Loading summary
Transcript85 lines
- [00:02]
Vanessa Richardson
Hi listeners, it's Vanessa. Are you the type to fall down an Internet rabbit hole and not come up for hours? You'll love Crimes of Reddit, a new Crime House original with Sabrina, Diana Roga and Alexis Linklater. Every week one host brings real, true crime stories from Reddit while the other reacts completely blind. No prep, no spoilers. Then they swap. It's the feeling of sending your group chat a thread at 2am that starts with you have to see this. Except Sabrina and Alexis are in the chat with you. Follow Crimes of Reddit on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or subscribe at Crimes of Reddit pod on YouTube.
- [00:45]
Sarah Turney
This is Crime House.
- [00:50]
Vanessa Richardson
A medical student steps into a crowded bar on a Saturday night and simply ceases to exist. Surveillance cameras caught him going in, not one frame caught him leaving. His friends searched his phone, went straight to voicemail, and the footage raised more questions than it answered. Welcome to crime house 24 7. I'm Vanessa Richardson. Twice a day, every day, we bring you the best, most timely and gripping cases from across the entire Crime House network, all in one place right here. And every Tuesday is an unsolved crime where I bring you two cases that have yet to be cracked and still haunt us today. Now we're turning to the vanishing of Brian Shaffer, the second of today's two disappearances, and decades later, this case is moving again. Brian Shaffer's disappearance has drawn renewed attention as advances in forensic video analysis and digital records review have prompted fresh scrutiny of the Gateway Film center footage and the timeline surrounding that night, keeping investigators and amateur sleuths alike convinced there are answers still hiding in plain sight. This community exists because of listeners like you want even more. Join Crime House plus for every episode of Crime House 24.7ad free. Not only that, but you'll get complete access to an exclusive limited series every month and early ad free access to all Crime House shows and bonus episodes go to crimehouseplus.com or on Apple Podcasts. Tap try free at the top of the crime house 24. Seven page now. Sarah Turney and Courtney Nicole walk us through the final hours of Brian Shafer. What is Toyota Affordability? It all starts with buying Smart and your Toyota dealer has great deals available to qualified customers on reliable cars and SUVs, including the redesigned RAV4, spacious Grand Highlander, sporty Camrys and Corollas. It means driving for less with efficient hybrid and plug in hybrid options available throughout the lineup, extending your overall driving range and delivering great mpgs, saving you money at the pump. And it means trading for more. Toyota's known for building long lasting vehicles and as the best resale value brand. According to Kelley Blue Book, your Toyota can be worth thousands more than average when it's time to trade in. That's Toyota affordability. Buy smart, Drive for less and trade for more. Shop toyota.com or your local dealer for deals and details. Vehicle's projected resale value is specific to the 2026 model year. For more information, visit Kelley Blue Books kbb.com Toyota brand average resale value is 53% versus the average vehicle at 45% Toyota. Let's go places. You know recommendations can be great. Maybe someone recommended this podcast and here you are. But home projects are different. If a podcast isn't your thing, you lose a few minutes. If you hire your cousin's neighbor to mount your tv, you might end up with a lopsided screen and wall damage. Maybe I know a guy just isn't enough for your home. That's why thumbtack works. It matches you with top rated local pros with photos, reviews and credentials all in one place. For your next home project, try thumbtack. Hire the right pro Today.
- [04:12]
Sarah Turney
Brian Schaefer's case is bookended by tragedy. His mother, Renee, died from cancer just weeks before he vanished. His father, Randy, passed away in a freak accident a few years later. And in the middle lies Brian's disappearance, an absence that has left the world wondering whether he, too, is gone or if there's any chance he's still alive out there somewhere. But before we discuss the tragedies that befell the Shaffer family, let's talk about their lives. Brian Shaffer was born on February 11, 1979. His mom, Renee, worked as a nurse while his dad, Randy, was an electrician. They raised Brian in Pickerington, Ohio, a suburb east of Columbus. Brian had one sibling, his brother Derek, who was two years younger. Derek was the introvert of the family and Brian the extrovert, friends and family said. Brian was friendly and funny, but he could also be impulsive and stubborn. I think the best example of these traits comes from a story from his high school years. Brian was the captain of his high school tennis team. Just two games shy of the state tournament, his coach told him he had to get a haircut. Brian refused and opted to quit the team instead. Through his teenage years, the one thing that outweighed sports for Brian was music. He learned guitar and even played in a garage band. As a teenager, his old MySpace page said he listened to everything from Elton John to Nine Inch Nails. His Favorite band, though, was Pearl Jam. He even got a tattoo to commemorate some of their album artwork.
- [05:38]
Courtney Nicole
After Brian graduated high school, he took a few years off to figure out what he wanted to do with his Life. Then in 1999, at the age of 20, he enrolled at Ohio State University. The campus was just north of downtown Columbus, about half an hour from Pickerington, so he would still be close to home. He decided to follow in his mom's footsteps and go into medicine. So he majored in microbiology with a minor in molecular genetics. In 2004, Brian enrolled in OSU's medical school. That first year of med school, Brian noticed a woman in his class named Alexis Wagoner. But he didn't make a move until a mutual friend told him that she was interested too. So Brian sent Alexis an email asking her out to dinner and they started dating. In June of 2005, as Brian entered his second year of med school, tragedy struck when his 50 year old mom, Renee, was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Christmas of 2005 was bittersweet. It was the last one Renee would have with the family, and she wanted to do something special for Brian and Alexis. So she helped Brian pay for their upcoming trip to Miami over spring break.
