Brian Shaffer

28:30Even if Brian wasn't drunk, just a few drinks or even just the whirlpools being extremely strong could make all the difference. On May 10th, Brian's family thought there might finally be a break in the case when someone actually broke into Brian's apartment. At around 2am that day, someone kicked down the door. Police were notified by 3am, and law enforcement actually reaches out to Alexis to conduct a walkthrough of the apartment with them. It seems that only a TV and a few DVDs were missing. Nothing appeared to be related to Brian's disappearance. And other apartments in the building had also been broken into.

29:08So in the end, police do not believe this break-in was related at all. And throughout all of this, Randy is still talking to the media whenever he could, and by June, he actually filmed a TV commercial to help spread the word about Brian. He was also invited to attend a Pearl Jam concert in Cincinnati. Here, the lead singer, Eddie Vedder, actually asked the audience to submit any information they may have about Brian's disappearance.

29:40A young man named Brian Schaefer kind of went missing. He looks like he's in his 20s. He's 6 '2", a real handsome guy. He's got a Pearl Jam tattoo on his upper right arm.

29:59and he's going to med school. You may have heard about this already. If you have, I apologize, but I don't think it would do any harm to bring it again to everybody's attention. If you look into this... Alexis later posted on her MySpace about how excited Brian would have been to hear that Eddie Vedder mentioned him. Brian loved Pearl Jam. And what I think is so cool is that Eddie Vedder continued to support the search for Brian. He would later make a similar plea at a Columbus concert, and even dedicated the song Come Home to Brian. Fans also ended up organizing a fundraiser. Just a very cool, collective community effort.

30:43And then in August, they get this other lead that seems really big. Police announce that there's actually a person of interest in Brian's case, and release their picture. This seemed like huge news, and it seems like everyone was hopeful that they might finally get some answers. But that individual came forward the following day, and was quickly cleared of having any involvement. And the hits just keep coming. In September, there was another potential lead, or so the family hoped. For me, this is one of the most heartbreaking parts about Brian's case. Up to this point, since Brian went missing, Alexis called his cell phone every single night hoping for a response.

31:26Each time it would go straight to voicemail. But then, for some reason on September 8th, Brian's phone actually rang. It rang three times and then stopped. And this was not a one-time thing. For the next three days, Alexis called Brian's phone. And each time, it would ring three times and then stop. This is also one of the most highly debated parts of Brian's case. According to HLN, records show that the phone was pinging in Hillard, Ohio. This is about 14 miles from the Ugly Tuna Saloon. But as far as my team could find, nothing really came of this. And Brian's cell phone carrier says that the rings were just a glitch in the system, saying they didn't think Brian's phone was actually being turned on.

32:13For many months, there really weren't any significant updates in Brian's case, and like we see so often, throughout this journey, throughout fighting for all these answers, Randy becomes friends with other loved ones of the missing. Together, with the help of Kevin Miles from Crime Stoppers, they end up getting a law passed that establishes protocol for detectives to follow up when adults go missing. Randy also gets connected with Texas EquiSearch. In August 2007, their team comes to Ohio to look for Brian, but again, there's just no sign of him anywhere. And Randy keeps working with other families to help find their missing loved ones.

32:50In January 2008, he actually donates$8 ,000 from Brian's reward money to help find a missing woman. While Randy was helping others, he continued working for Brian. In addition to all his regular efforts speaking to the media, hanging up flyers, he made a website called findbrianshafer.com, and he also wrote letters to Clint and Meredith, asking them for information, even if they had promised Brian they wouldn't say anything. After Meredith responded to a letter, Randy started calling her, trying to figure out what might have happened. Meredith would later tell the media, quote, he needed peace.

33:29He was a lost soul on this earth. By July 2008, Clint's attorney told Randy that he would talk about the case if he was granted immunity. But it doesn't seem like anything came of this. A few months later, on September 13th, Randy sent an email about his search for Brian, which the non-profit Project Jason was going to share. He ended the email by saying, quote, the public does forget after time, but the parents never forget. People have no idea what it is like to lose a son or daughter until it happens to them. The very next day, Randy was killed. Basically, a tree branch fell on him while he was cleaning up after a storm and his neighbors found him the next day.

