Ohio State Medical Student, Brian Randall Shaffer disappeared without an apparent reason on April 1, 2006. His last known whereabouts was a second-floor campus area bar where he was having drinks with friends. Near the entrance of the Ugly Tuna Saloona just before 2 a.m. Brian is seen on security footage talking briefly with two women. Brian later became separated from his friends who have stated that they assumed that Brian had left and gone home. At the time of his disappearance Brian Shaffer was 6’2” tall and approximately 160 to 165 lbs. He’s a caucasian male with brown hair and hazel eyes. Brian had a Pearl Jam tattoo on his upper right arm and he plays guitar. If you have any information regarding Brian’s disappearance or his whereabouts please contact Detective Edwards with the Columbus Police Department @ 614-645-4624 or aedwards@columbuspolice.org
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This Friday, Crime 101 hits theaters.
Host 1 (True Crime Garage)
What is it that you do?
Movie Trailer Voice
I take high value items and make them disappear.
Kelly (Comeback Podcast Co-host)
So you're a thief.
Movie Trailer Voice
One crime connects them all.
Host 1 (True Crime Garage)
I'm getting close, I know it.
Movie Trailer Voice
But only one will walk away.
Host 1 (True Crime Garage)
I underestimated you.
Movie Trailer Voice
Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Barry Keoghan and Halle Berry.
Kelly (Comeback Podcast Co-host)
We're good at this.
Host 1 (True Crime Garage)
Yeah.
Movie Trailer Voice
Crime 101 directed by Bart Layton. Rated R. Under 17. Animated without parent. Only in theaters Friday.
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Kind and don't little Gather round, grab a chair, grab a beer let's talk some true crime. In 2006, a young medical student stepped into a crowded bar and seemingly vanished without a trace. Brian Schaefer was 27 years old. By all accounts, he was charismatic, intelligent, and standing at the threshold of a promising future. A second year medical student at Ohio State University, Brian had plans, ambitions, and a spring break trip to Miami waiting just days ahead. But those plans would Never happen. On March 31, 2006, Brian joined friends in Columbus, Ohio, to celebrate the beginning of spring break. The night unfolded like countless others, with laughter, drinks, and bar hopping through the lively campus district. Eventually, the group arrived at a popular student hotspot known as the Ugly Tuna Saluna. Security cameras captured Brian entering the bar shortly before closing time at approximately 1:55am surveillance footage recorded what would become the final confirmed sighting of him. Brian was seen casually speaking with two women near the entrance of the bar. He appeared relaxed, calm, ordinary. Moments later, he stepped out of the camera's view. And then he was gone. Despite extensive review of surveillance footage covering the bar's main entrance and surrounding areas, investigators never found a single image of Brian leaving the building. Friends who had been with him eventually exited without him, assuming he had left on his own. But Brian never returned home. He never contacted family or friends. He never boarded his scheduled flight to Miami. It was as if he had simply vanished into thin air, Authorities launched an extensive search. The bar was combed from top to bottom. Nearby construction zones, sewer systems, rooftops, and surrounding buildings were searched. Detectives examined Brian's apartment, his car, his phone records, and financial activity. Everything remained untouched. No signs of a struggle. No indication he had planned to disappear. No confirmed sightings ever surfaced. In the weeks leading up to his disappearance, Brian had endured personal tragedy. His mother had recently died after a long battle with cancer, A loss that deeply affected him. While friends describe him as resilient and forward looking, investigators question whether hidden emotional turmoil could have played a role. Still, those closest to him insist Brian was making plans for the future, not preparing to abandon it. Over the years, theories have multiplied. Did Brian slip out through an unseen exit only to fall victim to foul play? Did he wander into a dangerous construction area and suffer a fatal accident? Could he have deliberately walked away from his life, leaving behind everyone who knew him? Some even speculated about connections to other unsolved disappearances across the midwest. Though investigators have found no evidence supporting a serial predator, nearly two decades later, the mystery remains. Some remember his name. Others simply recall the haunting story. A man walks into a bar. Security cameras watch him enter. Crowds surround him. Music plays. Life continues all around him. But somehow he is never seen leaving. To this day, no one knows what truly happened to Brian Shafer. And his disappearance remains one of the most baffling missing persons cases in modern American history. Over the last 10 years, since true crime garage discussed Shaver's case, we have collected more information. We are now sharing that information in hopes that someone knows something more and that this information might finally lead to some answers. This is True crime garage.
Host 1 (True Crime Garage)
Foreign. Welcome to True crime garage and the next handful of episodes. We're going to be talking about everything. Brian Schaefer. April 1, 2026 will mark 20 years missing. Since we covered this case 10 years ago, we've been learning a lot of new information and trying to sort through some new leads and rumors. We're going to be joined by Kelly from the comeback podcast, which is about Brian Schaefer's case. And also she runs the Brian Schaefer dead or alive Facebook page. And for the last year, we've been talking about weekly exchanging notes, theories, rumors, and to mark the 20th anniversary of Brian going missing, we wanted to put out the information that we have found, put out the questions that we have and some of the speculation that we have to maybe help shine some light again on this case and maybe get the case moving in the right direction. I used to think I knew A lot about the Brian Shaffer case. I've learned so much. So if you think you've heard it all about this case, I think you'll be surprised on what we have found. Kelly, could you tell us how you got involved in looking into the disappearance of Brian Shaffer?