- [06:39]
Sarah Turney
As Renee's health got worse, the family spent as much time together as they could. During one of Brian's visits, his mom told him she wanted him to settle down and have a family soon. And she loved Alexis. Brian told her he was thinking of proposing and his mom recommended a jeweler to him. Even though they'd only been together about six months, Brian and Alexis were nearly inseparable. They hadn't moved in together yet, but Brian had his own apartment just off campus, and Alexis was there all the time. And they had talked about marriage and even looked at engagement rings together.
- [07:12]
Courtney Nicole
But being in the midst of medical school, marriage might have seemed like a lot of the time. His old MySpace page gave us a good snapshot of his life at that point. Brian wrote in his bio that medical school was just a temporary hustle until he made it big in music or became a beach bum. He also wrote about how he'd love to smoke a joint with Bob Marley.
- [07:30]
Sarah Turney
That being said, there are more serious bits too. He mentioned Alexis saying, quote, I have an awesome and amazing girlfriend, making it clear he was happily taken. He also spoke about his mother, calling her his hero and quote, the greatest, most wonderful person in the world. Brian had always been close with his mom, but her illness seemed to bring them even closer. But then, on March 6, 2006, Renee lost her battle with cancer at 51 years old, Brian took her death extremely hard. Over the next few weeks, he seemed to have this rollercoaster of emotions. Shortly after the funeral, he asked Alexis to run away with him. Not long after that, Brian told her he was struggling so much with his mother's death that she should probably find somebody else and move on. As march drew to a close and finals were looming, Brian then asked Alexis to, quote, skip class tomorrow. Let's go get married. I think everybody grieves differently, and especially when you're really close to your partner. I feel like that filter is just gone, as it should be, I think.
- [08:35]
Courtney Nicole
Yeah, I feel like you tend to open up a little bit more, and especially in Brian's case when you're dealing with the grief of someone on top of trying to accomplish this really, really hard task of going to medical school. So it's really, really a lot. It's kind of all closing in, it seems. But, you know, I think everyone at some has made the joke of throwing in the towel and running away and starting a new life, especially in recent times. I know I have. So, as much as we all like to, you know, make those jokes and make those little comments about running away and starting a new life, I feel like it's very rare that somebody actually does. And in Brian's case, I really don't think that he was wanting to do that. I just feel like the grief and everything in his life at that point in time was just too much to bear. And like you said, you kind of rely on your partner and you make little comments like this. I feel like that's totally normal.
- [09:19]
Sarah Turney
Yeah. And I feel like the phrase like actions speak louder than words applies here. You know, he was going to go look at engagement rings, and, yeah, maybe he made a few jokes here and there or said things while he was grieving his mom. I don't know. I think that, like, the actions here are clear.
- [09:33]
Courtney Nicole
I think a lot of people like to speculate, and not just in this disappearance, but in a lot of them, you know, if there were any red flags that could be worth paying attention to. And I guess the only thing that really stands out to me is the passing of his mom and how hard he was taking it. But again, I don't think he was being serious when he made those comments about running away and, you know, and starting a new life.
- [09:52]
Sarah Turney
Yeah, I totally agree. And, like, that's a huge thing. And she was young. 51 is young. And again, all these pressures, going through medical school, thinking about, you know, marrying your girlfriend and then you lose your mom. It's so hard, right, because your world stops, but the rest of the world around you doesn't. And I don't know, coping with all of that is just extremely hard. And I just think we have to look at his actions over his words. Finals week ended on Friday, March 31, 2006. The plane tickets Renee helped Brian buy for their trip to Miami were for Monday, April 3rd. So they have that weekend before their vacation. That Friday, Alexis and her brother drove up to Toledo, Ohio, two and a half hours northwest to visit their parents. They want to spend time with their family dog who's nearing the end of her life. Alexis planned to come home Sunday the second, giving her enough time to pack before their trip. After Alexis leaves, Brian makes plans to go out and celebrate the end of the term. But before he heads out, he shoots Alexis a message over MySpace. He tells her he can't wait for their trip and jokingly asks if she can go topless at the beach. He says, quote, a man can dream. Can he? When he leaves his apartment, Brian starts his night out by getting dinner with his dad Randy at a steakhouse. Brian invites his brother Derek too, but Derek already had plans. He and his girlfriend are seeing a comedy show, but Derek tells Brian that he might meet up with him afterwards. This leaves Brian and his dad time to catch up, and during that dinner, Randy says Brian seems exhausted from his exam week.
- [11:25]
Courtney Nicole
After dinner, Brian heads home and his friend Clint Florence comes by. Between 9 and 9:30pm Brian and Clint are close. They go out bar hopping all the time. Brian's apartment is close to downtown Columbus, so he and Clint walk to a place nearby called the Gateway Film Center. It's a huge entertainment complex complex with a movie theater and several bars and restaurants. When Brian and Clint get there, they go to a spot on the second story of the complex called the Ugly Tuna Saloona. It's a small bar with a nautical theme. Brian and Clint have three or four shots each and hang out for about an hour. At around 10:30pm Brian calls Alexis from the bar. She doesn't answer, so he leaves her voicemail and told her that he loves her. About half an hour later, she calls him back. Alexis talks about how her dog Ellie is doing and he says to try and enjoy her time with her family. Around 11pm, Brian and Clint leave to go to an area in Columbus called the Short north. They hit up three different bars and around midnight or 12:30am they decide to head back to the Gateway they're supposed to meet up with some other friends now at the Ugly Tuna, but they've ventured about a mile and a half south. So Clint calls his friend Meredith Reed to come and pick them up. By 1:15am the three of them are riding up the escalator to the Ugly Tuna Saloona.