34:16It's just heartbreaking. Randy truly worked for Brian until his last day. On September 17th, Randy's obituary was posted online, and someone left a comment on the obituary claiming to be Brian. It read, quote, I miss you, Dad. Love, Brian. The user said that they were in the Virgin Islands. But in the end, detectives determined that the comment came from a public library computer in Franklin County, Ohio. They never figured out exactly who said it, but they were sure it wasn't Brian. On September 19th, Randy was laid to rest. Kevin from Crimestoppers spoke at the funeral. Now, between Randy's death, this hoax, and what happened next, there was a lot happening in Brian's case at this time.

35:10The Lantern reported that three days later, Clint's attorney sent an email to the Schaefer family's private investigator. This was in response to the investigator asking if Clint would talk about Brian's disappearance. Clint's attorney responded in part, quote, 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. His attorney also said that the only issue he believes authorities have with Clint is that he refused to take a polygraph. He explained that Clint's refusal wasn't because he had anything to hide.

35:50It was because he was advised not to. He added, quote, As far as Clint is concerned, this matter is closed. The Lantern reached out to the attorney to ask about the email. He declined to comment, reiterating that like Clint, as far as he was concerned, the case was closed. But here's the thing. Detectives would later tell HLN that, to their knowledge, no one from the department had ever spoken to the attorney. This episode is brought to you by 20th Century Studios' upcoming comedy, Ella McKay. From Academy Award-winning writer-director James L. Brooks, Emma Mackey plays Ella McKay, an idealistic young woman who juggles family and work in a story about the people you love and how to survive them.

36:37Featuring an all-star cast, including Jamie Lee Curtis, Jack Loudon, Kumail Nanjiani, Iowa Debris, Julie Kaffner, with Albert Brooks and Woody Harrelson. Ella McKay, in theaters December 12th. Get tickets now. BJ's Wholesale Club makes holiday hosting so easy, we called in the ultimate host to talk about it. Mrs. Claus here. You think Santa has it tough delivering all over the world? Try cooking for hundreds of elves. Good thing BJ's offers low prices on all the menu must-haves, plus free same-day delivery on your first order of$100 or more. No more squeezing in trips to the store. The only squeezing here is the big guy into a suit after dinner.

37:15For terms, visit bj's.com slash holiday and get the same great prices online as in club. Not long after Randy passed away, police received another possible lead when a credible tip came in. Someone says that Brian's body was in a field near the OSU campus. They go out and search, but didn't find anything related to Brian. Before the year was over, Clint refused a second polygraph test. By this point, many people close to Brian believed that Clint knew more than he was saying. Derek told the Lantern, quote, As soon as the detective started getting involved, that's when he pretty much had no contact with anybody.

37:54I'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. He later told another publication, quote, I didn't know Clint very well, but I always thought that something was off with him. The way he talked about my brother after he went missing, kind of in a negative way. I wouldn't expect that from someone whose friend vanished. If Clint knew something, I hope he would have shared it. I deserve to know. Alexis spoke to the lantern and agreed that Clint knew more than he let on.

38:34Her father, who helped in the search for Brian, added, quote, The gist of my perspective on Clint Florence is that I think basically all roads to making any progress on the case of Brian Schaefer lead through Clint. As we know these things go, as time goes on, updates get a little more sparse. In 2013, Brian is legally declared dead, but this was basically just to free up his assets for Derek. When this happens, police say that they're still not sure what happened to Brian, but in 2014, they told the media, quote, We have three theories, but none that we can discuss. A year later, the Ohio Center for Missing Persons collaborated with Derek to create an in-depth report on Brian's case.

39:18They also addressed some of the rumors. One rumor focused on hand gestures that Brian was seen making in some of his pictures. People wondered if these gestures were linked to his disappearance, but Derek cleared up the record and said that they were just something Brian did to be silly. Another rumor suggested that Brian maybe turned to drugs to cope with his mom's death, but there was just no evidence that Brian was involved in any illegal activity, and Derek was adamant that he wouldn't have used drugs. I think the biggest rumor was that the ugly tuna saloon was hiding information about Brian, and this rumor appears to have been started due to Randy mentioning that the bar just wasn't as cooperative as he wanted them to be in some interviews.

