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Missing /// Tyler Davis /// Part 1 - True Crime Garage | Wave AI Podcast Notes

Missing /// Tyler Davis /// Part 1

Tue Sep 02 2025

February 23rd, 2019 - A young husband and wife drive to Columbus, Ohio to celebrate a birthday. After a night out, sometime around 3am 29 year old Tyler Davis goes missing. This week we sit down with Tyler's wife to discuss the details surrounding this mystery as we continue to bring awareness to this case. Please listen and look at Tyler’s pictures, maybe you can help. Beer of the Week - Beer Drinking is Not a Crime Garage Grade - 4 and a half bottle caps out of 5

Summary

True Crime Garage: "Missing /// Tyler Davis /// Part 1"

Release Date: September 2, 2025
Hosts: Nic & The Captain
Guest: Brittany Davis (Tyler’s wife)
Case Discussed: Disappearance of Tyler Davis – Columbus, Ohio, February 24, 2019

Episode Overview

This episode marks the first part of a detailed exploration into the 2019 disappearance of Tyler Davis, a husband and father who vanished during a trip to Easton Town Center in Columbus, Ohio. Hosts Nic and the Captain sit down with Brittany Davis, Tyler’s wife, who offers a candid account of the events leading to Tyler’s disappearance. The hosts aim to raise awareness and gather tips by diving deeply into the timeline, circumstances, and oddities surrounding the case.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Meet Tyler Davis & Context for the Trip

[06:00]

How Tyler and Brittany Met: Brittany shares that she met Tyler in 2013 while he was her boss at a local franchise; they were friends first, began dating in 2016, and married in late 2017.
Family Life: They have a young son, Aaron, and are typically homebodies due to Tyler’s demanding work schedule.
Special Occasions: They only “go out” on birthdays and their anniversary, leaving Aaron with Tyler’s parents.
Purpose of Trip: The trip to Easton Town Center was to celebrate Brittany’s birthday. Columbus was chosen primarily for its proximity to Tyler’s parents, who watched their son.

2. Timeline of Events on February 23-24, 2019

Late Start and Arrival

[08:20–11:01]

Tyler works six days in a row and returns home late (3:30am) the night before the trip.
The couple oversleeps, leaves later than intended, drops their son with grandparents, and checks into the Hilton at Easton at 4:58pm.
Prior to going out, they shower and wait for Tyler’s friend (name omitted for privacy) to arrive.

Night Out at Easton

[11:33–15:00]

They walk around Easton, visiting Bar Louie (~9:30pm) and Adobe Gila’s afterward.
Drinks Consumed: Brittany describes her own and Tyler’s alcohol intake—they both have several drinks, mostly shots for Tyler (Tito’s vodka, scotch).
Mood: “It was like we were happy… everyone was having a fun time.” – Brittany ([14:56]).

Visit to the Dollhouse (Gentleman’s Club)

[16:06–22:26]

Suggestion to visit Dollhouse was Brittany’s, as a first-time experience ([14:56], [16:14]).
They arrive around 12:45am, Feb 24.
Vibe remains light; Brittany recounts meeting staff and observing the friendliness towards couples.
Odd Moments: Brittany recalls two oddities on reflection: leaving her drink unattended while going outside to smoke, and a bouncer aggressively insisting they leave as the club closed, leading to a brief argument involving Tyler ([19:54–22:37]).

Return to Hilton via Uber

[32:51–38:46]

Uber is ordered at 3:01am, arrives at the Hilton by 3:18am. Tyler dozes off in the car due to exhaustion.
Upon arrival, Tyler wakes up disoriented, is cranky, and walks off with the friend instead of going into the hotel.
Crucial Detail: “Not one time did he [Tyler] step into the doors. He literally, like, got out of the Uber...and after he started walking, he — if you were standing in front of the Hilton, he's literally going, like, diagonally to the left. Like, there's a bunch of condos right there, and that is the direction he's, like, walking in.” – Brittany ([38:32]).