Kelly (Comeback Podcast Co-host)
So I have followed Brian's disappearance pretty much since the very beginning. But around 2018, it seemed that I had come to the end of information on the Internet about Brian. So I reached out to Lori Davis, who is the Shaffer family advocate, and shortly after, we decided that we were going to plan an event for Brian, and we decided on the March for the Missing. It was an event where we would have different families with missing loved ones in Ohio come and set up, pass out flyers for their loved ones, wear T shirts, just basically raise awareness. After talking to Lori, she introduced me to Nicholas west, who was creating a podcast for Brian called Comeback. After talking to Nick for, I would say, maybe about a week, he told me that he needed a co host. I actually didn't even know what a podcast was at that time. And Nick sent me a True Crime Garage episode of your coverage on Brian's case. And after that, I decided that I could help him. I guess the rest is kind of history. Like, we started doing the episodes and interviewing Don Corbett, Detective John Hurst, Kevin Miles from Central Ohio, Crime stoppers the Shaffer family. Like, we just kind of got into it and began investigating Brian's disappearance.
Host 1 (True Crime Garage)
Yeah, because most of the people that I've talked to about the Shaffer case, they only have information that's coming from the Internet. And one of the things that I really respect about what you and also what Nicholas has done, is that you guys actually talked to people that were involved in the case. So I think probably the best spot to start, instead of trying to retell the story that's been told for 20 years, let's tell it as if nobody's ever heard of this story before.
Kelly (Comeback Podcast Co-host)
Okay. So I'm going to start at the summer of 2005, and that is when Brian went with his medical school class to Puerto Rico. It was a learning trip, but also a vacation for the students. They volunteered in a lot of different medical facilities and even worked in a couple soup kitchens while they were there. And it actually became a pretty important place to Brian. And he went back and forth to Puerto Rico a whole lot. He was there most of the summer of 2005. And then when he came home from Puerto Rico, that is actually when he met Alexis Wagner, and they began dating the winter of 2005 was very difficult for the Shaffer family because Renee was nearing the end of her battle with cancer and she was in the hospital. And actually that Christmas they actually spent in the hospital with her.
Host 1 (True Crime Garage)
So in the Brian Shaffer family, we have Brian, then we have his brother Derek, we have his mother, Renee, and we have his dad. Dad, Randy.
Kelly (Comeback Podcast Co-host)
Correct. So that Christmas was actually real special to Brian because not only was it his last Christmas with his mom, but his mom had gifted him a trip to Miami, Florida, which he was to take spring break, 2006. She also gifted the same trip to Alexis. So it was going to be like a couple's trip that they took a.
Host 1 (True Crime Garage)
Trip for Brian Schaefer plus one.
Kelly (Comeback Podcast Co-host)
And then for New Year's, Brian and his friend Clint Florence, who and we're going to talk about a lot today, and his friend Matt all went to new to New York and celebrated New Year's eve, January of 2006. Brian was pretty much just attending classes and spending as much time as he could with his mom. Brian actually even discussed the possibility of getting engaged to Alexis with his mom. And Renee went as far as asking a doctor friend of hers to refer a jeweler to Brian. With Brian and Alexis both going to be doctors, she knew that it needed to be a nice ring from a reputable jeweler. So Renee did get that referral, and she did give that referral to Brian. In January of 2006, Brian actually also broke the news to his mom that Randy, his father, was having an affair, causing her to change her life insurance, leaving Randy only 50%. And. And the other 50% was divided equally between Derek and Brian.
Host 1 (True Crime Garage)
Yeah. So just so people are clear, Renee is undergoing treatment. They're not very hopeful that she's going to recover. And in this process, Brian's father, Randy, is having an affair. And that would be a pretty difficult thing weighing on you. Do you. Do you tell your mom about this, or do you. Or do you just not say anything, knowing that she's not going to be around much longer?
Kelly (Comeback Podcast Co-host)
I. I actually struggle with that as well. Like, I'm sure it was very difficult for Brian to take that news to his mom.
Host 2 (True Crime Garage)
This is such a weird spot in the timeline for me because it. While it's pretty factual that this activity was going on, it's to me, unclear what level of suspicion Renee may have had at the time was this. What I love seeing here is, look, you good mothers, what they always do, they're always trying to help their kids, no matter their situation. And so Putting Brian in touch with the reputable jeweler trying to help out and, and work on his future even though her seems so bleak is just such typical good mother action there. And so while that really. Yeah, well that grabs my heart. Then my, my suspicious mind goes to did she have any kind of idea that something might have been going on? And this is now sun returning the favor of, you know, I could sit here on the fence and say nothing and let her go out on top or I could break the bad news to her and let her choose how we deal with this and what the next action is for her.
Kelly (Comeback Podcast Co-host)
Yeah, yeah, I agree. Actually I would like to know that too. Every part of my information told me that Brian broke the news to Renee. But I don't know if she was actually having any assumptions before that they.
Host 1 (True Crime Garage)
Had a strange relationship. Anyways, it seems like both Brian's parents were heavily into drinking and to the point of excess.
Kelly (Comeback Podcast Co-host)
Yes, I've heard that a lot. That they definitely like to have their scotch.
Host 1 (True Crime Garage)
Where does this lead to us next in the timeline?
Kelly (Comeback Podcast Co-host)
On January 29, Brian paid $455 to schedule an upcoming test. And it was like a board exam. And when you're in medical school you have to pass. I believe it's two or three parts of it. And this was the big one. This was if you don't pass, you don't go forward. So it was a very big stressor in Brian's life.
Host 1 (True Crime Garage)
Yeah. No soup for you.
Kelly (Comeback Podcast Co-host)
In February of 2006, Randy Schaefer gave Brian a check in the amount $4,500. And the check was made out to the Ohio State University. And that was to pay for some expenses for Brian's next term.
