BRIAN SHAFFER MISSING SINCE APRIL 1, 2006

[Mamamook]

A new clue released in the Brian Shaffer case.  Is Brian in the Virgin Islands?


http://www.virginislandsdailynews.com/index.pl/article_home?id=17629037

[MumInOhio]

Thank You Mamamook for posting this and Welcome to SM...It would be really something if Brian is found!

Hope you don't mind my posting the article from your link?

Without a trace
Long search for medical student who vanished in Ohio leads investigator to V.I.
By JOSEPH TSIDULKO
Wednesday, October 1st 2008

The flagging search for a missing Ohio State University medical student recently was broadened to the Virgin Islands after a tragic accident unexpectedly provided investigators with a cyberspace clue.

Randall Shaffer spent two and a half years tirelessly spearheading efforts to find his son, Brian Shaffer, who disappeared without a trace after a night out with friends in Columbus, Ohio, on March 31, 2006. The baffling case received heavy news coverage in Ohio, and was featured on several national news programs.

Two weeks ago, the distraught 55-year-old father was killed in a freak accident in his own yard - a storm-blown tree limb fatally struck him on the head.

After the funeral, friends maintaining an online guest book that accompanied Randall Shaffer's obituary on the website of the local newspaper, The Columbus Dispatch, were shocked to see a brief entry ostensibly from the dead man's missing son.

On the evening of Sept. 18, someone posted: "Dad, I love you, Brian. (U.S. Virgin Islands)"

Don Corbett, a private investigator hired by the family when Shaffer went missing, said there were only two explanations.

Either the missing 29-year-old wrote the message, and likely was in the Virgin Islands, Corbett said, or "somebody has a very sick sense of humor."

Ohio authorities have subpoenaed the web host's Internet records to geographically pinpoint the sender, a process that could take a couple weeks, Corbett said.

In the meantime, Corbett has contacted Virgin Islands police, providing Shaffer's missing person poster.

Many people who posted condolences on the same guest book wrote they knew Randall Shaffer through his quest for his son.

Some said Shaffer recruited them to join search teams or met them while exploring his son's social circle. Others were strangers who felt compassion after following the high-profile case in the news.

Randall Shaffer's wife died of cancer two weeks before his son went missing. The father spent his final years consumed with the search, working to organize friends, police and the private investigator in an effort that proved fruitless, at least in his lifetime.

Brian Shaffer was a 27-year-old second year medical student with a bright future when he went out with friends at the start of spring break.

While bar hopping, Shaffer spoke by phone with his girlfriend, who was visiting family, and told her he looked forward to seeing her when she came back to Columbus, according to Corbett. The two were set to take a vacation to Miami just days later.

Late that night, Shaffer and friends returned to Ugly Tuna Saloona, where they had started the evening.

A surveillance camera captured them about 1:15 a.m. on April 1.

Another camera taped Shaffer at the top of an escalator talking with two girls. After they parted ways, Shaffer walked out of the camera's view, and out of the lives of everyone who loved him.

Authorities tracked down and interviewed all the people last seen with Shaffer and conducted extensive searches of the area around the Ugly Tuna, including a nearby construction site.

The posting in the obituary guest book from the missing man, or at least someone claiming to be him, was the first clue in a long time.

Corbett, who has taken to the case to heart and continues to work it without charge, said the posting was especially of interest since early in the investigation there was a rumor Shaffer had left for an island.

"We think he may be down there," Corbett said of the Virgin Islands before conceding, "it's a long shot."

A reward of $25,500 is being offered for information that leads to Shaffer.

Anyone with information about the case can call (877) 645-TIPS.

- Contact Joseph Tsidulko at 774-8772 ext. 332 or e-mail jtsidulko@dailynews.vi.
 

 

[dejasade]

WOW!
that would be surreal!

[Nut44x4]

 

[dejasade]

U hope we get updates on this....

[MumInOhio]

U hope we get updates on this....

Good Morning!  I had a quick look around this morning, but didn't see anything.

