Security cameras recorded him walking into a crowded bar. They never recorded him walking back out — and there was no other way to leave.
A Night Out Before Spring Break
On the night of March 31, 2006, Brian Shaffer, a second-year medical student at Ohio State University, had dinner with his father, Randy, to mark the start of spring break. Randy noticed Brian seemed worn down from a week of studying for exams but didn't voice any concern when Brian mentioned plans to go out later with a friend, William "Clint" Florence.
A Night at the Bars
Brian met Florence around 9 p.m. at the Ugly Tuna Saloona, a bar in Columbus''s Arena District. The two spent the evening bar-hopping, having a drink at each stop, before being joined after midnight by Florence''s acquaintance, Meredith Reed, who gave them a ride back to the Ugly Tuna for a final round.
The Disappearance
At the Ugly Tuna, Brian became separated from Florence and Reed inside the crowded bar. When the bar closed at 2 a.m., the two waited outside for him but he never emerged with the crowd; they assumed he had left on his own without telling them. Brian never returned to his apartment, missed a flight for a planned trip days later, and was reported missing when neither his girlfriend nor his father could reach him.
The Investigation
Security cameras at the Ugly Tuna captured Brian, Florence, and Reed entering the bar together around 1:15 a.m. No footage from any of the bar's exits, or any of the surrounding area's extensive camera coverage, ever showed Brian leaving. Investigators reviewed the building thoroughly, including searching for any way he could have left undetected, without finding an explanation.
Where the Case Stands
Brian Shaffer has never been found, and no evidence has ever established what happened to him after he was last seen inside the bar. The case remains one of the most puzzling missing person cases in the US, precisely because of how thoroughly documented -- and how impossible to explain -- his final known movements are.
FAQ
Has Brian Shaffer ever been found?
No. He has never been located, and the case remains unsolved.
What makes this case unusual?
Security footage confirms he entered the bar but never shows him leaving, despite extensive camera coverage of the building's exits.
When did Brian Shaffer disappear?
Late in the night of March 31 into April 1, 2006, from the Ugly Tuna Saloona in Columbus, Ohio.