- [12:36]
Sarah Turney
Remember, his brother Derek mentioned meeting up with them too, but the show he was at ran late. So Derek and his girlfriend just went home for the night. But the friends they're supposed to meet up with are at the Ugly Tuna waiting. Some of them are Clint's students. He works as a teacher's assistant. Clint goes to talk to one of them, a woman named Amber Ruick. She brought along a female friend named Brighton Zadko. So while Clint and Amber catch up, Brian and Brighton get to chatting.
- [13:02]
Courtney Nicole
Brighton did not disclose this publicly until years later, but she said that night Brian was flirting with her and she didn't know that he had a girlfriend at the time, so she went along with it. Brighton said as the night wore on, Brian even kissed her on the neck and she put her number in his phone.
- [13:17]
Sarah Turney
That's how things went for the next half hour. Everyone mingles, and with closing time drawing near, Clint tells Brian not to wander off. He has a habit of doing that when he drinks. Multiple friends said that Brian could get into some mischief after having one too many. He was the type of person who might wander off and wake up on a stranger's lawn the next morning. I feel like alcohol is just this complete wild card. Like you can think, you know, and maybe you do often act a certain way when you drink, but again, it just feels very random sometimes.
- [13:49]
Courtney Nicole
Yeah, it also depends on, you know, how much you've eaten that day. Like you said, you might know your limit, but honestly, at the end of the day with alcohol, you never truly know as girls, like, as women, when we go out, we tend to stick really close with our friends and we don't really let each other out of our sight. Although he may be a wild card and, you know, might drink a little bit too much sometimes. Generally speaking, he. He can handle himself.
- [14:10]
Sarah Turney
Yeah. I mean, and it's hard, right? Like, he had a steak dinner with his dad, so we know that he has some food in his stomach. But this is also like their local haunts. They're in college, you know, I'm sure that they knew even more people at this location. Right. So it's like I waver between. You should be able to have a good time and drink and have fun when you're in Colle college, but also being realistic and staying safe. I don't know what that middle ground is.
- [14:34]
Courtney Nicole
I don't either. Especially in his downtime, he kind of just wants to go out and let loose and have fun. I feel like you should be able to do that.
- [14:40]
Sarah Turney
Well, he's trying to celebrate, Right. They were celebrating like the end of the term, which for a medical student, I can't even imagine the pressure of that. Right. I was an English major and that felt really hard. But being a, you know, in medical school, that's a whole different thing. And you should just be able to let loose at your local bar that you go to all the time without having to worry about something awful happening to you.
- [15:00]
Courtney Nicole
Exactly. And I feel like whether you are a man or a woman, there's always some tips that you can do to stay safe when you're out drinking. Like, for example, you can leave with the same people that you came in with. I feel like that's one sure way to make sure everyone gets home safe. Another thing that you could do is, like, make a plan for when you might need to cut each other off. You can have those gentle conversations, you know, basically saying, hey, let's start taking it a little easy. And then of course, like, the number one most important thing that I guess I would always recommend is to always share your location with the people that you go out with, especially if you are drinking, because. Because you never know what could happen in the blink of an eye.
- [15:37]
Sarah Turney
Clint said after he talked to Brian about not wandering off, he didn't see him again for the rest of the night. Some patrons in the bar said that they saw Brian and Clint having an argument, but the bar was too loud to hear specifics. Clint has never commented on this alleged argument, though. What we do know is that at 1:55am Brian is on camera chatting with Brighton and Amber outside the Ugly Tuna in front of them. People are going up and down the escalators and armed security guards are watching from the top of the landing. Then the trio steps off camera going into an alcove to get out of people's way. Brighton remembers stepping back into the alcove. She said that she and Amber talked to Brian for another few minutes before parting ways. At approximately 1:57am Brian then goes in the direction of the bar, but neither women remember seeing him go back inside.
- [16:24]
Courtney Nicole
If he didn't go back into the bar, Brian would have gone down a hallway that had three different exits. One was an emergency exit that would sound an alarm if opened. The other was a nondescript beige door that led to a part of the building still under construction. Though you'd expect this door to be locked, Amber had actually opened it earlier in the night to call her boyfriend, so we know that it was an option. The third exit was the service elevator that employees took. It went down to the first floor of the complex, but this exit had working cameras and investigators did not see Brian on the surveillance footage.
- [16:55]
Sarah Turney
Minutes after Brian leaves Amber in Brighton, Clint and Meredith realize they've lost him. The Ugly Tuna's small and people have cleared out after last call, so they scan the bar quickly and check the bathrooms too. But Brian is nowhere to be found. Meredith calls Brian's cell at 2:01am and it goes straight to voicemail. She leaves a voicemail saying, where are you? Where in the hell are you? Clint and Meredith look for a little longer both in and around the bar, but they can't find Brian. Then they're seen on camera heading down the escalator. In less than six minutes, Brian Schaefer vanished without a trace.