Last Contacts with Tyler

[39:14–46:16]

Brittany goes upstairs briefly to plug in her phone, is actively trying to call Tyler.
3:37am: Tyler calls Brittany, says he’s “just walking around the block smoking a cigarette,” apologizes, and says he’ll be right back ([43:02]).
The friend returns alone, tells Brittany not to worry, and soon heads home ([44:26]).
4:10am: Tyler calls, says he sees the hotel and will be back in five minutes. States, “I'm walking through the woods, I see the hotel, I'll be there in like five minutes.” – Brittany ([43:44]).
A minute later, Tyler calls again, but the connection remains silent for four seconds; calls to him after that immediately go to voicemail, suggesting his phone died ([44:42]).

Aftermath: Searching and Calling for Help

[46:16–56:28]

Brittany, now alone and with little phone battery, calls her friend Harley for support while searching Easton’s grounds—describes the area as mostly deserted at 5am.
After 25 minutes charging her phone and more searching, Brittany calls Tyler’s friends; none have heard from him.
Adam, a former roommate, arrives to help search, scouring the area and hotel for Tyler for about an hour with no success.
Video footage at Hilton is available but does not indicate Tyler entered the lobby.
Brittany weighs calling Tyler’s parents and the police, realizing the situation is now a serious missing persons case ([56:28]).

Hosts’ Observations & Analysis

Timeline & Documentation

[22:51, 23:19, 23:31]

Nick and Captain note Brittany’s level of detail (bank records, call logs, receipts), which helps reconstruct the timeline but also makes her self-conscious about “knowing too much.”
The friend involved is unnamed throughout per his request, and some names are edited out in the episode.

Oddities and Red Flags

[24:39–27:37]

The hosts discuss the atmosphere at Dollhouse, noting strict local liquor policies and typical closing protocols, suggesting nothing Brittany described was especially suspicious behavior for staff or the area’s bars.
The timing of Tyler’s disappearance, his exhaustion, unfamiliarity with the area, and cold weather (29°F) are highlighted as important factors ([56:55]).

Behavior of Tyler’s Friend

[58:03–61:37]

The hosts, especially Nick, question the friend’s actions—leaving Brittany after Tyler vanished. Given the timing of last calls and phone silence, they suggest most friends would stay.
However, Captain notes Brittany was technically safe at a major hotel, and the friend may have underestimated the seriousness.

Phone and Key Card Confusion

[61:37–63:55]

Some struggle with Brittany’s story about swapping hotel keys and rapidly dying phone batteries.
Possible that confusion is due to stress, exhaustion, and Brittany re-checking her own timeline as she recounts events.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

“This is the first time me and Tyler had ever drank together in a bar ever. And it was like we were having a fun time...”
— Brittany ([14:56])
“Out of all of the—Tyler has never...even if...we had just gotten into an argument, he never just sleeps and walks out and just starts walking.”
— Brittany ([42:26])
“I'm walking through the woods. I see the hotel. I'll be there in like five minutes.”
— Tyler to Brittany (as recounted by Brittany, [43:44])
“As soon as I try to call him back...his phone is dead. And it's been dead ever since. Like, I call it every day.”
— Brittany ([44:42])
“I have a difficult time with the battery charging of the phone and the battery life. A lot of that stuff doesn't add up to me.”
— The Captain ([63:55])
“Once you decide you have to call the cops, then this is becoming very serious.”
— Nic ([64:50])

Key Timestamps

03:00 – Missing poster details for Tyler Davis
06:00 – Brittany introduces her relationship with Tyler
08:11–11:01 – Day-of timeline: Tyler’s exhaustion, late start, check-in
12:49–14:56 – Drinks consumed and vibe of the night out
16:06–22:37 – Dollhouse visit, oddities, closing time
32:51–38:46 – Uber ride back; Tyler’s confusion, leaves with friend
39:14–44:42 – Brittany’s attempts to contact Tyler; timeline of calls
44:42–46:16 – Last call with Tyler, phone dies
49:43–53:46 – Early searches, Adam arrives, hotel video footage
56:28–58:58 – Realization: time to call parents, police
58:03–61:37 – Hosts discuss friend’s actions, hotel key confusion
63:51 – Captain questions battery/phone confusion
64:50 – Next steps: contacting family and authorities

Tone & Style

Casual, candid, and empathetic—nic and Captain maintain their typical laid-back “garage” banter, while treating the case and Brittany with respect.
Brittany is open, sometimes emotional, slightly nervous but earnest; she’s meticulous and sincere in conveying events.