Host 1 (True Crime Garage)
Right. So Brian Schaefer, a medical student at Ohio State, the Ohio State University. And it seems like his parents were paying for maybe not all of it, but they were definitely his financial backers as far as it comes to college tuition and college life is.
Host 2 (True Crime Garage)
What's the paper trail on this check here? Because this is something that's occurring shortly after Brian has ratted out his father to his mother. Father has been cut out of that inheritance or, or insurance.
Host 1 (True Crime Garage)
It's lesson. So instead of getting a hundred percent, he's going to get 50%. But I don't think Randy Schaefer is aware of this at the time. Okay.
Kelly (Comeback Podcast Co-host)
No, actually so he wrote the check to Brian in February, but Randy actually didn't find out about the change in the life insurance until after Renee had passed away. So he gave him the $4,500 check, and it was never turned into Ohio State. After Brian went missing, Randy had told a relative that he had wrote the check and then checked his account and saw that it had never been cash. So the relatives suggested to Randy that he put a stop payment on it. So Randy did do that. But I will also say this check has never been found. On February 8th, Brian paid a minimum payment of $135 on his credit card, his Discover card, leaving a balance of $6,746.94. The $135 payment to Discover was paid from Brian's checking account on the same day Brian paid the balance in full of his Amazon Visa card, which was $7,387.15. That payment did not come from Brian's checking account or any other account that I have information on of Brian's.
Host 1 (True Crime Garage)
Really? We have no way of knowing where that came from?
Kelly (Comeback Podcast Co-host)
No, none at all. So the next day, on February 9, after Brian had just made that minimum payment of $135 the day before on his Discover card, he paid off the entire balance of the Discover card, which was $6,746.94. That money did not come from Brian's accounts either.
Host 1 (True Crime Garage)
So we have an influx of money coming into Brian Schaefer's bank accounts.
Kelly (Comeback Podcast Co-host)
Yes, and paying off all of his debt Within a little over a month before he went missing. On February 11, Brian turned 27 years old. And on February 27 was actually the deadline for Brian to turn in that tuition check to Ohio State, meaning that he would not have been enrolled for the next term.
Host 1 (True Crime Garage)
But again, that check that was given to him by his father, that's never been found, and we have no record of it being cashed.
Kelly (Comeback Podcast Co-host)
Correct. And as far as I know, there was never an attempt to cash it, because it was flagged through Randy's bank that if an attempt was made, to contact and let him know. So March 6th was probably the hardest day of Brian's life. And that is when Renee lost her battle with cancer. On the 10th was the funeral for Renee, and they had a lot of guests there. And Randy was playing the saxophone, and while playing the saxophone, he was stalling time because Brian had actually not made it to the funeral yet. And he was close to 90 minutes late before he actually did show up. And when he did show up, tensions were running very high. And there was a shoving match between Derek and Brian Schaefer. And Brian's excuse was that he had overslept.
Host 1 (True Crime Garage)
Right. So you have the mother passing away, losing the battle to cancer, and then you have. Which Brian. The speculation has been, Brian Schaefer was a mama's boy, so it's odd that he would show up late. And I've seen some speculations on possibly why he showed up late. Do you have any thoughts on why Brian showed up late to his mother's funeral?
Kelly (Comeback Podcast Co-host)
I don't have any real reasons why he showed up late, but my guess is Brian was struggling a lot with the passing. And I kind of think it was. Maybe he got a little too intoxicated the night before and maybe actually did just oversleep.
Host 1 (True Crime Garage)
Doesn't seem like Brian Shaffer was maybe like a daily drinker, but he definitely seems to have a pattern of when he drinks or when he parties. He parties.
Kelly (Comeback Podcast Co-host)
He does, actually. I have spoke to a few of his friends, and they nicknamed him the instigator because he always liked to just tease people, joke around, prank, like. So they always referred to him as the instigator.
Host 1 (True Crime Garage)
And then obviously, this puts his brother Derek in a difficult position because he's like. He knows Brian. So it's like, why are you showing up basically with a hangover to your mother's funeral? I mean, that's disrespectful to her and disrespectful. Disrespectful to the family. But at this time in his life, he has conflict. Brian Schaefer has conflict with his father, Randy Schaefer.
Host 2 (True Crime Garage)
And we all very. I mean, this is a cliche, but it's. It is so true. We all grieve very, very differently, and we all have different relationships with people who pass away. It's fair to speculate on this point in the timeline, but it's also. I feel like it's. It's a bit of a fool's errand, I think, because we. We can't crawl inside his mind. We. We know he's going to be emotional about the situation. It's one of the most difficult things any one of us could face. So it's. Of course, tensions are going to be high because again, everybody's grieving differently and everybody's having different feelings in that moment. Nobody wanted to be at that funeral. Nobody wanted to be at that funeral. Everybody wanted to be at the hospital. The day that she stands up, walks out of the hospital room and rings the bell and says, I'm cancer free, that's where they wanted to be.
Host 1 (True Crime Garage)
Right?
Kelly (Comeback Podcast Co-host)
Absolutely.
Host 1 (True Crime Garage)
So after this shoving match, what happens?
Kelly (Comeback Podcast Co-host)
There are really no more details given to me about the funeral or anything else that happened. But I do know that, you know, tensions continue to be there between Randy and Brian. But I do know that Randy, or I'm sorry that Brian and Derek were talking and were trying to get closer after their mom's passing. So then on March 12, Brian updated his MySpace page and he stated that his mom is his hero and that that he was doing things to make her proud. But he also wrote that this doctor thing was only temporary until he got his band going and was living on an island with his senorita. Then on St. Patrick's Day, 2006, Brian spent St. Patrick's Day with Clint, Florence and Meredith Reed. While they were out drinking, Brian and Clint actually got into a little bit of an argument. I don't know the details of that argument, but Meredith had reported it to Columbus Police Department. But it resulted in Brian leaving whatever party they were at and walking to his apartment. And Meredith followed Brian to his apartment. And then Clint followed Meredith around this time as well. Brian actually asked his girlfriend Alexis to run away with him. And about a week later, when after she had said no, he actually told her that she should move on with her life and find someone new because he was struggling with his mom's passing.