- [17:41]
Vanessa Richardson
This episode is sponsored by Vinted. Are you someone who tends to rotate your wardrobe with the seasons only to realize you have dozens of clothes you haven't touched in a year? That was my friend's exact situation recently, and it felt like she was literally sitting on a pile of unworn cash. That's when she finally decided to check out Vinted. Vinted is a secondhand marketplace app that makes it so easy to list your pre loved fashion and clear out space while putting extra money back in your pocket. The whole setup is totally seamless and fits right into a busy schedule. It's easy to list your items, just a couple of photos and Vinted's simple selling process handles the heavy lifting. When someone buys your item, Vinted creates a prepaid shipping label for you so you can just drop it in the mail. Best of all, there are zero seller fees, meaning you actually keep all the money you make to spend or save however you want. It's such a rewarding feeling to organize your life and give great clothes a second life. Ready to clean out your closet and make some extra money? Download the Vinted app for free and start listing. With no seller fees, you keep every dollar you earn and for a limited time, enjoy free shipping in the US on Vinted.
- [18:51]
Courtney Nicole
In 2010, a family of four in California goes missing. Investigators spend years looking for answers. Is this a family on the run or is the truth far more sinister? From ABC Audio In 2020, this is what happened to the McStays? Follow what happened to the McStays for weekly episodes.
- [19:09]
Sarah Turney
Wherever you get your podcasts, or if
- [19:11]
Courtney Nicole
you can't wait, the entire series is streaming now. Add FREE for subscribers to 2020 True Crime plus find 2020 True Crime plus on Apple Podcasts to start your free trial today.
- [19:20]
Vanessa Richardson
If you've spent years trying every diet out there only to end up feeling totally stuck, listen up. This summer can actually be different. You deserve to feel amazing in your own skin and Weight Loss by Hers is here to help you finally shake things up. They now offer access to an affordable range of FDA approved GLP1 medications, including both the Wegovy Pen and the brand new Wegovy pill. Yes, a pill which means you can lose up to 20% of your body weight when combined with diet and exercise, absolutely no needles required. The entire process is 100% online, so you'll connect with a licensed medical provider right from your couch. There's no insurance necessary and if prescribed, your treatment is delivered straight to your door. You also get 247 care team messaging and in app lifestyle and nutrition tips to back you up every single step of the way. Ready to reach your goals? Visit forhers.com pave to get personalized, affordable care that gets you that's F o r h e-r s.com paveforhers.com pave Weight loss by hers is not available in all 50 states. WeGovy is the registered trademark of Novo Nordisk as To get started and learn more, including important safety information, WeGovy clinical study information, and restrictions, visit forhers.com it's
- [20:42]
Sarah Turney
the early morning hours of April 1, 2006. Clint is House sitting for a professor in Clintonville, a bit north of campus. He and Meredith spend the rest of the night there. They wake up around 10am Meredith takes Clint to his car, which he left at Brian's apartment the night before. They don't knock on the door, but later Clint leaves a voicemail, checking in. Brian doesn't return the call. Later that day, Brian is supposed to visit his dad, Randy, but he doesn't show up. Randy remembers that Brian seemed exhausted, so this doesn't raise any alarms. Brian's girlfriend, Alexis, doesn't call until 3 or 4 in the afternoon, thinking he's probably sleeping the night off. The call goes straight to voicemail, but she isn't worried yet either. Alexis tries him again at midnight though, and the phone still goes straight to voicemail. When he doesn't pick up at any 2am, she really starts to worry that Something's wrong. While she's driving home from her parents house later that morning, Brian still isn't picking up. When Alexis gets back to Columbus, she goes straight to Brian's apartment. His car is still in the parking lot. And when she goes inside, nothing looks out of place. But Brian isn't there. That's when Alexis and the Shafer family start calling Brian's friends and no one has seen him. They call the police. That afternoon, officers come to Brian's apartment and take a statement from Alexis. But before they open a formal investigation, they want to see if he makes his flight to Miami the next day. Alexis spends the night alone at Brian's apartment. The next day, Monday, April 3rd, their flight comes and goes and there's still no sign of Brian. I get why this doesn't raise any alarms for so many people on the first day. Brian's in college, he went out drinking. Sleeping in really late the next day seems pretty reasonable.
- [22:29]
Courtney Nicole
It's kind of all typical behavior from that age. And it's really, really sad to think like, you know, everything was normal. Nobody ever thinks that something like this will happen, especially to, like, their loved one. But then looking back, obviously something is very, very wrong. If he's continuously not answering his phone.
- [22:45]
Sarah Turney
I mean, I think there's a clear escalation. Right. You call the first time that it goes right to voicemail, you're like, okay, he's probably sleeping it off. You call again. Well, that's a little we. You keep calling and then you're like, what's going on? What is going on? And I think that it's just natural to not want to think that the worst has happened and think that, you know, maybe something happened with their phone. You know, maybe there's some type of other barrier besides the worst case scenario.
- [23:10]
Courtney Nicole
Yeah, you definitely try to rationalize every single possible scenario.
- [23:15]
Sarah Turney
When I feel like I've heard it from so many families. Right. You never think it'll happen to you until it does.
- [23:21]
Courtney Nicole
At this point, even though they are obviously very worried, I'm sure they still have hope that he's going to turn up and he'll be just fine.