40:01He said employees were told not to discuss Brian's case, and that he had to push really hard to get flyers hung up in the bar. He basically said that the bar seemed more concerned with their reputation and possible loss of revenue than finding Brian. I mean, it was clear that Randy was frustrated with the bar, and I can absolutely see why. But I think it's worth noting that this was investigated. The Ohio Center for Missing Persons reported no evidence suggesting that the bar was uncooperative, and Columbus police have said publicly that the staff answered all their questions. In 2016, the Columbus Dispatch published an article about Brian to acknowledge the 10-year mark of him going missing.

40:45Former lead detective John Hurst was interviewed about his theories. And like a lot of members of law enforcement, I feel like he says a lot if you just read between the lines. When asked if Brian is still alive, Hurst answered, quote, There is a possibility he is alive, but if you look at the probabilities that he isn't alive, those are just as great. When asked if Brian was murdered, he replied, quote, There is nothing we have been able to recover that shows that he succumbed to foul play. So again, the probability of that isn't as great as he just walked away. And when Hurst was asked if Brian completed suicide, he said, Most people who commit suicide want to be found.

41:28I would say that is probably in the lower category. Alexis and Derek also went on record for the article. Alexis said that she doesn't have a single theory she firmly believes in. She added that her feelings about the case have evolved, and now she's numb to her emotions. Derek says that he used to hold out the hope that his brother might still be alive. However, he never believed that Brian simply ran away to start a new life. Derek further explained that he often replays the events of the night of March 31, 2006 in his mind over and over again. On the night Brian went missing, he invited Derek and Derek's girlfriend to meet him at the Ugly Tuna Salona.

42:09but they declined the invitation. Derek told the dispatch, quote, What if I had been there that night? Would things have been different? Would my brother still be here? I've carried that guilt around for a while. In May 2018, the Ugly Tuna Salina closed. In a dispatch article about the bar's closing and Brian's disappearance, Detective Hurst said that the police were still considering all possibilities. They hadn't ruled out foul play, and they hadn't ruled out the idea that Brian might have left on his own. Hearst did have hope that one day they would solve this mystery. He said, quote, It's like a puzzle.

42:49We put pieces in, and we have to work at getting them to fit. Then in 2020, Brian's case made headlines again. This is when another possible lead emerged. Basically, authorities were sent a picture of a man in Mexico who resembled Brian. but after the FBI went and checked it out, the man was not Brian. So this was just another huge nothing, another dead end. But something else came out at this point. The police said that they were not done investigating Brian's case and in fact, they planned to re-interview everyone involved, specifically stating that they believe someone is withholding information.

43:32This episode is brought to you by Cars.com. On Cars.com, you can shop over 2 million cars. That means over 2 million new car possibilities, like making space for your growing family, becoming the type of person who takes spontaneous weekend camping trips, or upgrading your commute. Wherever life takes you next, or whoever you're looking to be, there's a car for that on Cars.com. Visit Cars.com to discover your next possibility.

43:57Your planet is now marked for death. Marvel Studios' The Fantastic Four First Steps is now streaming on Disney+. We will protect you. As a family. Light them up, Johnny! Marvel's first family is certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes. That is fantastic. And critics say it's one of the best superhero movies of all time. Marvel Studios' The Fantastic Four First Steps, now streaming on Disney+. Rated PG-13. What time has it been? It's COVID-19! In 2021, an age-progressed photo of what Brian might look like at 42 was released. Of course, officials hope that this image might lead to more tips. Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost released a statement along with the photo that urged people to pay close attention to it, saying that even a single tip could help solve the case and bring the family closer to reuniting with Brian.