Summary: For Listeners New to the Story

In Part 1 of the Tyler Davis case, listeners receive an in-depth, almost-minute-by-minute breakdown of Tyler’s last known hours, based on the firsthand account of his wife, Brittany. The night started as a rare outing for a hardworking couple but swiftly devolved into a mystery as Tyler, exhausted, tipsy, and disoriented in an unfamiliar urban landscape, vanished after saying he was walking around the hotel area. Multiple calls, hotel searches, and frantic outreach to friends yielded no results. The episode leaves off at the tipping point: Brittany's realization that this weird night has become every spouse's nightmare—a loved one is missing, and the next call must be to the family and police.

If you have any information regarding Tyler Davis’ disappearance, contact the Columbus Police Department at (614) 645-4545.
Tyler’s photo and case details are available at TrueCrimeGarage.com.

End of Part 1. (To be continued in Part 2...)

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Transcript

Ryan Reynolds (0:00)

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Brittany Davis (0:22)

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Nick (1:11)

Welcome to True Crime Garage. Wherever you are, whatever you are doing, thanks for listening. I'm your host, Nick and with me as always, behind the glass, he's living la vida loca. He is the captain.

Captain (1:22)

I got dumps like a truck, truck, truck thighs like what, what, what? It's good to be seen and it's good to see you. Thanks for listening. Thanks for telling a friend.

Nick (1:39)

This week we are very happy to be featuring a great beer called Beer Drinking is Not a Crime Garage Grade four and a half bottle caps out of five. This is a great beer. In fact, it's a crime not to drink it. Not a crime is a double dry hopped double IPA featuring Nelson and Citra hops. And there's a good amount of orange and orange peel taste here. All right, let's give thanks and praise to some of our good friends. First up, we have Linnea and parts Unknown. Also in parts unknown we have Sherry. And we have Aaron who wants us to feature Coors Light or CL Smooth, as she calls it.

Captain (2:15)

And a big shout to Autumn in Lake St. Louis, Missouri.

Nick (2:19)

Next up we have Sarah and Brandon from West Virginia.

Captain (2:22)

And a big we like your jib to Kelly in Eudora, Kansas.

Nick (2:26)

Here's a big shout out to Jason S. Who says we are the best true crime podcast out there.

Captain (2:31)

Well, thank you very much.

Nick (2:32)

That's right. And last but not least, we have Daisy in Monterey, California. So thanks everybody for helping us out with this week's set of shows. If you want to fill up the fridge for next week's show, go to true crimegarage.com and click on the donate button.

Brittany Davis (19:54)

So there were a couple really weird things that. Well, like at the time I didn't think it was weird. But now, now I think about it and obviously just because, like, everything that happened. But a couple things popped out to me that I thought were odd at the strip club. So I remember at one point, you know, me and Tyler had just ordered around drinks, and we, like, went out front to smoke a cigarette. And when we were walking out front, the guy saw me. He was like, no. He's like, you can't take this out front. And I just kind of looked around. I was like, I mean, there's a bartender. Like, you know the rules. You're not supposed to leave your drink anywhere. You're not. It's just like, don't do it. It's bad. Especially in a place where I've never been here before. I don't know these people. I'm. I live an hour and a half away. You know what I mean? But I did. I did a. No, no. And I sat it down. I couldn't see it. I walked out front. Me and Tyler did smoke cigarette. We came back inside. I grabbed my drink, I took a drink of it. It was still pretty full. I took a drink of it, and then I was like, hey, I'm gonna go to the restroom. And then I handed him my drink. He's like, okay, I'm going to go back to our seats. Whatever. So I went to the restroom, and I wasn't in there very long at all. And by the time I got out, I noticed all the lights had been flipped. Like, they turned all the lights on. And I was like, okay, so I guess it's time to go, you know? So, like, as I'm walking out of the bathroom, there's, like, a really big wall, and I'm kind of walking around. Like, you can't see people, if that makes sense. Like, if somebody's exiting the bathroom where you can't see them coming out until they, like, turn a corner. And I like, here, Tyler and, like, getting into an argument with the bouncer. And there he was like, the bouncers, like, you guys gotta go. It's time for you to go. He's like, no, man. Like, we're leaving. I just gotta wait on Britt. He was like, my wife's in the bathroom. Like, let me just get Britney. And he was like, no, no, you got to get out of here right now. He was like, we will leave as soon as she comes. Like, she's in the bathroom and she's going to be out any second. And then I was like, that. Like, I hear them. And as at that point, I'm like, turning the corner, and Tyler's like, look, there she Is he's like, we're out of here. We're leaving. And the guy's like, okay, cool. But, like, the guy kind of was. I don't know if he thought. You know, he could have just thought they were lying. Who knows? But so, you know, we all walk outside, and I look at my phone, and it's about to die. I was like, tyler, what's your phone on? He's like, it's almost dead. And he didn't have, like, the Uber. Like, Tyler doesn't have the Uber app on his phone. Like, I have it, and then our friend had it on his phone. So we're standing out there for a minute, and I was like, hey, like, can you order us an Uber? And he's like, yeah, totally. And we ended up sitting out there for probably about 20, 25 minutes. Like, by this point, everybody else was, like, clearing out. We're just, like, waiting on our Uber. One of the. One of the girls came outside. She gave himself, like, a bottle of water. He sat there, like, waiting on our Uber or whatever.