Host 1 (True Crime Garage)
Do you know any details about did he have a plan or was it just simply, hey, we should run away together?
Kelly (Comeback Podcast Co-host)
I don't think that he had a plan. At least if he did, it was never told. To me it seemed more like a fishing expedition to see if she would actually run away with him.
Host 1 (True Crime Garage)
Right.
Kelly (Comeback Podcast Co-host)
So March 27th through March 31st was finals week. So he was very busy throwing himself into that. And of course the last day of testing was March 31, 2006.
Host 2 (True Crime Garage)
This brings us to the most significant point in our timeline here. The night and morning, early morning in question. This is when Brian Schaefer will be last seen or his last known whereabouts.
Kelly (Comeback Podcast Co-host)
So while the time that Brian was out that night is very important, I took the timeline back just a bit further and I actually start at 1:20pm on March 31. And I use Brian's cell phone records and credit card statements and actually Meredith's statement to put this all together. So at 1:20pm, Brian called Alexis while she was driving to her parents house in Toledo. At 1:47pm, Alex Alexis returns Brian's call. At 6:45pm, Brian called Derek to invite him out to dinner. At 6:57pm, Derek returns Brian's call and declines the invite. At 7:00pm, Brian called Clint, but he did not answer and immediately called Brian back. From 7 to 8pm Brian had dinner with Randy Shafer at Outback Steakhouse in Reynoldsburg, Ohio.
Host 1 (True Crime Garage)
Now, a lot of people think that this is significant in the case because Brian is going on a holiday trip to Miami with his girlfriend. And so a lot of people just view this. Like we said, there's some tension in the family because the mother of the family passed away. And so. And like Nick said, everybody's grieving in their own ways. But the way this is initially reported to people is this is just a, hey, let's catch up before I go on vacation. But it seems like there might be more to the story than that.
Kelly (Comeback Podcast Co-host)
Yeah, it's always been reported, you know, that Brian was worried about Randy, which I'm sure he was, but there was actually some tension that night. Now, while it isn't actually known, and it is assumed based on my conversation with Sergeant John Hurst, Brian and Randy actually had an argument that night. Randy was very upset about the life insurance money and he had had a conversation with Derek a day or so prior and told him, your mom didn't mean to leave you that money. You keep a thousand dollars. You give me the other 19,000. So it is assumed that that same conversation happened between Randy and Brian that evening. And there had already been a couple other arguments, including Randy threatening to cut Brian off from paying for his education.
Host 1 (True Crime Garage)
Yeah, and I think this gets a little deeper too, because he's inviting his brother out. Brian is saying, hey, Derek, why don't you come with me? You had this confrontation with our dad. I don't want to face him alone, really. And that's possibly why Derek declined to go to dinner with them.
Kelly (Comeback Podcast Co-host)
It's absolutely why he declined. Actually. It was reported in the early days of Brian's disappearance that Brian had invited Derek out with him that night to go to the bars and stuff. But that wasn't the case. He invited him to dinner because he didn't want to have dinner by himself with Randy.
Movie Trailer Voice
This Friday, Crime 101 hits theaters.
Host 1 (True Crime Garage)
What is it that you do?
Movie Trailer Voice
I take high value items and make them disappear.
Kelly (Comeback Podcast Co-host)
So you're a thief.
Movie Trailer Voice
One crime connects them all.
Host 1 (True Crime Garage)
I'm getting close, I know it.
Movie Trailer Voice
But only one will walk away.
Host 1 (True Crime Garage)
I underestimated you.
Movie Trailer Voice
Chris Hemsworth, Mark Ruffalo, Barry Kilgan and Halle Berry.
Kelly (Comeback Podcast Co-host)
We're good at this.
Host 1 (True Crime Garage)
Yeah.
Movie Trailer Voice
Crime 101. Directed by Bart Layton. Rated R. Under 17. Animated without parent. Only in theaters Friday. Amazon presents Laura vs Fruit Flies. Hide your bananas. These winged demons came to your kitchen to do two things. Eat fruit and and they're all out of fruit. But thankfully Laura shopped on Amazon and saved on cleaning spray, countertop wipes and fly traps. Hey fruit flies. Your baby boom ends here. Save the everyday with Amazon.
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Host 1 (True Crime Garage)
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Kelly (Comeback Podcast Co-host)
I have been told that Randy picked Brian up at his apartment, drove him to Outback in Reynoldsburg, and then drove him back to his apartment. Now I haven't been able to confirm that, but that's what I've been told.
Host 2 (True Crime Garage)
Yeah. And Randy was living in what general.
Kelly (Comeback Podcast Co-host)
Area of the greater Columbus, like Pickerington, Baltimore area.
Host 2 (True Crime Garage)
Okay. So he's going to go way into central Ohio, Central Columbus, pick up Brian and then take him back out east to Reynoldsburg and then need to bring him back again to central Columbus.
Kelly (Comeback Podcast Co-host)
Right.
Host 1 (True Crime Garage)
Which makes some sense if you have stuff that you need to talk about. I mean, it is his son and there's a lot going on with their family at this time.