- [23:27]
Sarah Turney
Yeah, I think you always want to hold out that hope, especially in the beginning. Again, there could have been so many factors that could have happened. And this is a man with a plan. He's in medical school, like he just finished his finals. This doesn't seem like somebody who just wants to disappear. And I think that's a big thing for me in this case is why go through finals if you planned on
- [23:46]
Courtney Nicole
disappearing, Especially following in his mom's footsteps, like, he really, really wants to make her proud, since she did the exact same thing to me, that doesn't scream, I'm gonna throw it all away and willingly go missing or willingly disappear. After Brian misses his flight on April 3, police start taking things seriously. And a detective by the name of John Hurst is assigned to lead the case. One of the first things they investigate Is whether Brian could have ended up in a dumpster, either due to foul play or because he'd been drinking, started throwing up, and passed out. If Brian did end up in a dumpster, that kind of evidence could disappear very fast. So pursuing this angle is incredibly urgent to Sergeant Hearst. But some of the dumpsters in the immediate area have already been emptied. And dumpsters that are privately owned don't go to local landfills. Instead, they go to landfills down in Tennessee. But even in the landfills that police can search, they are completely unsuccessful. Not a shred of evidence is found.
- [24:46]
Sarah Turney
Another matter of urgency is finding out how Brian got out of the bar in the first place, because the surveillance footage doesn't show him leaving the bar. But remember, there were three other doors he could have accessed near the Ugly Tuna. The emergency fire exit, the service elevator, and the door that led downstairs to the construction zone. Police are quick to hone in on the construction site as a possible lead.
- [25:08]
Courtney Nicole
Yeah, so the construction area was huge, Taking up a large portion of the basement level. And there were no cameras inside yet. The area also had three different entrances to the street, which didn't have proper doors yet. They were just padlocked boards, and someone could have squeezed through. Plus, the cameras that watched these doors from the street Just panned slowly over a wide area. They weren't motion detected. So if someone left through the construction area, they could have easily gone undetected While the cameras were pointed away. Sergeant Hurst has actually gone on record saying he thinks that's what happened with Brian. As far as the other exits, Brian probably didn't leave via the service elevator because it had surveillance, and he likely would have been spotted. But there was one other way out. The emergency fire exit. There was a camera pointing at this exit, too. But the footage was set to auto record over itself. And by the time police asked for the footage, it had been taped over. Management at the Ugly Tuna told police no one exited that way because they had someone stationed at the exit.
- [26:09]
Sarah Turney
It.
- [26:09]
Courtney Nicole
And even if someone slipped past the guard, the exit was clearly marked with a sign that said an alarm would sound. If opened yet, no alarm went off that night. But here's the thing. Though it hasn't been widely talked about in the news, it was apparently common knowledge among locals that the door wasn't alarmed after all.
- [26:28]
Sarah Turney
So what about the cameras nearby? Would they have caught Brian on the street after he got out of the building? You would see would think so. But police found that a lot of cameras nearby were either broken or dummy cameras, both near the gateway and on Brian's route home. So there's no leads there.
- [26:46]
Courtney Nicole
Police also tried using dogs to figure out which way Brian went. Cadaver dogs searched the complex and the surrounding area several times over those first couple of weeks. All the dogs got was a possible hit at the Wendy's across the street. But cadaver dogs aren't always, always accurate. They can hit on trash with even the smallest amounts of any blood on it. Unfortunately, the camera at this Wendy's was one of the ones that was broken, too. So another dead end.
- [27:12]
Sarah Turney
As police are dealing with the investigation, Brian's dad, Randy, is getting desperate. He says he's even open to tips from psychics. Some of the tips he gets from the public are intended to just be cruel. Talking about how they have reason to believe Brian was killed, killed or sexually assaulted. One he got from a psychic sends Randy on a wild goose chase. For example, the Olentangy river is only about a mile from the gateway, so there was a lot of speculation that Brian could have ended up there. But at the time Brian vanished, the river was only a few feet deep, plus the police had already searched it. But this doesn't stop Randy from following up on a tip from one particular psychic. He spends hours searching along the banks and wading through the Olentangi, searching for his son.
- [27:55]
Courtney Nicole
Sarah, have you ever been approached by psychics to help in your sister's case?
- [28:00]
Sarah Turney
Yes, and I would love to talk about psychics because it is truly a mixed bag. I've been approached. I've approached them. This is something that I'm open to, that I think a lot of families are open to. And unfortunately, I think you have good experiences and you have bad with me. I've never met or engaged with a psychic who was able to give me information that wasn't public, info that we didn't already know, which breaks my heart, you know, because I am open to it. And very much like Randy, you know, I will take a tip from a psychic and I'll go pursue that lead. It's really hard, you know, because I've also had really horrible Experiences with psychics that were traumatizing. Like, I had somebody tell me that they knew where my sister's body was and they were digging it up right then. It's such a mixed bag. And I know I keep saying that, but it's hard. I think families, in many ways, are desperate, so they will take a tip from a psychic and run with it. And I don't think it's a bad thing to do. I think it's an exhausting and really kind of scary thing to do because you never know if they're lying.
- [29:05]
Courtney Nicole
You're probably hoping that they provide something new that they can't just find online to kind of give them some shred of, like, credibility. But I feel like it is a very fine line between helpful information without it being hurtful and possibly not true.
- [29:18]
Sarah Turney
No, it is a fine line, you know, and I'm even like, my childhood best friend is a psychic, and we talk about this all the time, you know, and she. She think. Thinks that there's a certain code of ethics that most professional psychics should follow, that most of them do follow. But then you get some of these, like, crazy outliers who, you know, may not have the best intentions.
- [29:37]
Courtney Nicole
Yeah, I'd say it's a very interesting aspect to not only this case, but, you know, one like your sisters as well. You always want to believe that people are doing it for the right reasons and they're being truthful.
- [29:48]
Sarah Turney
Well, and I always say, like, families are such an easy target. Right, because we're so desperate. And I think desperate has this, like, negative connotation. Right. But it's just like the reality of families, especially of the missing, when there's so few answers. We are desperate for any lead, any clue, any crumb of truth that we can follow to try to find our loved one.