Brittany Davis (35:35)

Yes, exactly. So I'm like. And at this point, our friend had fallen asleep, too. He was passed out, too. And I was like, man, I've never tried to wake him up. So, like, I hit him on the shoulder, and he was like. Popped up. He's like, what's up? And I'm like, cool. So I got out of the car, I woke up my friend, and I opened the. I opened the door, and I was just like, how do you want to do this? He's just like, you know, hey, Tyler, like, come on, let's go. And he was like, okay, guys, I'm coming. Just give me a minute. And I'm like. We sat there for a couple minutes, and you could tell, like, the Uber driver writer's point was just aggravated. You know what I mean? Like, hey, please get the hell out of my car. It's probably. It's like, almost 3:30 in the morning. You know what I mean? Getting Tyler out of the car. And when we're getting him out of the car, I, like, grabbed one of his arms, and I was like, hey, let's go. And grabbed an arm, too. And I was like, hey. Like, you know, I mean, like, this. Like, he was still asleep. You know what I mean? Like, he literally had. It was like he wasn't even woken up. And when he got out of the car, he was like, what the hell, guys? Like, we're not. Where is our ride going? Like, we're not even where we're supposed to be. And I was like, babe, what are you. Like, this is our hotel. Like, our hotel's right here. Like, what are you talking about? And he was just, like, in a cranky mood. Like, he was just pissed off. He was just tired. I really. I don't think that any of anything that was going on there, like, it was not a good mix, you know what I mean? Like, between, like, the fact that we've been drinking, the fact that he was exhausted, the fact that we were in an unfamiliar place, like, that was just not. Was not a good mixture. So he was just. He was pissed off, you know, got out, like, out of the Uber, and he was just like, what the hell, guys? We're not where we're supposed to be, blah, blah, blah. And he just gets, like. Just shitty, and he walks away. And I'm like, what the shit? Like, what are. Like, where are you going? Like, we're literally supposed to be right here. So I go to follow him, and his friend is like, no, Brittany, it's okay. Like, I got it. I was like, are you sure? And he's like, yes, don't worry. We'll be right back. And I was like, okay, cool. At that. Before. Before he had left the hotel, we had. We had two room keys, and we didn't know, like, if like. Like, he. Like, our friend didn't know if he was gonna end up, like, passing out on the couch in our hotel room or just, like, going home. You know what I mean? And Tyler gave him one of the room keys, and he was like, put this in your wallet just in case we get mixed up something or other. You know, we have a room until noon, whatever, if you need to sleep on the couch or something. And then Tyler has one in his wallet. But don't worry about it. He's like, just go upstairs. We'll be right there. And he took, like, handed me the room key out of his wallet, and I was like, you know, whatever. Like, you got it. Cool. So I went upstairs. I wasn't up there for long. I plugged in my phone. My phone, and said I was just really just trying to call Tyler.