Kelly (Comeback Podcast Co-host)
You know, myself, I've actually kind of speculated that maybe he didn't know if Brian would show up because of the tension, so he offered to pick him up.
Host 2 (True Crime Garage)
Also. Just a pretty normal dad move, I think. Hey, you want to grab some dinner?
Host 1 (True Crime Garage)
What time?
Host 2 (True Crime Garage)
Sure, I'll pick you up.
Host 1 (True Crime Garage)
Yeah, I agree.
Kelly (Comeback Podcast Co-host)
At 8:41pm, Brian called Randy. It is unknown what they spoke about. At 9pm, Alexis called Brian. At 9.06pm, Brian called fellow co ed Brandon Chatuni. Sometime between 9 and 9.15pm, Clint Florence arrived via car at Brian's apartment on King Avenue.
Host 1 (True Crime Garage)
Who's at Brian's apartment at this time.
Kelly (Comeback Podcast Co-host)
So I have been told that when Clint arrived at Brian's apartment that Brian and Randy were there and that Clint, Randy and Brian all had a beer together before Brian and Clint walked to the bars. At 9:51pm Brian and Clint are seen arriving at Ugly Tuna Saloona via surveillance footage.
Host 1 (True Crime Garage)
This is not the famous surveillance footage that is all over the Internet. This is actually before that time.
Kelly (Comeback Podcast Co-host)
Yes, this is the very first time they were there. At 10.03pm, Brian calls fellow co Ed Graham Davis. At 10.26pm, Amber Ruick and a mystery woman are seen arriving at Ugly Tuna Saloona.
Host 2 (True Crime Garage)
And Kelly, from my understanding, Amber is friends with Clint and Brian, is that correct?
Kelly (Comeback Podcast Co-host)
Amber was a student of Clint's. He was a TA in one of her classes.
Host 1 (True Crime Garage)
And Amber's important to this case because on the surveillance footage that everybody has seen, Brian is talking to two ladies outside of the bar before he goes missing. Those two ladies are Amber and Brighton. So what we're establishing here is when Amber arrives to the Ugly Tuna Saloona.
Host 2 (True Crime Garage)
And we'll go into detail as to what the surveillance footage is showing us as to important persons arriving to the bar that night and then when they are later seen leaving the bar that night. And this surveillance footage, for those of you not familiar with this case, is a camera that is positioned at the top of of a set of stairs and escalators. So the Ugly Tuna Saluna is a bar that is on the one of the upper floors of a downtown campus building. And there are two escalators to the left. So when you walk into the building they would be to your right but from the top of the stairs, this is your left and that's where the camera is positioned just above those escalators and then the set of stairs to the right of those escalators.
Kelly (Comeback Podcast Co-host)
At 10:40pm Brian and Clint are seen leaving Ugly Tuna and Brian actually does like a little surf down the escalator with the arms out. At 10:43pm Brian called Matt Ryan and made plans to meet the next day. At 10:59pm Brian called Graham Davis for the second time. At 11:00pm Brian and Clint arrive at the Short North Tavern. At 11:20pm Brian checked his voicemail even though he had no missed calls. At 11:21pm Jeremy Douglas called Brian. At 11:23pm, Brighton is seen arriving at the Ugly Tuna Saloona.
Host 1 (True Crime Garage)
And like we said, Brighton is one of the ladies that was talking to Brian later in the night on surveillance camera.
Kelly (Comeback Podcast Co-host)
At 11:45pm Brian and Clint arrive at Brother's bar.
Host 1 (True Crime Garage)
So this is the third bar that.
Kelly (Comeback Podcast Co-host)
They'Ve been to that night at 11:57pm Jason Fistick called Brian. At 12am Clint called Meredith and invited her out. At 12:30am Meredith meets Brian and Clint. At 12:48am the mystery woman is seen leaving Ugly tuna saloona. At 1:15am Brian, Clint and Meredith are seen arriving back to the Ugly Tuna Saloona.
Host 1 (True Crime Garage)
So this would be the footage that has been all over the Internet and news reports. You see to the left is the escalators and to the right are the stairs. And you see Brian, Clint and Meredith all coming back to the Ugly Tuna, which again they were there before, earlier in the evening.
Kelly (Comeback Podcast Co-host)
According to Meredith's statement, right after arriving at the Ugly Tuna Saloona, Brian basically just kind of disappeared. And then he reappeared a short time later and he was coming back into the bar from out by like the escalator area that we mentioned where the camera is. Around 1:30, Brian walked away from Clinton Meredith and goes in the opposite corner from the bar entrance. Again, that's from Meredith's statement. At 1:55am Brian is last seen on surveillance in front of the Ugly tuna saloona. At 1:58am Brighton returns to the restroom and joint and then joins the group. At 1:59am Amber Brighton and the mystery woman are seen leaving Ugly Tuna saloona. Closer to 2am after closer to 2am after talking to Clint while sitting at the bar, Clint and Meredith realize that they don't see Brian. They proceeded to walk around the bar several times, even checking both restrooms. At 2:01am Meredith calls Brian's phone from Clint's phone and leaves a voicemail asking where he is and to call her if he needs a ride. At 2:09am Clinton Meredith are seen leaving Ugly Tuna Saluna.
Host 1 (True Crime Garage)
So their statements were always, hey, he, he either said he's going to the bathroom or he's going to talk to the band. They can't get a hold of him but, but they know he's a sociable person. He's been talking to people all night. He doesn't live that far from the bar. It's possible that he's leaving with somebody, whether that's male or female. And so they just decide, hey, we're gonna, we're gonna hit the road and I'm sure he'll be fine.