44:51He added, quote,

44:57Which I have to say, I love, I love that idea of Hope not having an expiration date. But unfortunately, there have been no further updates in Brian's case. He remains missing, and his wallet, phone, and his clothes that he was wearing when he disappeared have never been found. So, what happened to Brian Schaefer? Well, let's start with the theory that Brian never left the bar on April 1st, 2006. Some think that maybe he accidentally fell into the construction area and got covered in concrete when the crew went back to work. Others believe something bad happened to Brian inside the bar, and his body might be hidden there somewhere.

45:40But the police have searched the bar and the construction area thoroughly, and they do fully refute this theory. Another theory is that Brian left the ugly tuna saloon, but the cameras just didn't capture it. According to Columbus Monthly, one of the bar's cameras actually panned the area constantly, so it went back and forth, while the other was operated manually. So I don't think it's completely far-fetched to believe that Brian could have left without cameras seeing him. But on the other hand, other questions remain with this theory. Why didn't any of the other cameras in the area capture him leaving, walking down the street?

46:18I mean, anything. And why didn't any of the witnesses there recall seeing him leave that night? Now, what people believe could have happened to Brian if he did leave the bar varies. Something Brian might have just tried to walk home and something really bad happened to him. The police haven't said that this is impossible. Just that they don't have any proof that Brian was met with foul play. Another possible theory is that Brian left the bar and was killed by the Smiley Face Killer. The idea behind the Smiley Face Killer is that he's supposedly a serial killer. Basically, he murders young men and leaves them near some type of spray-painted Smiley Face.

46:57But authorities have completely dismissed this theory. They say they don't even believe the Smiley Face Killer exists, let alone that he was involved in Brian's disappearance. And of course, there's also the theory that Clint, Brian's friend, might have been involved Some say it's suspicious that Clint and Brian were seen arguing in the bar and that Clint later hired an attorney, did not talk to the grand jury, and refused multiple lie detector tests While detectives have publicly noted that these things may seem suspicious they have also said that Clint was never a suspect or a person of interest in Brian's case There are many other theories out there, but no matter what you believe, Brian is still a missing person at this point, and he has loved ones that are waiting for answers.

47:45Which brings me right to our call to action. As we often encounter with these older cases, Brian's case really just seems to need someone to come forward with new information, which means we need more eyes on it. So please share Brian's photo and his story. And I want to leave you with that statement Randy gave right before his untimely death. Quote,

48:25As a reminder, Brian Schaefer was last seen around 2 a.m. on April 1, 2006 at the Ugly Tuna Saloon in Columbus, Ohio. At that time, he was 27 years old, 6 '2", 160 pounds, with brown hair and hazel eyes. He was wearing an olive green short-sleeve polo shirt with a white long-sleeve shirt underneath, blue jeans, Adidas sneakers, and a yellow cancer awareness bracelet. Brian also has a dot on the iris of his left eye, and a tattoo on his upper right bicep. Anyone with information about this case is asked to call the Columbus Division of Police at 614-645-2358. But, as always, thank you, I love you, and I'll talk to you next time.

49:20Voices for Justice is hosted and produced by me, Sarah Turney, and is a Voices for Justice media original. This episode contains writing and research assistance by Haley Gray, with additional research assistance by Anna Luria. If you love what we do here, please take a moment to follow, rate, and review the show in your podcast player. It helps us and helps more people find these cases in need of justice.

49:50Thank you.

50:26Welcome to the Secret After Show. Let's talk about Brian. Now, there are a few things I want to touch on that occurred in Brian's case, and I think one of the first is this idea that Brian was so struck with grief that this caused him to leave. Some of the things that people bring up in defense of this that I did use in the episode to be fair, because it's not about my opinion, it's about what the facts are, but this part of the show is more about my opinion and what I think. So really, some of the things that were kind of used against him to prove this theory don't feel exactly fair. specifically i am talking about those statements that brian made to alexis before he went missing grief is a very weird thing and i think everybody experiences it a little bit differently you know but there are some universals too right like i think really grief can wash over you at moments where you might be prompted to tell your partner things like you feel horrible right now you feel like this will never go away maybe you feel like you're broken and you say just leave me you say i'm never going to get better you would be better off without me i've absolutely had those moments especially going through the trial i will tell you that me and watchman had some really really bad days but for me and this i mean this is just speculation pure speculation here for me those statements feel more like brian expressing his grief in a moment it says somebody he really loved and trusted.