Maybe Nut can come up with something!

[Nut44x4]

Somehow I have a feeling this is a sick hoax. Virgin Islands......WTH ?? I know Brian and his GF were planning a trip to Miami before he vanished........but geeeezeeee... mmmmmmm..... 
I need to get busy on this...bbl.

[Nut44x4]

Looks like the entry has been removed and perhaps any comments relating to the entry. I see nothing on here:
http://www.legacy.com/Dispatch/GB/GuestbookView.aspx?PersonId=117557618

[Nut44x4]

Will look through these to see if there is any mention of this.
Virgin Islands Newspapers
St Croix Source
St Thomas Source
St Thomas This Week
Tradewinds
The Virgin Island Daily News (St. Thomas)
LINKS>
http://www.onlinenewspapers.com/us_virgi.htm

[MumInOhio]

Looks like the entry has been removed and perhaps any comments relating to the entry. I see nothing on here:
http://www.legacy.com/Dispatch/GB/GuestbookView.aspx?PersonId=117557618

Thanks Nut!  It is very strange...Not sure I want to give up on it yet!

It was enough for the PI to go down there.

[Nut44x4]

Will be checking Bars/Clubs as well for photos.

[MumInOhio]

Will be checking Bars/Clubs as well for photos.

thanks Nut...It has been discussed and posted on blogs...Topix, Project Jason...Will check them out a little later.

[dejasade]

I read somewhere there were rumors of him possibly leaving to go to an island..?
IMO - he wouldn't sign the guest book "brian shaffer, us Virgin Islands"
if he WERE there, he'd probably do something more secretive...

please keep updated.  This case really gets to me.

[2NJSons_Mom]

http://www.usvitourism.vi/en/home/vi_TT_Before_Visit.html

Passports for U.S. Citizens are not required for the U.S. Virgin Islands, but you must be prepared to show evidence of citizenship upon leaving (such as a birth certificate and photo ID). Citizens of countries other than the U.S. should follow U.S. travel regulations. Travel outside the U.S. Virgin Islands requires a birth certificate or valid passport. Health certificates are not required if you're entering from the U.S. or Puerto Rico; citizens entering from other countries should follow the same guidelines as for the mainland U.S.
 

 The U.S. Virgin Islands are in the Atlantic standard time zone, one hour ahead of Eastern standard time (during daylight savings time only).
 Virgin Islanders drive on the left side of the road.
 English is the official language.
 Our currency is the U.S. dollar. Traveler's checks and major credit cards are honored.
 Postage in the U.S. Virgin Islands is the same as stateside. First-class mail to the U.S. automatically travels by air through the U.S. Postal Service.
 You can direct-dial from the United States Virgin Islands to the U.S. mainland. The service connects callers to Europe and South America.
 The electrical current is the same as in North America (standard 120 volt/60 cycle).
 Tipping of 15 percent to 20 percent is customary for good service. Some hotels automatically add a service charge.

***********
One would expect that LE checked flight manifests during the time Brian went missing....if he had left the country under an assumed name, I still would imagine he'd have to have some sort of ID....I haven't been on a domestic flight in a while, and have had a passport....

I'm leaning towards this latest being a sick hoax.....but time will tell.

[Nut44x4]

http://www.nbc4i.com/midwest/cmh/news.apx.-content-articles-CMH-2008-10-08-0006.html

New Clues Or Sick Jokes In Shaffer Case?
 
Wednesday, Oct 08, 2008 - 09:01 AM Updated: 10:42 AM
COLUMBUS, Ohio --
New clues are surfacing surrounding the mysterious disappearance of OSU medical student Brian Shaffer. But are these new leads someone’s idea of a sick joke?
 
Brian has been missing for over two years. Last month his father, Randy Shaffer, died from a fallen tree branch in the severe wind storm that hit Central Ohio. His untimely death prompted an email message from someone claiming to be Brian and sent from the U.S. Virgin Islands.
 
Columbus Police Detectives traced the email to a public computer in Franklin County.
 