Host 2 (True Crime Garage)
And we know they walked there. So it's not out of the realm of possibility if you're there with him or even concerned about his whereabouts that you might jump to the idea of oh well, for one reason or another, maybe he just started to walk home. The Other thing too is bars at 2:00am, 2:30am are weird. Right. None of them seem to operate exactly the same. I. I'm a bit of a frequenter of many bars and have been in several of the bars that we've been discussing here so far. And for my younger days when I was out that late, there was a few different scenarios you could run into where they were die hard about getting everybody out exactly at closing time or just before closing time. And then there's other situations where they may not force you out the door right away, but if you get outside of those doors, even though there's people still in there finishing their drinks and conversation, we're not letting you back in.
Kelly (Comeback Podcast Co-host)
Right. And to actually add to it, Nick, of what you said, Brian, according to all of his friends and some family members, he had a habit of wandering off towards the end of the night and they would see him a day or two later. So this was something that he did. So it wasn't out of the norm. And I imagine it wasn't the first time that Brian had done this to Clint.
Host 1 (True Crime Garage)
He goes to the bar with his buddy Clint and Meredith. So can you explain the dynamic of that trio's relationship?
Kelly (Comeback Podcast Co-host)
I can. So from what I have been told, Meredith was attracted to Brian and Clint was attracted to Meredith. Well, Meredith and Clint actually began dating and that night was actually the first night that they were going to spend together.
Host 1 (True Crime Garage)
Through our conversations throughout this last year or so, one of the things I always wondered was, why would Brian and Clint go back to a bar that they already were at earlier in the night? So I always kind of assumed that maybe Brian maybe left a debit card or maybe he left a hat, or maybe he left a jacket. Maybe he left something. And if he left a hat or jacket, then that would make sense why we don't see him on surveillance footage leaving because he's now wearing a different outfit. But you have reason to believe that you know why Clint and Brian went back to the Ugly Tuna?
Kelly (Comeback Podcast Co-host)
I do. As I've been going through this timeline, I've mentioned a few names that several people probably have never heard of before from Brian's cell phone records. The reason why Brian and Clint went back to the Ugly Tuna the second time that night is actually the reason they had went to every bar they had went to that night. They were trying to meet up with four of Brian's other friends, one being a fellow medical school student and a couple others just being Ohio State regular undergrads.
Host 1 (True Crime Garage)
So Brian is a medical student. Clint's a medical student. They're also trying to meet up with this other four individuals. And like you said, they're almost chasing them throughout the night to meet up with them.
Kelly (Comeback Podcast Co-host)
Correct. And it seemed they were playing phone tag a little bit too. At 2:09am Clinton Meredith are seen leaving Ugly Tuna. 2:10am was last call for alcohol. At 2:14am Clinton Meredith are seen leaving the Ugly Tuna saloona parking garage. At 2:30am The Ugly Tunas closes for the night. And at 10am Meredith drops Clint off at Brian's apartment to pick up his car.
Host 1 (True Crime Garage)
So one of the speculations online has always been that maybe there was a confrontation and that somehow the band that was playing at the Ugly Tuna is somehow involved in Brian's disappearance. You, along with Nicholas west, were able to figure out who that band was. Because for years we knew that there was a band. We knew that Brian told people he wanted to talk with, talk with them, but we never knew the name of this band.
Kelly (Comeback Podcast Co-host)
Right after talking to Sergeant John Hurst, we were able to find out that the name of the band is Rock House.
Host 1 (True Crime Garage)
And when you guys were doing the Comeback podcast, at that point, I was in conversations with Nicholas West. So when he told me, hey, I know the band's name, I was very interested because I've obviously played in bands and worked in studios in Columbus, so I figured I'd know these individuals. And he said rock House. I was actually blown away because I've played with all three of the members, either in bands or on records with them. And so I was able to talk to every single member in the band. They were surprised to know that there's speculation online that they possibly that the speculation was that they murdered some guy that they didn't even know and took his body out in, in drum cases. So first of all, I know all three of these band members and they're good guys, upstanding guys. It was just another gig to them. They obviously heard, oh yeah, the night that we were playing at the Ugly Tuna, this guy went missing. But none of them were really into true crime, so they just didn't follow the story. They also weren't interviewed or heavily questioned by police, and they all thought that was odd. But where I believe their story, because the bar is like a almost like a little square, so you can almost see everybody. No matter where you're at in the bar, there's not like these hidden corners or all these things that would obstruct your, your vision. And so what these individuals told me is, you know, they Packed up their stuff like normal, but they had a small crowd of friends there. And so when they left the bar that night, they weren't just leaving with the band, they weren't the last people in the bar. They're leaving with their friends, they're leaving with other patrons of the bar, they're leaving with staff members. And none of these individuals were ever seen on surveillance footage because they took a back way exit.
Kelly (Comeback Podcast Co-host)
Yeah, actually that back way exit they took was actually on camera as well. We just have never seen that footage because it has not been released.
Host 1 (True Crime Garage)
Right. Yeah. And so just to be clear, not only was I able to speak with the band members, but I was able to speak with other individuals that were there to see that band that night. Because like I said, I have several common friends of these individuals. And so it's not just the band telling me this story and going, well, I'm just going to take them at. At their word. I'm. It's a bunch of other individuals that were there that night. And one of the things that was interesting is one of the friends there that night was a guy I played in a band with. His name is Quinn and he's a great songwriter for the band X Rated Cowboys. And he did tell me that there was a confrontation between a female friend of his and some guy they didn't know. But it. He said it wasn't that big of a deal. Quinn also owns a. A bar, so he kind of knows when something's a big deal and not a big deal. But he did say there was a confrontation and, and then that was quickly dispersed and then they left and they all left out that back exit instead of going down the escalators.