52:05It didn't seem like actual plans to dissolve the relationship in any way. I mean, he called Alexis the night he went missing. He had plans for the next day. Now, I will say that grief can absolutely make you do things you might not do absent of that grief, but these statements alone just don't do it for me. As far as what I think happened to Brian, I don't know. I do think that's part of what makes this case so puzzling is, you know, one, the surveillance, and two, just not knowing. I think in cases where there's a big absence of information, the lack of security footage, not knowing what was going on with that tuition check, I think that it really just leads more credence to people speculating.

52:50It just makes people wonder what the hell happened. And I will say that Brian's case is one of the first true crime cases I ever heard of. Now, I do think that my experience with true crime, I mean, obviously has been a little bit different than a lot of people, but I really got into true crime and I don't even, I didn't even really get into it. I went through this period where I watched a lot of YouTube. I couldn't really afford cable. I couldn't afford streaming services. So I watched a lot of free YouTube in like my early 20s and during college. And like with Lars Matank, Brian's case was one of those cases that was kind of all over YouTube at that point as more of a conspiracy theory.

53:29People were showing the footage, people were talking about him never leaving the bar. It was really, really full of speculation, it was really sensational, but it is a case that stuck with me. And I think that's one of the reasons I wanted to cover Brian's case. I do like to go back to these cases that I discovered, I mean, my gosh, I think, you know, almost right after it happened with Brian, I like to go back and revisit these, what feel like larger than life, extremely sensational cases and really try to just narrow it back down to the facts. So I hope that I did, you know, do that in this episode.

54:07Now, I'm not done talking about Brian. I do want to talk about hoaxes in general and hoaxes in this case because oof when I began to research and write this part about you know the hoaxes involved in Brian's case specifically the Randy's obituary and somebody leaving that comment that like says he's in the Virgin Islands I mean one how cruel can you be like there's no pass for that it's not a joke it's not funny that is so so cruel especially like think about it Derek just lost his mom just lost Brian and now his dad and now there's somebody commenting on his obituary that it's Brian from the Virgin Islands so number one just cruel and I'm not sure what Derek thought about all that Derek if you're out there listening I I know that families, at least in my experience, from the people that I know, we listen and we watch stuff about our loved ones.

55:09It's like you can't help yourself. So, Derek, if you're listening, I am sending you nothing but love. I can't even imagine. Well, I think I can in a little bit, in a little aspect of that. But what a horrible thing to go through. And I just send you so much love. You did not deserve that. Your family did not deserve that. Alexis did not deserve that. it was completely uncalled for. And the thing is, not only is it cruel and mean and just one of the worst things you can do to people in these situations, it is a total waste of resources. You know, there's not always enough cops to go around. There's not always enough detectives, enough resources in general, which could mean, you know, maybe police had other calls that day and they didn't go to them, you know, or put them off for a little bit to go investigate this.

55:58It is a huge ripple effect, which is why like as much as I give you guys calls to action and get involved, like I want you to do all those things. I always try to like preface that when I can with like, hey, let's not waste resources. If you're submitting a tip, it needs to be serious. Like call the non-emergency line if you can, because I understand how precious these resources can be. So shame on the person that did that. So much love to this family because that was super uncalled for and again, just a huge waste of resources. And I can tell you, you know what I mean? I was saying that I can relate to this because somebody did something similar in Alyssa's trial and I talked about it, I think last week, where they said, you know, Alyssa's out there alive and well and I know who it is and you need to, you know, Sarah knows that she's out there too.

56:48And it's all one big conspiracy theory. Like, the fact that officers had to go fly to another state to make that happen or whatever, that they had to speak to these people, when this person who submitted it knew full and well that it was false. I mean, I have to at least imagine that. I don't know who this person is that submitted it. But, you know, with them saying that, like, I knew Alyssa was alive, that's what leads me to believe that they knew it was false. Because obviously that's not true. Obviously the police inspected all that and came back and said that this was a hoax. And it's like, when that happened, you know, part of me is like, you know, the whole saying that I knew thing aside, part of me is like, oh my gosh, what if it is Alyssa?