Shortly after, detectives received a tip claiming Brian’s body could be found at a certain location in Columbus. Police searched the specified area on September 21st with cadaver dogs, but found no body.
 
Stay with NBC 4 and refresh nbc4i.com for additional information.

[MumInOhio]

Thanks Nut...Sounding like a really sick joke! Really sick!

Wonder if they were able to trace the tip?

[dejasade]

that is awful.  There are some sick, twisted folks out there....

[Lovinlife]

I was thinking of Brian today and thought I'd search around and see what I could find.  These aren't new but at least they are from 2009.

http://media.www.thelantern.com/media/storage/paper333/news/2009/04/13/Campus/Is.Brian.Shaffer.Alive-3707043.shtml

Is Brian Shaffer alive?
Missing med student might be alive, attorney says; brother suspects best friend has knowledge of incident that happened three years ago
Drew Sullivan
Issue date: 4/13/09 Section: Campus
PrintEmail Article Tools Page 1 of 1 An attorney believes that an Ohio State medical student who has been missing for more than three years is alive, he told a private investigator in an e-mail.

Brian Shaffer has been missing since April 1, 2006. He was last seen on surveillance video outside the Ugly Tuna Saloona on the South Campus Gateway at 1:55 that morning. One of the last people to see Shaffer that night was William "Clint" Florence, one of Shaffer's best friends.

Attorney Neil Rosenberg represents Florence, who has refused at least two requests to take polygraph tests during the investigation of Shaffer's disappearance. Florence is the only person who has refused to take a polygraph, said Kevin Miles, director of the Central Ohio Crime Stoppers.

Private investigator Don Corbett, who has worked on the case for free for the Shaffer family, said Florence refused his request to take a polygraph as recently as last September. Corbett said Florence also refused a police request to take a polygraph soon after Shaffer went missing. The Columbus Division of Police did not respond to phone calls last week seeking comment about Florence's refusal to take a polygraph.

In the e-mail he sent to Corbett on Sept. 22, 2008, Rosenberg said: "If Brian is alive, which is what I'm led to believe after speaking with the detective involved, then it is Brian, and not Clint who is causing his family pain and hardship. Brian should come forward and end this."

Rosenberg said last week in a phone interview that as far as he is concerned the case is closed, and he declined to comment about the investigation or the e-mail he sent to Corbett.

In an e-mail last week, Florence said: "While I appreciate any effort in trying to determine what happened to Brain [sic] that night, I must decline your request. ANY and ALL questions you have for me should be directed to my attorney, Neil Rosenberg."

Florence, 32, works for the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the Vanderbilt University Medical School, where he is a postdoctoral fellow, according to a Vanderbilt Web site.

Corbett said he doesn't know which detective Rosenberg was referring to in the e-mail. However, he believes it is one of three men at Columbus Police: detective Andre Edwards of the Physical Child Abuse Section, Sgt. John Hurst of the Physical Abuse Section and Deputy Chief Antone Lanata of the Investigative Subdivision.

All three did not respond to repeated requests last week for an interview about whether they told Rosenberg they believe Shaffer is still alive.

Rosenberg also said in his e-mail to Corbett that, "The only burning issue with the authorities remains Clint's refusal to be polygraphed. That decision was based on my recommendation and advise [sic] to Clint, not because he is, has been misleading or has something to hide, but that he simply has nothing new to tell and was totally up front and honest with them from the beginning. As far as Clint is concerned, this matter is closed."

In a telephone interview Friday, Meredith Reed, a friend of both Shaffer and Florence who was with them that night, said she took and passed a polygraph about a month after Shaffer disappeared.

She said she assumes the Columbus Police asked her to take the test.

In fact, everyone who was asked to take a polygraph passed it, Miles said.

But not everyone who knew Brian or who had seen him the night he went missing was asked to take a polygraph.

The last time Shaffer was seen on surveillance video outside the Ugly Tuna Saloona he was with two women, Brightan Zatko and Amber Ruic. Ruic said in a phone interview Friday that she was never asked to take a polygraph.