- [30:11]
Courtney Nicole
After the first few days of the search, detectives also consider the possibility that Brian could have run away. They look into his mental health history and find that he'd struggled with depression and had taken medication before. They also wonder if Brian might have been unhappy with his life and fled because of that. A former high school girlfriend tells police Brian may have been bisexual or had at least experimented with men at some point. But that theory seems to come exclusively from her and doesn't bear any fruit.
- [30:37]
Sarah Turney
Well, after a month, there's a really interesting development in the case. Police call Alexis at 3am on the morning of May 11 to tell her someone had broken into Brian's apartment. Officers need her to come by and tally up what's been stolen. Strangely enough, only a small TV, a DVD player and a handful of CDs were taken. Brian had music equipment and guitars out in the open, but those were left alone. At first, police are hopeful the break ins connected to the disappearance. If it was foul play, did the killer break in to destroy evidence? Or if Brian did run away, did he come back for something important? But those hopes fizzled when they learned burglars broke into two nearby apartments that same night.
- [31:17]
Courtney Nicole
A few months pass. It's August when police finish combing through all of the video surveillance from the Gateway. Detective Andre Edwards had taken on this task. He thought maybe if there was anyone else who went into the bar that night but wasn't caught on camera leaving, it could point to a possible suspect. So Edwards made note of every single person caught on camera going into the bar that night. Then he watched the footage until he could trace every single patron back out of the bar, either via the escalator or the service elevator. Edwards said Brian was the only one who was seen on camera entering the bar that night night but was not caught on surveillance leaving, meaning he likely left alone.
- [31:55]
Sarah Turney
Although the surveillance footage didn't bring any new leads, a month later, a possible new development came along. Alexis and Randy had been paying Brian's phone bill just so they could keep calling him, hoping one day he might answer. Alexis called his cell every single day, but it always went straight to voicemail. Then on September 8, she calls right before bed around 11:30pm and this time the phone actually rings.
- [32:28]
Vanessa Richardson
Ready to level up? Champa Casino is your playbook to fun. It's free to play with no purchase necessary. Enjoy hundreds of online social games like Blackjack, Slots and Solitaire anytime, anywhere with fresh releases every week. Whether you are at home or on the go, let Chumba Casino bring the excitement to you. Plus get free daily login bonuses and a free welcome bonus. Join now for your chance to redeem some serious prizes. Play Chumba Casino today. No purchase necessary VGW Group VOIP board prohibited by law 21 TNCs apply with Squarespace, you can do more than just build a website. You can build a business. Squarespace helps restaurants and hotels showcase signature offerings and experiences. And with Squarespace, consultants and photographers can create invoices to collect well earned payments. You can even send email newsletters to keep in touch with your loyal customers. Done. So grow your business@squarespace.com. get started with offer code. Make it real for 10% off your website or domain.
- [33:28]
Sponsor/Ad Voice
I've always dreamed of being able to order my coffee in Italian like a local instead of just pointing at the menu and hoping for the best. There's something about speaking another language with real confidence that opens up a whole new world of experiences. That's why I'm so excited about Rosetta Stone Sapphire. It's their biggest launch in over a decade. It takes that research backed method we all know and trust and adds fresh, cutting edge features that make it easier than ever to go from knowing a few phrases to speaking naturally about the topics you actually care about. What I love is that you aren't just memorizing vocabulary lists, you learn entirely in your new language through visuals and audio, just like you did as a kid. One of my favorite new features is chat missions. It turns conversation practice into a game, putting you in real world scenarios like ordering at a restaurant or asking for directions and giving you missions to complete. You get real time feedback along the way so you build that confidence before you ever have to use your skills in the real world. If you want to take your language skills to the next level, don't wait to try Rosetta Stone Sapphire Listeners of this podcast can get 20% off their Rosetta Stone Sapphire subscription when they sign up today. This gets you access to Rosetta stone sapphire in 25 languages. Visit Rosetta stone.com Rs10 to redeem your 20% off. That's RosettaStone.com Rs10.
- [35:01]
Sarah Turney
It's Friday, September 8, 2006. Brian's girlfriend Alexis has been calling his phone every day hoping he picks up. It always goes straight to voicemail, but that night it rings. Alexis said, it scared the crap out of me. I had no idea what I would say if a person answered it, but no one answers after it rings. The call eventually still goes to voicemail. Alexis lives with her brother, so she has him call from his phone next just in case hers is acting up. But Brian's phone rings again. Then Alexis calls Randy and the police and tells them Brian's phone is ringing. The police keep calling and the phone rings until 4 or 5am on the 9th, but after that it goes straight to voicemail for the rest of the day. Then On Sunday the 10th, the phone rings between 8am and 8pm after that it goes straight to voicemail.
- [35:54]
Courtney Nicole
At the time, the carrier singular tells police this could have been just a a glitch, especially if the nearby cell tower was overwhelmed. A local advocate on the case named Lori Davis followed up on that more recently though, and she was told that the ping could have meant that the phone was indeed on. In an interview conducted in 2019 or 2020. Investigator John Hurst said there had actually been other possible leads involving Brian's phone. He didn't give too many details, but Hearst said that police had Brian's phone ping off of a few tiny towers shortly after he vanished. One of these pings was near the west side of Columbus. The other ping was in Upper Arlington, a neighborhood just west of Brian's campus. Hearst specifically mentions the ping being near the intersection of Lane and Kenny Road, about 2.5 miles from the Gateway. Meanwhile, the tower that Brian cell appeared to ping when Alexis called was in Hilliard, a Columbus suburb about 14 miles from the Gateway. But all three towers that got pinged are all on the west side of the city, and they're all fairly close together.
