Episode Overview

On April 1st, 2006, Ohio State medical student Brian Shaffer went out for drinks with friends at the Ugly Tuna Saloona in Columbus, Ohio. Surveillance cameras captured him entering the bar… and then, somehow, not leaving.

Despite being surrounded by cameras, witnesses, and the heartbeat of a busy college nightlife district, Brian Shaffer simply vanished.

Tonight, we walk through the full timeline of Brian’s final known hours, break down the surveillance footage frame-by-frame, explore the strange architectural quirks of the bar and surrounding construction that may hold clues, and sift through the theories that have kept this case alive for nearly two decades.

It remains one of the most haunting unsolved disappearances in modern American history — a true locked-room mystery without the room.

In This Episode, We Explore:

👉 Brian’s final night out — the bar crawl, the conversations, and the last confirmed sighting

👉 Surveillance footage and why investigators are so puzzled by its gaps

👉 Who Brian was: his personality, relationships, grief, and aspirations

👉 The Ugly Tuna’s layout and how construction zones fueled hidden-exit theories

👉 Why many investigators believe Brian never left the building alive

👉 The 2020 phone “ping” rumor and why experts remain skeptical

👉 Theories including:

  • Accident or misadventure

  • Voluntary disappearance

  • Foul play

  • Misidentification on the footage

👉 Why the lack of evidence may be the most telling clue of all

Why This Case Still Haunts Us

Brian’s disappearance sits at the crossroads of tragedy and impossibility.

A crowded bar, multiple cameras, friends yards away, and a young man who loved music, medicine, and the people in his life — gone without a single confirmed trace.

The case remains open.

And Brian’s family continues to live in hope of answers.

If You Have Information — Tip Lines

Any piece of information, no matter how small, may help solve this case.

If you know anything related to the disappearance of Brian Shaffer, please contact:

Columbus Division of Police (Tip / Non-Emergency Line)

📞 (614) 645-4545

(Ask for the detective assigned to the Brian Shaffer case.)

FBI ViCAP Missing Persons Tip Line

📞 1-800-634-4097

Central Ohio Crime Stoppers (Anonymous Tips)

📞 (614) 461-8477 (TIPS)

You may remain anonymous and could be eligible for a reward.

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