57:31You know what I mean? Like, your heart races. I was crying. I was like, what if this is Alyssa? You know, despite my better judgment and in my heart knowing that Alyssa is more than likely not out there alive, you know, part of me is always like, what if? And it was a horrible experience. So, again, don't do that. Love to this family because it is one of the worst things you can go through. But moving on to something positive about this case, I wanted to talk about Pearl Jam and Eddie Vedder. I thought I mean their whole participation is so cool to me like number one it was Brian's favorite band right he had like the tattoo that is one of their album art I believe don't quote me I'm not I'm not a Pearl Jam stan or whatever I mean I am now maybe a little bit after this episode right but I think it's so amazing how one you know Eddie Vedder shared the information which is awesome.

58:27And two, he got his audience to actively get involved. He got them, and I don't know if it was like directly him, but again, his audience ended up creating this fundraiser for Brian. And that is like, best case scenario. And it's hard, right? Because you can't expect every musician at every single show to do something like this. But it was just a really, really cool thing. And I don't know, it's really inspiring to me, I guess, to see that and just see the way that this audience got mobilized to actually do something. And it gives me a lot of hope, which does bring me not to be cheesy to our segment of hope.

59:09And today we are switching it up because talking about getting involved, you guys, I have very, very good news about the Susan Lund case. Now, I'm actually going to read you an email I got from a lovely listener named Haley. Shout out to Haley. You are amazing. I love you. And of course, she did give me permission to read this before you come for me. So this email says, quote, Hello, Sarah, my name is Haley, and I'm from Clarksville, Tennessee. Laura asked me to reach out to you. Now, for some context, this came to me. Laura Norton actually texted me and said, Oh my gosh, I got this message. You know, blah, blah, blah, you should connect with this girl, and so I did.

59:48So the email goes on to read, I recently saw a billboard with Susan's information in town and instantly went searching for information. Your recent podcast with Laura popped up, and I'm surprised that there are only two podcasts that have covered Susan's case. After giving her episode a listen, I became obsessed. I went searching for as much information as I could share with other podcasts and local news source Clarksville Now. I got in touch with Clarksville Now's editor-in-chief, and he stated that he would like to interview a family member of Susan's. That's when I got in contact with Laura Norton and shared this information with her, hoping she could provide the family's information.

1:00:26I'm so beyond happy that Laura was able to reach out to the editor-in-chief and provide him with the family's information so that we can spread the story of Susan and get more people talking about this. If it wasn't for your podcast and the billboards, I would have never heard about Susan. Thank you for what you do. Now, of course, I go back to Haley and I'm like, oh my gosh, thank you so much. Is it okay if I share this in our segment of Hope? Because it's perfect. Somebody getting involved like this and getting media attention is the best case scenario. It's like everything I dream of for this podcast.

1:00:58But Haley goes on to say in another email, it would be an honor if you shared this with your listeners. I hope by sharing this story that your listeners become as inspired as I have to reach out to anyone and everyone they can think of regarding these heartbreaking stories. This is proof that anyone, even a young, broke college student like me, can make a difference by simply sharing and reaching out. And I am getting emotional because this is everything. Thank you, Haley. Shout out to Haley, you are awesome. This is everything. And yeah, I don't think I needed to elaborate anymore. Thank you guys.

1:01:39Thank you for listening and thank you for doing what you do. Thank you for going out there and doing things like this. This is literally what it's all about. But as always, thank you. I love you. And I'll talk to you next time. Hey, Ryan Reynolds here. Wishing you a very happy half-off holiday, because right now Mint Mobile is offering you the gift of 50 % off unlimited. To be clear, that's half price, not half the service. Mint is still premium, unlimited wireless for a great price. So, that means a half day, yeah? Give it a try at mintmobile.com slash switch. Upfront payment of$45 for three-month plan, equivalent to$15 per month required.

1:02:21New customer offer for first three months only. Speed flow after 35 gigabytes of network's busy. Taxes and fees extra. See MintMobile.com