- [36:54]
Sarah Turney
After that phone ping on the weekend of September 8th, leads fizzle out. But Randy still follows up on everything he can. Don Corbett, a local private investigator, reaches out that first year and offers Randy his services for free. Don starts helping him investigate every angle he can think of. Randy never believed Brian just ran away. And he stayed determined to find him, even as months turned into years. Then, in 2 2008, the Midwest is hit with severe windstorms in the wake of Hurricane Ike. And that's when another unexpected tragedy strikes. On September 14, Randy's in his backyard cleaning up storm debris. But it's still very windy. And in a freak accident, a falling tree branch strikes Randy on the head and kills him. After the funeral, people leave their condolences on his online obituary. And one comment is. Is incredibly shocking. It says, quote, dad, I love you, love Brian. Then in brackets, it says US Virgin Islands.
- [37:54]
Courtney Nicole
The case gets revisited instantly. And on October 7, 2008, Columbus Police track the origin of the comment to a public computer. But it's not in the Virgin Islands. It's in Franklin County, Ohio. John Hurst says the whole thing is likely a hoax. Interestingly, though, there was an alleged sighting of Brian in the US Virgin Islands at one point that the FBI even looked into. But the few times police have discussed the sighting, they said it went nowhere, as did many other sightings of Brian that happened over the years.
- [38:25]
Sarah Turney
The emotional rollercoaster of all this is just so heartbreaking. You have the phone that used to go right to voicemail. Now it's ringing, and they don't have the best answer for that. And then they get this comment on the obituary. Like, this poor family, all these loved ones of Brian. It's just. It's just awful.
- [38:44]
Courtney Nicole
Yeah. I genuinely cannot comprehend what makes a person do something like this. And I Guess I'm thankful that I can't because it takes one messed up person to give a family that is already grieving a false sense of hope. I just cannot understand why somebody would do this.
- [39:00]
Sarah Turney
Yeah, I mean, and let's be real, we see this in a lot of cases. And to be honest, like, I am living for the day where I don't have to talk about hoaxes anymore because they're so harmful. And I have to wonder if it comes down to like the culture of true crime. Right. That people see these stories as entertainment. Especially Brian's case, we know is one that is heavily discussed on the Internet. There's a ton of theories out there, but sometimes they hear these stories, they read about them online, and they think it's like some type of joke or game. They think it's almost like a reality TV show and they insert themselves in this way, maybe not realizing or maybe not caring, you know, how it impacts families. I've had hoaxes in my sister's case and I can tell you that they make me spiral. I have had, you know, people say that they have definitive information on where she is. It hurts on another level that I can't explain.
- [39:53]
Courtney Nicole
Yeah. And for that reason alone, when they are proven to be hoaxes, I really wish that they could be held legally responsible for toying with these families emotions. It is. It's ridiculous. They don't need to be dealing with this on top of grieving so many different loved ones.
- [40:10]
Sarah Turney
There are laws and I've seen people get prosecuted for like interfering with a case, but I think it should be more often, to be honest, there's so many hoaxes in these cases and I feel like we're not prosecuting them enough or else it would maybe lessen a little bit, or at least I would hope so.
- [40:25]
Courtney Nicole
You know, in cases like Brian's where there are a lot of weird questions, you know, like him being seen entering a building by not seeing, leaving, it kind of fuels these conspiracy theories. And then you have like the flip side of it where his phone starts pinging, which could be a malfunction like his phone company said. But at the end of the day, if they did their due diligence and they tracked everything they could and it ultimately led nowhere. I don't think keeping that information close to their hearts in the initial part of the investigation is harmful.
- [40:55]
Sarah Turney
As time passes, Brian's loved ones have been change their opinions on what they think happened. When Brian initially vanished, Alexis leaned towards foul play, thinking that there was no way Brian could have Just run off when he seemed so excited about their future together. But years later, she became more open to that possibility, citing the back and forth comments he made to her after Renee's death. With more time to think, she wonders if those comments could have foreshadowed his running away. Though she's still open to all possibilities
- [41:23]
Courtney Nicole
as far as theories go, Brian's brother Derek felt the opposite of Alexis. He initially hoped Brian had just taken off, needing some time to himself. But as the case grew colder, he stopped thinking that and now leans towards foul play. Derek also pointed to Brian's friend Clint as someone who seemed suspicious. And before Randy died, he said he thought Clint knew more than he was letting on about the case. In the early days of the search, Clint was on the ground handing out flight flyers and checking in with Randy. But as police started polygraphing and questioning with more intensity, Clint got a lawyer. His attorney told him not to take a polygraph, which caused a rift between Clint and the Shaffer family. Beyond that, we don't know why Randy and Derek had cast suspicion on Clint. But when the 10 year anniversary came around, Derek kept these vague remarks going. He told the Columbus Dispatch, quote, if anyone knows whether he is still alive or if something happens happened to him, it's Clint, end quote.
- [42:16]
Sarah Turney
Derek also told the Dispatch that he regrets not meeting up with Brian that night. On the 10 year anniversary of Brian's disappearance, he said, quote, I've thought about that night over and over and over for 10 years. What if I had been there that night? Would things have been different? Would my brother still be here? Derek, the last remaining member of the Shaffer family, has spoken with the press very little since then.