Host 2 (True Crime Garage)
And just because this was such a popular theory 15 years ago, I just want to point out Brian Schaefer was 6 foot 2 inches tall.
Kelly (Comeback Podcast Co-host)
Right.
Host 2 (True Crime Garage)
I. Right. I mean, I don't know exactly what equipment they were playing with, but even to try to stuff a male body 6 foot 2 inches tall into a base drum case seems very difficult to me. I'm not saying it's. It's not possible, but it would seem to be very difficult to me. And then if you were not able to find something large enough to sneak this person's body or unconscious person out of the bar via service entrance or exit or. Or what have you. Now you're talking about dismemberment. And they're obviously no signs of any of that occurring in this situation.
Host 1 (True Crime Garage)
Yeah. And I was able to interview the singer and the bass player of the band, his name is Mark, With Quinn as well. I interviewed them with Maggie Freeling a couple years back. And Mark didn't even really understand, like, why are you talking to me anyways? And I was like, look, one of the number one theories is that you guys have a comp. You guys had a confrontation with Brian and then put him in instrument cases and took him out of the bar. Well, he stops to look this up online just to see if I'm telling the truth. And like you said, one of the first things that comes up is there's a confrontation and they dismember him. These are guys that obviously can hold their own because they played in bars, so that they've probably been in some tough situations before. But none of these guys are violent individuals. None of these. I've played in bands with them, been on recordings with them, never had any conflict with them, never seen them in conflict with anybody else. So you're making the. The Internet with this theory is making these giant leaps. It takes a special piece of individual to have a confrontation with somebody and dismember them. So but because of Kelly's excellent work and Nicholas West's excellent work, we're able to know who this band was, we're able to question them, we're able to talk to other individuals there. And I kind of think we can stomp out that theory that the band had something to do with his disappearance that night.
Kelly (Comeback Podcast Co-host)
Captain, didn't you tell me that it took almost two years for CPD to interview the band?
Host 1 (True Crime Garage)
Yes. And it was almost by random accident, chance. Some of the members that were in Rock House became another band called the Filthy Habits. And they were playing back at the Ugly Tuna, playing cover songs. And a group of detectives walk in as they're setting up. And the detectives asked him some questions, just about, you know, the bar playing at the venue, you know, how do you enter, how do you leave? And then it comes to the detectives attention that, hey, well, we were actually in another band and we were actually there that night that Brian went missing. These detectives, for whatever reason, were at the Ugly Tuna to. And my guess is that maybe it was like turning over the case to somebody. And so, hey, let me take you down to the Ugly Tuna and let's go over some of the stuff that I feel like I've already learned. So they were never properly questioned. And one of the things you see in a lot of the news reports back in 2006 was that the police question every individual that was working that night. I don't Believe that's true if the band is saying, well, we were never questioned. We were never asked to give polygraph tests. We were never brought in for questioning even afterwards. The only contact that they had afterwards with detectives was two, two and a half, you know, was two to two and a half years later when they're just back at the bar and this group of detectives randomly shows up.
Kelly (Comeback Podcast Co-host)
I'd like to point out, too, with the timeline, it really doesn't allow for the band theory to even be possible. We knew where Brian was standing up until 1:59am and Clinton Meredith began looking for him at 2:01am so I don't really think that the band theory could be possible with the timeline.
Host 2 (True Crime Garage)
Well, and just going from a security standpoint here, we got to keep in mind, one thing that is visible in the surveillance footage is 2 CPD, 2 Columbus Police officers standing at the top of the stairs. They are. They're not there because the city of Columbus is like, go stand in this building because there's a bar. No, they're hired, okay? So they're contracted workers by the businesses with inside of this building. They're not leaving when the patrons leave the bar. They're leaving after the bar has closed, all operations has ceased, and they are dismissed. And guess what? I can tell you that I know for sure they're not leaving until they're dismissed, because CPD back then, and I know that it doesn't seem like such great pay today because we're. We're now talking 20 years later, but in 2006, they were probably collecting 38 to $40 an hour. In most of these gigs, you're only there in case something happens. So they're considered fairly easy gigs and easy money. And so those officers that were there, they were there until operations and management and everybody was ready to lock the doors for the night.
Host 1 (True Crime Garage)
Yeah. So to believe the band theory, you'd have to believe that a bunch of individuals of the ban are in on it, that employees of the Ugly Tuna are in on it, and also security guards that saw other surveillance footage are in on it. You'd have to believe that those police officers that we see on surveillance footage or in on it, and I don't.
Host 2 (True Crime Garage)
Know what the protocol would have been for this particular location, but typically when we were running security in similar situations, the great reason for having two officers, especially so close to closing time, if you wanted to do things on the up and up, but you wanted to, you were working within a budget, the confines of a strict budget, you would Have a police officer there for the majority of the evening with an additional officer arriving closer to closing time. This gives you the ability to keep an officer inside the building and have one officer escorting workers and management out either to their vehicles to the parking garage or at a certain distance from the building when they are leaving and exiting for the night.
Host 1 (True Crime Garage)
At this point, we have nobody that has made contact with Brian through his, his phone. We, we have no clue where his whereabouts. The last thing other than people saying that they saw him after the surveillance footage, the only thing that we have as the public is that surveillance footage. And this is kind of how the legend is born. Brian, Clint Meredith are seen on surveillance going up the escalator. He's seen on surveillance footage throughout the night talking to two ladies and then he just disappears. A man walks into a bar and is never seen leaving that bar. So True Crime Garage and Brian Schaefer, dead or alive is excited to announce we're doing an event at Brewdog in Canal Winchester April 18, 2026. Schaefer 20 years missing. We'll be doing a panel where we discuss things that we've been talking about on this podcast and other information that we gather until the event. It's going to happen April 18, 2026. BrewDog Canal Winchester. Tickets will be available tonight. The money is going to go to a great cause. We're going to be raising money for the porch light project and so we hope that you can join us. It will. Well, we believe it will sell out fast.
