Ohio, reach out to aboldizar@wcmh.com.