- [42:40]
Courtney Nicole
John Hurst also spoke to the media on the 10 year anniversary. When asked if he thought it was more likely Brian ran away or was met with foul play, he said he thinks both of those theories are equally possible.
- [42:52]
Sarah Turney
Ah, sorry. Reading that quote did get me so emotional. It's. I mean, I can tell you, right, I'm one of, you know, five remaining siblings in my family. And when somebody goes missing, there is such a wide array of feelings and thoughts about what could have happened. And your theories do kind of shift over time. You know, you grow up, you get a little bit older, you reflect back on things differently. So even challenging themselves or questioning, whatever you want to call it, all of that makes sense to me. And especially in a case like this where there's so few answers.
- [43:26]
Courtney Nicole
Yeah, you know, you, you want to explore every single possibility, but I can't imagine how painful it must be to ultimately come to the conclusion that you think your loved one was met with foul play. That's. That's haunting.
- [43:39]
Sponsor/Ad Voice
Yeah.
- [43:39]
Sarah Turney
One, the blame. Right. I think that's why I got so emotional. Like, I could, like, barely not cry when reading that quote from Derek, because I just get it. Like, that survivor's guilt of, like, what if I just did one thing different? What if my day was different that day? What if I showed up? You know, whatever it might be, it eats away at you. And if Derek's out there listening, I just hope that he knows that it's not his fault.
- [44:01]
Courtney Nicole
It's definitely not his fault. And I'm sure it's probably extra heavy for him as well, because you have your mom and your dad both pass away in the middle of that, your brother goes missing. So now you are the only one standing in your family left to try and figure out what the heck could have happened. And that is just devastating.
- [44:21]
Sarah Turney
Yeah, well, and adding the pressure of, like, being the only person in the family left to speak to the media is just not something I'd wish on my worst enemy. Like, I get why families may not speak out. It's incredibly traumatizing. It's difficult. Like, it'll throw off your whole day. Sometimes your week, sometimes your month. When you have to talk about your loved one for the media and revisit that trauma and that pain, it totally stops you in your track sometimes. So I just, again, I just want to send so much love to Derek. Brian Schaefer was last seen on camera outside the Ugly Tuna Saloona talking to Brighton Zadko and Amber ruig. It was 1:55am on April 1, 2006. They talked for about two minutes, then parted ways at approximately 1:57am Just minutes later, at 2:00am, Brian's friends Clinton Meredith couldn't find him, and his phone went straight to voicemail. In the span of about 5 minutes, Brian Shafer vanished without a trace. And to this day, his fate remains a mystery. If Brian Shaffer is alive today, he would be 47 years old. He's 6 foot 2 and has brown hair and hazel eyes. He has a distinctive dark fleck on his left iris. And at the time he vanished, he had the Pearl Jam stickman tattooed on his upper right arm. If anyone has any information about this case, they're encouraged to call the Columbus Police at 614-645-2358.
- [45:50]
Vanessa Richardson
Thanks for listening to this episode of Crime House 24 7. Be sure to come back tomorrow for conspiracies. And the Unknown, where I dig into two of the strangest conspiracies and unexplained mysteries out there. And to enhance your listening experience, join Crime House plus and get every episode of Crime House 24.7 completely ad free, along with early ad free access to all Crime House shows plus monthly bonus episodes. To join go to crimehouseplus.com or if you listen on Apple Podcasts, tap try free at the top of The Crime House 24. 7 page. This episode sponsored by She's Bertie. You lock the hotel room door, then check it again. And maybe one more time, because even the nicest room can feel unfamiliar at night. That's why She's Birdie created Birdie Box With She's Birdie, you can bring peace of mind with you. Birdie Box is a portable travel door alarm for hotels, dorms, Airbnbs, and anywhere you stay away from home. Just attach it to the door frame, switch it on, and if someone opens the door, Birdie Box blasts a loud siren and flashing alarm to alert you and everyone nearby. Because the best part of travel isn't worrying, it's sleeping soundly. Birdiebox from She's Locking in peace of mind wherever you stay. For safer, more confident travel, visit she'sbirdie.com that's S-H-E-S-B-I-R-I-E.com banking has stood still for decades.
- [47:21]
Sponsor/Ad Voice
Slow, clunky and designed around its own convenience, not yours, Mercury was built to
- [47:26]
Vanessa Richardson
end that fast, elegant, and works the
- [47:29]
Sponsor/Ad Voice
way you'd expect best in class software to work.
- [47:32]
Vanessa Richardson
No fighting outdated systems, no nickel and diming.
- [47:35]
Sponsor/Ad Voice
Visit mercury.com to apply in minutes and
- [47:38]
Vanessa Richardson
experience the difference for yourself.
- [47:40]
Sponsor/Ad Voice
Mercury is a fintech company, not an FDIC insured bank. Banking services provided through Choice Financial Group
- [47:46]
Vanessa Richardson
and Column N A Members FDIC Hi listeners, it's Vanessa. Are you the type to fall down an Internet rabbit hole and not come up for hours? You'll love Crimes of Reddit, a new crime house original with Sabrina, Deanna Roga and Alexis Linkletter. Every week one host brings real true crime stories from Reddit while the other reacts completely blind. No prep, no spoilers. Then they swap. It's the feeling of sending your group chat a thread at 2am that starts with you have to see this. Except Sabrina and Alexis are in the chat with you. Follow Crimes of Reddit on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, or subscribe@c Crimesofreddit pod on YouTube.