5 Brian Shaffer theories that will leave you shook

Brian Shaffer
Brian Shaffer has been missing since 2006 (Image via Investigation Discovery YT)

It's been more than a decade and a half since Brian Shaffer, a resident in Columbus, Ohio, mysteriously disappeared, sparking speculations about whether he was killed. Brian Shaffer was a 27-year-old student at Ohio State University studying to become a doctor. However, the dream never materialized as Brian shockingly vanished on April 1, 2006, after partying at the Ugly Tuna Saloona bar.

This case was featured in Investigation Discovery. Attempts to unveil facts surrounding his disappearance invited more speculations. Nobody saw him leaving the pub, and he was not captured on the cameras around the pub.

Brian reportedly had dinner with his father, Randy, and later joined his friends at the pub to celebrate spring break. After taking shots, Brian excused himself to see the bar's band members. This was the last time his friends saw him.

It was almost the closing time of Ugly Tuna Saloona, at around 2 A.M., when Clint and Meredith called Brian as they were leaving. Brian did not answer or call back. Assuming Brian had gone home, they left him a voice note and left the bar for home.

However, Randy and Brian's friends later discovered he was missing. Shockingly, everyone except Brian was captured on the CCTV cameras leaving the bar. His disappearance caught the attention of the media, and since then, there have been several theories about the medical student's disappearance.


5 Brian Shaffer theories suggesting what happened to the medical student

Brian was a medical student (Image via Investigation Discovery YT)
Brian was a medical student (Image via Investigation Discovery YT)

Here are some notable Brian Shaffer theories which you shouldn't miss:

1) Voluntary disappearance

The first Brian Shaffer theory suggests that the 27-year-old left willingly Columbus, Ohio, and there was no foul play in his disappearance. He was captured entering the bar and was seen talking to two women outside Ugly Tuna Saloona at 1:55 A.M., just before reentering the bar.

Per NBC4, attorney Lori Davis discussed Brian's case with a detective who was shocked that there was no clip in which you could see Brian leaving the bar. The recording "haunts him, as he is 100% sure everyone who went in the bar can be seen on video leaving, except for Brian". According to this theory, Brian might have disguised himself and left the bar from the service exit.


2) Brian Shaffer was murdered inside the bar

The Ugly Tuna Saloona bar (Image via Investigation Discovery YT)
The Ugly Tuna Saloona bar (Image via Investigation Discovery YT)

The next theory talks about the possible murder, insinuating that Brian was killed due to a hate crime inside Ugly Tuna Saloona bar. Since Brian told Meredith and Clint that he was going upstairs to meet the band members, the theory alluded that he was executed after that.

What made his disappearance more suspicious was his friend Clint Florence's refusal of the polygraph test. The denial hints at information Clint might know about Brian, but he refuses to share.


3) Theory of Brian Shaffer's accidental death

Brian was about to become a doctor (Image via Investigation Discovery YT)
Brian was about to become a doctor (Image via Investigation Discovery YT)

This theory explores Brian's presumed death. He was believed to have left the bar from the service exit, which opened to a heavy construction site, and might have accidentally fallen into it.

However, this theory stands to be disputed since no one around the construction site, including the workers, saw anyone injured or escaping from the location, making Brian's disappearance even more puzzling.


4) The abduction theory of Brian Shaffer

Since there were no traces hinting at a possible murder, another theory suggests that a known person could have abducted Brian. Since he wasn't captured leaving in any of the cameras, this theory alluded to his abduction.

Brian was seen talking to two women, but they had nothing to do with his disappearance. Additionally, there was no activity on his credit card or phone after April 1, which further complicated the case and did not corroborate this theory.


5) Brian Shaffer's mental health theory

Brian with his parents (Image via Investigation Discovery YT)
Brian with his parents (Image via Investigation Discovery YT)

This unsettling theory about Brian Shaffer explains that he was struggling with mental health issues, and this led him to disappear forever. Shaffer had lost his beloved mother, and he was allegedly under the pressure of his medical studies.

The theory suggests that Brian might have felt exhausted and devastated by his situation and decided to leave home. However, Davis described him as an enthusiastic and outgoing man with no signs of depression.


Was Brian Shaffer ever found?

The 27-year-old was never found (Image via Investigation Discovery YT)
The 27-year-old was never found (Image via Investigation Discovery YT)

Since Shaffer's disappearance, his father has received numerous tips about his whereabouts, but none have helped. There were rumors that Brian had become a homeless man in Mexico, but these claims were denied.

In 2008, Brian's father, Randy Shaffer, died after a tree fell on him during a storm and departed without discovering what happened to his son. To date, Brian Shaffer's shocking vanishing remains a mystery.


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Edited by Priscillah Mueni