The mysterious and unsolved disappearance of Brian Shaffer has captured the fascination of true crime fans since 2006. Here’s what happened.
Brian Shaffer was a medical student at Ohio State University who, after a night of drinking, disappeared without a trace on night of March 31, 2006. Security cam footage from the bar he was at with his friends shows them entering, but never shows Brian leaving. How he did exit the building remains unknown (if he left at all).
The bar in question, named the “Ugly Tuna Saloona”, was likely packed due to it being spring break for the students of OSU. Brian and his friend William Florence heavily drank that night before they were joined by a third friend named Meredith Reed. After a while, Brian Shaffer separated from the group and we never seen again.
Soon he was declared missing and police started an investigation. They scanned security footage, used search dogs, checked local dumpsters, sewers and rivers for a body. They couldn’t find anything.
This disappearance has became a media sensation for it’s strangeness, with a young man like Brian seemingly vanishing into thin air. There are many theories about what happened, everything ranging from him running off under a new identity to him being a victim of the Smiley Face Killer.
No matter what, this is one mystery that probably wont be solved any time soon. Whether Brian Shaffer was murdered, or is living somewhere under a new name, it won’t be easy to find out. If you’re looking for a story with a more definitive ending, check out this guy’s reaction to learning William Shatner is not his father.
Featured Image from Wikimedia