Brian's brother, Derek, is the last surviving member of the immediate family. His father, Randy, died on Sept. 14, 2008, when a tree limb fell on him outside his house during a windstorm. Derek's mother died of cancer three weeks before Brian went missing.

In a phone interview last week, Derek Shaffer said he was not asked to take a polygraph but that his father took and passed one. Derek Shaffer also said he thinks it's odd that Clint has refused to take any polygraphs.

"As soon as the detective started getting involved, that's when he pretty much had no contact with anybody," Derek Shaffer said. "I've always thought he definitely knows something - just won't come forward with it.

"If Brian did take off somewhere, if that is the case, we just always had a strong feeling that Clint would possibly know that."

Shaffer's girlfriend at the time, Alexis Waggoner, also thinks Florence knows something he doesn't want to tell. But her opinion regarding Shaffer's whereabouts now is different than Derek's.

"I don't think he's alive," Waggoner said. "I can't imagine he would have just done that."

Alexis Waggoner's father, Tom Waggoner, participated in the search for Shaffer in 2006. During that period he became acquainted with Florence.

"The gist of my perspective on Clint Florence is that I think that basically all roads to making any progress on the case on Brian Shaffer lead through Clint Florence," Tom Waggoner said.

[Lovinlife]

http://www.nbc4i.com/cmh/news/crime/article/without_a_trace_shaffer_missing_3_years_now/14506/

Without A Trace: Shaffer Missing 3 Years

By Laurie Omness

Published: April 6, 2009

COLUMBUS, Ohio—Police have investigated and re-investigated, but three years after 27-year-old OSU medical student Brian Shaffer was last seen at the Ugly Toona Saloona bar, detectives have no idea where he is. 

The case still is considered an active case but puzzles all who look at it.

Central Ohio Crime Stoppers’ Kevin Miles told NBC 4’s Matt Alvarez Shaffer still is considered a missing person. 

“It’s still in missing persons. It’s not in homicide,“ Miles said. 

If Shaffer were to turn up tomorrow, he’d find the landscape of his life changed in the three years since he disappeared: His mother died of cancer shortly before his disappearance. His father, who spearheaded a constant and widespread effort to keep his son’s name in the public eye, was killed in the September 2008 wind storm. A branch fell on Randy Shaffer.

Crime Stoppers continues to offer the $25,000 reward for information on Shaffer’s whereabouts.

Anyone with information about on Shaffer was encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at 614-645-TIPS or visit StopCrime.org to e-mail your tip. You also can text a tip to CRIMES keyword CMH.

Crime Stoppers does not use caller ID or record telephone conversations. A special coding system protects the identity of the caller.

[Nut44x4]

Somehow I have a feeling this is a sick hoax. Virgin Islands......WTH ?? I know Brian and his GF were planning a trip to Miami before he vanished........but geeeezeeee... mmmmmmm..... 
I need to get busy on this...bbl.

Police Downplay Connection Between Missing OSU Student, Web Message
Wednesday,  October 8, 2008 3:40 PM
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Investigators on Tuesday said that an Internet message pertaining to a missing Ohio State medical appeared to be a hoax.

Brian Shaffer disappeared on April 1, 2006 from the Ugly Tuna Saloona, located near the Ohio State campus.

Shaffer, a second-year medical student at Ohio State, went to the bar to celebrate the beginning of spring break with several of his friends when he disappeared.

Last month, Shaffer's father, Randy Shaffer, died when a tree fell on him outside his home. Three days after his death, someone posted a message on Web site in memory of Randy Shaffer that read, "Dad, I love you, Brian," from the U.S. Virgin Islands, 10TV News reported.

According to police, the Internet message did not originate from a computer in the U.S Virgin Islands, but rather from a public access computer located in Franklin County.

Investigators did not say specifically where the computer was located, but the facility does not require people to log in, leaving very little chance for authorities to learn who posted the message.
http://www.10tv.com/live/content/local/stories/2008/10/08/story_shaffer.html?sid=102