The vanishing of Brian Shaffer in the Ugly Tuna Saloona bar in Columbus Ohio

Feb 6

Brian Randall Shaffer disappeared April 1, 2006, Ugly Tuna Saloona, 1546 N. High Street, Columbus, Ohio.

Revised September 2024

Brian Shaffer, 27, was last seen at the Ugly Tuna Saloona, a bar near the Ohio State University (OSU) campus (1546 N. High Street), between 1.30 and 2.00 am on Friday, April 1, 2006. He had gone there to celebrate the beginning of spring break with friends.

Security cameras at the bar showed him entering the bar but not leaving, and he was seen speaking to two college-age women inside the bar before walking out of the frame and disappearing.

Did Brian somehow leave the bar and disappear voluntarily? Was he stashed somewhere in the building, or has something weirder happened?

Ugly Tuna Saloona, 1546 N. High Street, Columbus

Brian Shaffer’s night out in Columbus

At around 9.30 pm, Brian Shaffer and his friends headed to the Ugly Tuna Saloona. The bar entrance could be assessed via an escalator at the second level of the building, and there was also an emergency exit. There was also evidence of a freight elevator through a construction area.

At 9:56 p.m., Brian called his girlfriend, Alexis Waggoner, and told her he would see her when she returned to Columbus. Brian and his girlfriend, a medical student, planned to vacation in Miami, Florida, for spring break and were scheduled to fly there on April 3.

Alexis Waggoner, Brian Shaffer’s girlfriend

Brian and his friends then walked down to the Arena District in Columbus, stopped off at the North Short Tavern, and went to Brother's, where they met with other friends. One of the friends drove them back to the Ugly Tuna Saloona, where they were seen on CCTV video at 1:15 a.m.

Brian’s friend Clint Florence, a former roommate and drinking buddy, said that day was supposed to be just another night out, “Brian and I always went out. There’s nothing new. Sat down and opened a tab. And then, you know, had three, four, five shots of liquor.”

The next time Brian was seen on CCTV, he was outside the Ugly Tuna, at the top of the escalator at 1.55 am, talking with two girls; he appeared to say goodbye and turned towards the bar, then he walked out of the frame and disappeared. The subsequent Police investigation confirmed he went back into the bar. Minutes later, Clint and Brian’s other friends got ready to leave at around 2 am, but Brian was nowhere to be seen. They called Brian’s cell phone without him answering, so they checked the bathroom and with no sign, they left without him.

Saturday, April 2, passed without any contact from Brian, and by Sunday morning, his girlfriend, Alexis, was growing increasingly concerned. They were due to leave for Florida for a vacation the following day, and he still wasn’t answering his cell. At that point, she contacted Brian’s family and the police were informed.

Who was Brian Shaffer?

Brian was a second-year medical student at OSU at the time of his disappearance and made excellent grades. He graduated from Pickerington High School in 1997 and got a bachelor's degree in microbiology from OSU in 2003. His mother died of cancer three weeks before his disappearance. He'd been close to her and was upset about her passing, but his family and friends stated he was not overly depressed or suicidal.

Shaffer had a tattoo of a Pearl Jam symbol tattoo on his upper right arm, wore wire-framed eyeglasses, and had a black spot on his left iris.

He was wearing an Olive green polo short-sleeved shirt with a white long-sleeve shirt under it, jeans, Adidas tennis shoes and a yellow cancer awareness bracelet.

Investigations

The police questioned the two girls outside the bar, speaking with Brian, but could not offer any clues. At one point, the police were looking for an individual seen on the escalator (with the orange sweater). He has been ruled out and not considered linked to Brian's case.

Shaffer's car was parked near his apartment, and all his personal belongings were found - including his cell phone and credit cards. Brian’s bank accounts have been untouched since his disappearance.

In May 2006, someone broke into Shaffer's apartment. The authorities believed the incident was unrelated to Brian’s disappearance.

Aftermath

Brian’s father was killed in a freak accident caused by a branch hitting him in a storm in September 2008. Shaffer's only surviving relative is his younger brother.

What happened to Brian Shaffer?

If Brian left the bar without being caught on tape, what happened?

CCTV covered both bar exits. Once on the first floor, the only way out, without being seen on video, would have been through a service exit that leads to a construction site with doors to the street. Did he disappear to start a new life? Was he murdered?

Sgt. John Hurst, the lead investigator, said, “There’s no reason for anybody to want to go out that area. It’s heavily under construction and would be difficult sober.”

Police say it’s possible that because Brian was drinking heavily that night, he may have been vulnerable to foul play. If Brian had tried to walk back to his apartment half a dozen blocks away, he would have been an easy target as there was high crime in that neighborhood.

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