Host 2 (True Crime Garage)
Yeah, a limited number of tickets. Anybody that's been to a previous Brewdog event, you know that there is limited space. So tickets go on sale tonight. We where do you go to get those tickets? You go to our website, truecrimegarage.com so.
Kelly (Comeback Podcast Co-host)
Come join us and let's raise some money for a good cause in Brian Schaefer's name.
Host 1 (True Crime Garage)
Again, that's in Canal Winchester. That's just outside of Columbus, Ohio. Get your tickets@truecrimegarage.com stick around for more. Brian Schaefer 20 years missing. Sam, You touchy.
Kelly (Comeback Podcast Co-host)
It's made by angels Soft and strong.
Host 1 (True Crime Garage)
Budget friendly the choice is simple A.
Kelly (Comeback Podcast Co-host)
Roll that feels like paradise and always.
Host 1 (True Crime Garage)
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Kelly (Comeback Podcast Co-host)
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Original Airdate: February 11, 2026
Hosts: Nic and the Captain
Special Guest: Kelly (Co-Host of the "Comeback" Podcast and Operator of the Brian Shaffer Dead or Alive Facebook Page)
This episode marks the 20th anniversary of the enigmatic disappearance of Brian Shaffer, a second-year medical student at Ohio State University who vanished without a trace after a night out at the Ugly Tuna Saloona in Columbus, Ohio on March 31, 2006. True Crime Garage revisits the case with newly uncovered details, fresh perspectives, and expert input from Kelly—an investigative advocate deeply involved in the search for answers. The conversation offers a thorough timeline of Brian’s life in the months leading to his disappearance, examines the interpersonal dynamics in the Schaefer family, and unpacks major theories and misconceptions about the night Brian went missing.
"It was as if he had simply vanished into thin air." — Host 1, [05:30]
"I actually didn't even know what a podcast was at that time. And Nick sent me a True Crime Garage episode of your coverage on Brian's case. And after that, I decided that I could help him. I guess the rest is kind of history." — Kelly, [08:20]
"Renee did get that referral, and she did give that referral to Brian… she knew that it needed to be a nice ring from a reputable jeweler." — Kelly, [11:25]
Unusual Payments: Large tuition check ($4,500 from Randy) never turned in/cashed, Brian pays off large credit card debts ($7,387.15 and $6,746.94) from sources unknown, not his own accounts.
Quote:
"The $135 payment to Discover was paid from Brian's checking account on the same day Brian paid the balance in full of his Amazon Visa card, which was $7,387.15. That payment did not come from Brian's checking account or any other account that I have information on of Brian's." — Kelly, [16:22]
Mother’s Death and Funeral (March 2006): Brian is late to the funeral (90 minutes), tension with brother Derek (shoving match); reportedly overslept after drinking.
Struggles with Grief: Brian expressed desire to “run away” with Alexis after his mother’s passing, but no solid plan.
"Clint and Meredith realize that they don't see Brian. They proceeded to walk around the bar several times, even checking both restrooms." — Kelly, [35:30]
"First of all, I know all three of these band members and they're good guys, upstanding guys… So you're making the—the Internet with this theory is making these giant leaps." — Host 1, [45:25] "I kind of think we can stomp out that theory that the band had something to do with his disappearance that night." — Host 1, [47:00] "I'd like to point out, too, with the timeline, it really doesn't allow for the band theory to even be possible." — Kelly, [48:50]
| Timestamp | Segment Description | |-----------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 06:32 | Show proper begins; 20-year retrospective premise & new information intro | | 08:06 | Kelly shares how she became involved | | 10:07 | Overview of Brian’s 2005 summer, meeting Alexis, mother’s illness, and family tensions | | 14:45 | Financial anomalies and tuition check timeline | | 18:13 | Family dynamics after Renee's (mother) death | | 23:56 | Begins detailed March 31, 2006 timeline | | 31:27 | Introduction of Amber & Brighton (key witnesses seen with Brian on surveillance) | | 34:19 | 1:15am, Brian, Clint, Meredith return to Ugly Tuna; description of surveillance footage | | 35:50 | The critical minutes—Brian’s disappearance, friends’ search, failing to find him before leaving | | 38:59 | Clarifies why they returned to Ugly Tuna—efforts to meet up with more friends | | 40:10 | "Band theory" detailed and systematically debunked | | 44:39 | Assessment of physical impossibility of moving Brian's body undetected | | 47:01 | Police did not officially interview band until two years later—by chance | | 49:10 | Kelly and hosts highlight police presence and security protocols at bar | | 51:51 | Summary of the case's lasting mystique and the 'legend' of Brian's vanishing |
"We're doing an event at Brewdog… we'll be doing a panel where we discuss things that we've been talking about on this podcast and other information that we gather until the event." — Host 1, [52:00]
This episode is an essential listen for true crime fans interested in unsolved disappearances, blending meticulous research, exclusive interviews, timeline clarification, and fresh myth-busting. It untangles decades of rumors with crisp, transparent storytelling, leaving the listener both better informed and wanting more.
"A man walks into a bar and is never seen leaving… and his disappearance remains one of the most baffling missing persons cases in modern American history." — Host 1, [05:30, 51:51]